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Cashing in on the Chinese Cash Cow and How Realtors Can Win Business ‘Made in China’

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Growing Chinese interest in investing overseas was a top global business trend in 2014. According to Jones Lang LaSalle, the U.S. real estate market attracted $3.1 billion of capital from Chinese investors last year – an increase of more than 900% from just $264 million invested the year before.

The headline figure could exceed the $10 billion mark this year, although the reported numbers by themselves are a small fraction of the true number.

This phenomenal growth has been driven by two key drivers: First, the Chinese government is now actively encouraging outbound investment thanks to a new ‘go global’ policy introduced by them last year. Second, diminishing yields on domestic real estate investments are making international ones seem more attractive.

Chinese investment hotspots at this time include New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Memphis, San Diego, and Detroit – where investors have been busy snapping up vast swathes of distressed industrial real estate.

But it’s not just Chinese institutions that are investing: as all those cherished only children reach maturity, their parents want them to have the best education that money can buy. Since the United States remains home to the best Universities in the world, so it therefore comes as no surprise that Chinese parents are looking to acquire property in which their offspring can live whilst studying.

So, the opportunities are clear. But how can you start reaching out to this colossal growing market? Given the significant cultural and linguistical differences, this is no easy task. But, hey, we all now know that there’s no such thing as easy money anymore, right?

Well, due to the global architecture of the internet, creating a Chinese language section of your website is probably a good place to start. For this, it is best to engage in the services of a native since automation tools like Google translate usually do more harm than good.

Next, you should ensure that any inbound inquiries are dealt with in the prospect’s native language. Whilst hiring a Mandarin or Cantonese speaker ‘in house’ is an option, it also poses a risk: once trained, your intern might just one day decide to acquire their own realtor’s licence and compete against you.

To mitigate this risk, it can be more effective, as well as cost effective, to engage in the services of a ‘virtual assistant’ located in China itself. He or she can then take inbound calls on your behalf, make outbound ones, receive and send emails, source data, and other administrative tasks. Two birds, one stone: Not only will your new assistant will act as your gateway to China, they can also help in a back-office capacity – leaving you free to get out there and grow your business.

Irrespective of whether you elect to go down the insourcing route or the outsourcing one, make sure that Chinese prospects and customers can reach you by calling a regular Chinese telephone number. Making an international call still remains a psychological block for many people, not only in China, but also in the USA and elsewhere too.

Once you have your Chinese contact infrastructure in place, you can begin the herculean process of reaching out to this massive market.

One way to do this might be to task your Chinese assistant with reaching out to realtors in China who might have clients interested in overseas property. Your listings could then appear on theirs. As with anywhere, identifying the good ones will take time.

Another strategy might be to start reaching out to potential customers directly. Like us, the Chinese are voracious consumers of social media. However, ramping-up your existing campaigns in an attempt to win more business from China is an exercise in futility since Facebook and Twitter have not gotten any traction there.

The good news is that agencies exist that will grab your existing social media content and check that it is compliant with Government guidelines, and then publish it across popular Chinese social media networks such as Sina Weibo, Tencent Weibo, RenRen and WeChat. This is a neat way of hopping over the almost mythical great Chinese firewall and being on the inside.

Of these, WeChat, has become defacto a standard way of communicating in China. An English version is available for free, and should be downloaded to your smartphone as part of your new armory of tools to help you win more business from China.

Whilst the Chinese might share our love affair with social media, a face-to-face meeting in Chinese culture holds perhaps even more significance than it does in ours. Any hard selling will be counterproductive. Whilst relationship building is important in any culture, it is of utmost importance in this one.

Bear in mind also that the Chinese are avid researchers and might end up knowing more about the property than you do. Be patient, and treat them with respect.

When it comes to setting pricing, bear in mind that the Chinese are a superstitious people. Try and avoid the number 4 if possible. Instead, be liberal with the number 8.

Prior to viewings, you should consider engaging in the services of a Feng Shui consultant who can advise of the best way to present property using the Chinese philosophical system of harmonizing human existence with the environment.

This will be a slow burn. Do not expect results overnight. It’s all about relationship building. It will take time. China’s a tough nut to crack. But if you do crack it, he rewards can be truly enormous both financially and, given the esoteric propensity of the Chinese mind-set, possibly spiritually too.

It would seem that now is indeed the perfect time to start looking eastwards and reaching out to this enormous market.

Daily Fitness Tips From Wanitha Ashok – Bangalore Fitness

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A busy schedule, a working lunch and hours spent sitting in front of the computer can all wreck havoc with your health. Worried that you don’t have the Wanitha Ashok – Bangaloretime to join a gym and follow a fitness regimen? Fitness expert Wanitha Ashok says you can sneak in exercise into your daily routine with a little bit of determination. A certified aerobic instructor from Reebok and Aerobic Fitness Association of America (AFFA), Wanitha is an expert in Step aerobics, Pilates, Stability ball, Spinning and Kick Boxing and also does talk shows on nutrition and fitness in Kannada TV channels. She tells us why it is important to make time for a fitness routine in your daily life.

Brisk walking for 40 minutes is one of the best and simplest of exercises. You don’t have to join a gym for it. Just make some time in the morning or evening.

If your work involves being deskbound the whole day, get up and walk around in between to stretch your muscles. Walk up to your colleagues and talk to them instead of discussing problems and matters over the phone or email.

If your office or residence is on a higher floor and you must use the lift, get off two or three floors (depending on your capacity) ahead of your destination and walk up. Increase the distance as you progress. You can slowly start doing variations like taking the stairs two at a time, speeding up, doing lunges etc.

After lunch hour at work, take a walk around the building or terrace.
Sitting in the right posture is very important for those on a desk job. Try to learn some simple stretching exercises that you can perform at your desk.

Food in the office canteen can often be oily and heavy, leading to problems like weight gain. Watch what you are eating. Cut down on refined foods and sweets, as these tend to be calorie-filled and make you hungry sooner. Make the right food choices. Instead of a gravy dish and rice, have dal, roti and a light vegetable dish, if available. If you are having sandwiches, try to opt for whole wheat bread if available.

Make time for breakfast in the morning, no matter how rushed you are. Try to have four or five small meals during the day. Never skip meals. You will just lose muscles.

If you can’t spare 40 minutes at a stretch for a workout on a weekday, you can even do small exercises throughout the day for a few minutes each. For example, skip rope in the morning for five minutes. Jog when you can spare the time later in the day for a few minutes. Together, it will make a difference.

Exercising for three to five days a week is ideal with 40 minutes of cardio and three days of strength training. If you are too busy for that, make time for a proper workout session over the weekend. Ensure that you have at least an hour-long exclusive workout. If you are joining a gym, ensure that it has a reputation of excellence and proper certification. If you have a gym in the building with an independent trainer, make sure that she or he is properly certified. You can always ask to see their certification.

Bored of your aerobic routine? Try variations like Kickboxing or Tai Chi as that’s always good. Pick a high intensity workout if you want to burn more calories.

Don’t workout only to lose weight. Work out to stay fit.

There are several passive workout machines in the market. These are mostly a waste of money as they don’t give you a cardio workout.

Several homemakers believe that they get enough exercise simply by chasing the kid around or doing housework. This is completely wrong. The components of a proper workout routine are Cardio, Strength Training, Flexibility, Body composition and Neuro-muscular integration, which decreases with age. Your workout routine needs to address all of these.

Whether you are taking the stairs instead of the lift, jogging around your building or skipping at home, always wear the right footwear.

Do you have any questions for Wanitha about fitness? Post a comment and we will get it answered.

A Plethora of Internet Marketing Tips

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The keys to the successful internet marketing business

As different organizations look at the internet marketing model for redemption, there are certain elements that need to be under control and under the constant supervision of the major stake holders. These are the elements that will ensure that the organization in question has a very good chance of influencing the industry positively. The list is by no means exhaustive but it provides a good starting point for people that wish to explore this area further:

  1. Site wide links are no longer in fashion because the internet marketing model is all about the products. The links to the home page might not give the clients the products that they need. In any case the larger websites require the clients to click on more than one page before they land on the product from the home page. That is just unacceptable in the competitive world. The direct link to the product page is the way to go.
  2. Meta tags should be used to avoid significant amendments to the websites. When product lines change then the client should look to the Meta tags to ensure that they can redirect the product lines to the appropriate landing pages without having to change the entire website. Characters must be limited to the key words and the essential content. A repeat of over 25% of the title can be fatal in terms of page authority. Important key words have to be given the priority when undertaking the internet marketing strategy.
  3. The use of copied content is not advisable from the perspective of a comprehensive internet marketing strategy. This type of content tends to reduce the value of the website in the eyes of both the human traffic and the mechanical crawlers. It is not ethical because it can lead to copyright theft. The search engines have significantly increased the efficiency of their duplicate content detectors and it will be only a matter of time before the offending website is duly penalized.
  4. The individual that is deeply involved in the internet marketing world has to ensure that they have created a list of tips that go with the work that they have achieved. This is learning that can be applied to the different people that join the organization. It can also form the basis of a marketable product in terms of training for others.
  5. Domain classification has precedence for age. The older domains are given credence in the internet marketing world as compared to the new domain names. That means that it is not necessarily a good idea to rush out and buy a new domain name for a very expensive price. It might not deliver the kinds of results that the client is expecting from the model.
  6. The internet marketing model is all about networks. That means that the merchant is strongly advised to build a network of related but different websites. This is the first step in creating a niche that can prove to be a very powerful marketing tool. In the end that is what makes all the difference between a haphazard strategy and one that is founded on a clear understanding of the internet marketing tips. At the same time it is important that the websites are differentiated in order not to attract the wrath of the major search engines that might suspect foul play.
  7. The image search functionality on the engines is ripe for internet marketing. This is an area that has not been well explored by the merchants because they are not aware of the true marketing potential for images. Images and videos should be prepared and optimized in order to diversity the revenue stream. If one element fails then a loss leader strategy can be effectively applied to rescue the company in question.
  8. Affiliate programs are an excellent internet marketing tip. They are based on a model that pays when there are clear results from the representative. From this perspective the affiliates are the idea opportunity for the publishers to get traffic without the added complications of managing the system or the elements that deal with the day to day sales.
  9. Technology must always be included in the internet marketing strategy in order to keep pace with the developments within the industry. A fear of technology can effectively remove the possibility for improving the outcomes for the industry as well as the people that organize it. Merchants are advised t take courses in order to improve their general awareness.

Marketing Your Business With Videos – 7 Tips To Video Marketing Online

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As you likely know, marketing is all about getting your prospect to take the action you want him/her to take, whether that’s opting onto your list, following/liking your page, and/or purchasing your offer. To do this, you have to make sure to get his/her attention and convince him/her to do this. While text and audio can do this, your best bet in achieving this wanted action is via video marketing.

I hear you asking, “Why is video marketing more effective than text and audio?” The reason why is because, most humans prefer seeing something rather than reading or listening to something. Video is usually more engaging and can be more informative than text or audio.

This is all the more reason why most people will respond better to video than to text or audio. This is a major reason why many marketers are using video on their websites, especially when a prospect first visits a website.

Tips to video marketing:

Provide Value: One thing is that, you must be sure that the video provides value to your prospect. Don’t just put up a video so that you’ll have one on your website. While you may have the prospect’s attention at first, if it doesn’t provide value to your prospect, he/she is not staying on your website for long.

Keep It Interesting: Related to this, make sure to not just sell in your video either. It’s okay to present an offer or a request (such as signing up to your opt-in list to the side of the video in return for a free gift), but be sure to provide some useful information and some enthusiasm within the video. If you don’t, chances are that your prospect will lose interest and leave, likely to never return to your website again.

The length of your video: While video is more engaging and enticing than text and audio, this doesn’t mean you should have it play for more than a few minutes, as longer videos can drive prospects away.

Successful video marketing involves videos that get straight to the point with useful information and the requested action rather than filling them with fluff to make the videos longer.

Video quality: Additionally, it is vital that your videos play properly and play quickly. Ask yourself if you would stay on a website that takes forever for a video to load and play. Of course, you would answer “no.” After all, we are all busy, and time is something you cannot get back.

As a result, keep your videos to a minimum in terms of file size so that they load faster. You should also be sure that your Web hosting has enough bandwidth so that the videos you post onto your site can play without any pauses or issues.

Headline and video play: You can play your video immediately upon a prospect visiting your website so that your prospect knows something interesting and informative is on your website or you can set it up for manual play only.

You only have between one to three seconds to make an impression on your prospect to stay on your website or you risk him/her clicking away from your site.

Always have your benefit written headline clearly visible on the page with your video. If your video won’t load that quickly, your prospect will read an interesting headline and stay on your site to watch your video.

Place your video on YouTube: Keep in mind that your website is not the only place to place your videos. YouTube is the most popular and visited video site on the Internet. Video on YouTube can help you to drive traffic to your website.

Add in the fact that Google owns YouTube, and you can not only place higher in YouTube’s search engine by submitting quality, informative videos, but you can even rank higher in Google’s search engine via good videos that appeal to your target market.

Video on other social media sites: Putting videos on sites such as YouTube and other social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc.) is another option instead of directly on your website. Just point your prospects to your video links, and when they click on those links, they’ll be directed to the videos on those respective sites so they can see what you have to offer.

Therefore, don’t forget about video when you are thinking of and testing marketing strategies in your business. Text and audio certainly have their place, but tests have shown that video has the most conversions and results amongst all main media.

Video is more engaging and interactive, which is exactly what you want your prospects to do, whether that’s signing up to your list, liking/sharing your site, and/or purchasing your offers. Keep the above information in mind when you create videos, and your business is likely to greatly benefit from your video marketing efforts.

Maximize Your Cash Returns by Shopping Online

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Gone are the days when you spent hours in shopping. Nowadays shopping can be done online. You are almost done with some few clicks. Online shopping is becoming a trend in the UK market these days. People who are so busy with their routine hardly find time to shop. Online shopping is the best way for the workaholics. Not only has it made their works easier but also offers maximum cash benefits. There is lot more ways to maximize your cash earning while purchasing an item online. Let us discuss about online shopping and the cool ways to maximize your returns.

What is online shopping?

With the advent of cutting edge technology, shopping can be made online like the same way you do your virtual shopping. You can buy anything online without visiting the shop in person. These online portals have user friendly navigation in order to ease up your shopping. Ranging from groceries to complex electronic gadgets, you can buy everything online. Nowadays lots of shopping portals have different set of procedures to buy things online. All these portals have separate payment gateways were you can make the payment online. All you have to do is to own a credit card with sufficient funds on it and an internet connection.

What’s special about online shopping?

These online shopping portals have lot more differences compared to your normal shopping. Lot of offers, discount coupons and many exclusive freebies are some of the highlights of the online shopping. Some portals even offer free home delivery. Online shopping is one of the safest ways to buy expensive items. You can compare the quality and cost of some items contrastingly. But, you can’t do the same while you do you r shopping in person. Some sites offer cash back guarantee while you do online shopping in their portals.

How to maximize your profits while doing online shopping?

Online shopping is a cool trend nowadays. You can make your shopping more productive and beneficial when you chose the right portal to do one. These cash back portals are nothing but similar to B2B sites (Business to Business site). Majority of these cash back site contains a variety of links of the popular shopping portals in the UK . These cash back site serves as a gateway to your convenient shopping. They have nothing to do with the shopping stuffs.

They simple have the details of the top notch retailers and their offers in their portal. It doesn’t end here, as one of the most interesting features of this cash back portal is its cash back offers for every purchase you make trough this site. Most of the cash back portals offer free membership and you will be given a separate account. Every time when you purchase any item through any of the links listed in the cash back portal, your account will be credited with certain sum of amount. When your account crosses certain limit, you will be paid by the cash back portal. So, you not only enjoy the cash back benefits but also enjoy some other cool offers like discount coupons and credit points. These coupons can give you much more benefits than any other shops can offer while you shop in person.

Things to keep in mind before shopping online.

  • Even though online shopping has lot of advantages, it has to be done with utmost caution.
  • Never reveal your account details to anyone.
  • Make sure about the delivery of the products you order. You have to provide a valid address.
  • Payment processing must be done with great caution, read the disclaimer policy every time you make a transaction.
  • Select a genuine portal for shopping online. Make use of the consumer reviews portal to know about the recent offers and attractive deals.

If you make a clever analysis of the cash portal site, you will be the one to enjoy massive benefit from such sites.