XCEL Digital

06/01/2020

XCEL Digital was founded by two Asian Americans, so when injustice happens to minorities, we can't help but feel compassion and sympathy for them.

We stand against police injustice. We stand for justice for George Floyd.

And yet, on the other side of the scales, XCEL Digital is a San Diego based business, so when we see fellow San Diego businesses being vandalized, burnt, broken into, and looted in our own backyard of La Mesa, we feel that the proper message is not being made. Violence and destruction of local businesses will not help get justice for George Floyd. It just puts them in a financially difficult position, when they may have already been beaten down by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We hope these local businesses recover, that there will be justice for George Floyd, and that the violent protests and looting will end soon.

01/29/2020

*** 2020 Lunar New Year iPad GIVEAWAY ***

Happy Lunar New Year! In celebration of the new year, we would like to announce that we are extending the raffle entry duration for our iPad giveaway that started at the San Diego Lunar New Year Festival!
To WIN a brand new iPad Pro, here’s what you need to do:
1. LIKE and FOLLOW our page XCEL Digital.
2. SHARE this post. (Don’t forget to set your settings to ‘Public’!)
3. TAG 1 friend & COMMENT how you would like to improve your life digitally in 2020.
4. Follow our Instagram page below.
Submission of entries ends on 8th February 2020, at 11:59 PM. Winners will be randomly selected based on their comments and will be announced on 12th February 2020.
All the best!!!
Website: www.xcel.digital
Instagram: https://instagram.com/xceldigitalweb

XCEL Digital best helps small businesses reach their full potential through SEO, digital marketing, and web design. FREE CONSULTATION & AUDIT of your website!

12/14/2019

Day 80. Be flexible in your business.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

That old adage holds true for many things in life, but unfortunately not for business, especially small business.

In the modern world, a small business must be flexible. If your business is too hard set in the way it operates, then it will fail.

Rapid changes occur both in technology and in the economy. That means means only businesses that are flexible will succeed. They must adapt to these changes, which will give them a massive advantage over more rigid businesses.

12/13/2019

Day 79. Learn how to be an effective business leader. (Part 2)

This is part 2 of how to become a more effective business leader.

1. Generate and encourage and culture of innovation. This keeps the business from going stale.

2. Don't waste too much time in meetings or other business structures.

3. Strive for perfection, but accept that true perfection is not achievable.

12/13/2019

Day 78. Learn how to be an effective business leader. (Part 1)

A few days ago, we discussed the importance of being an effective business leader. Over the next 2 days, we'll go over some tips on how to become a more effective business leader.

1. Improve your methods of communication.

2. Focus on what you are best at doing, and properly delegate the rest of the work.

3. Keep upgrading yourself and your skill set. No one wishes to work for an outdated leader or employer.

12/11/2019

Day 77. Anticipate your customers' needs.

Many businesses sell products or services to cater to existing customer needs, and that is a solid plan on which to build a business.

Smart businesses will be able to anticipate their customers' needs. They may create a product or service that new customers only know they need after seeing or experiencing it. Perhaps, they create a new feature or modified product to further assist their existing customer base.

This was exactly what BMW did at the LA Auto Show. I did not even know/predict my needs for a caffeine pick me up after walking the floor and checking out myriads of cars. BMW anticipated that need for me and installed a very handy "BMW Bar" that served free caffeine drinks. That showed me that they really knew how to take care of their customers' needs, even before they customers knew it themselves.

12/10/2019

Day 76. Provide leadership and direction.

Last night, I attended a rehearsal to practice dance choreography for a Christmas party.

The rehearsal clearly demonstrated how lack of leadership and direction could lead to a huge mess. One person kept throwing out concepts and not giving clear concrete ideas. Another wanted to keep it simple and just get it over with. Three others, including myself, were just talking over each other to give suggestions for what we believed was the best combination given the ideas.

All in all, a rehearsal that could have easily taken just 1 hour took 4 hours. There was no clearly-defined leadership role. There was also no predetermined direction to the choreography, so it led to chaos.

Imagine what this could do at a business meeting. Everyone would be at each other's throats and nothing would be accomplished.

As a business owner, you need to learn to provide strong unwavering leadership with a clear direction with which to guide everyone.

12/08/2019

Day 75. Seek mutually beneficial relationships.

Many businesses will share similar mission or vision statements to yours. Frequently, to grow your business, it is beneficial to have collaborations with similar industries and individuals. For example, if a popular youtube channel promotes eco-friendly habits, then a solar energy company sponsoring a video on that specific channel is likely to be beneficial to both parties.

The audience is already pre-selected as a generally eco-conscious group of people, and the collaboration will most likely benefit both businesses.

12/07/2019

Day 74. Create a top of the line/flagship product or service.

For many companies, creating an amazing flagship product may not be cost-efficient. Lots of research demand and limited market or small production numbers spell an unwise business decision.

Why do so many businesses still do it?

The flagship represents the abiity of the company you produce a marvel of a product. It creates trust and brand loyalty in its customers.

Shown here is the second generation Acura NSX model I photographed at the LA Auto Show. Few customers will buy this model in comparison to all their other Acura models.

Yet, being the top of the line product drew crowds of attention to it, and instilled awe in all of the spectators.

12/06/2019

Day 73. Provide a hands-on experience/demonstration.

No matter what product or service your business offers, you need to be able to convince the customer of its quality or worth.

Nothing can convince the customer more effectively than a hands-on demonstration. Everything has specs, images, and numbers online these days. Words on a page can be convincing, but not as much as letting the customer experience it first-hand.

A donut shop can convince a customer to buy by offering samples.

And as I experienced last week at the LA Auto Show, a car manufacturer can convince a customer to buy by offering a viewing and a test drive. I knew the Jaguar F-Type was an amazing car. But until I saw it in person and drove it, I couldn't experience how truly alluring it was.

Offering free test drives at an auto show obviously is not a directly cost-effective way to sell cars, as no one buys cars at the actual show. The long-term goals of selling the cars and promoting brand loyalty, however, are achieved.

12/05/2019

Day 72. Always be prepared.

When Tesla was doing the reveal on the Cybertruck, there were easily thousands of not tens of thousands of people watching live. Many of the people watching were automotive and tech influencers and Youtubers.

Unfortunately, the most circulated image from that reveal was of the Cybertruck with 2 smashed windows. Elon Musk wanted to demonstrate the strength of the armored glass by throwing a metal ball at it. Both times, the ball smashed the window.

Had Elon Musk done a run through of this exact reveal procedure even just once, he would have known that the window would break. Instead, his entire presentation seemed to be winged and put together last minute.

To have your own demonstration backfire live during a product reveal is devastating to the public image and reputation of the product.

Needless to say, the most talked about topic regarding the Cybertruck reveal was the smashed windows.

Elon Musk could have been more prepared. Elon Musk could have prevented a reveal of 2 smashed windows. Unless, it was intentional. And he knew that it would cause the interwebs to be buzzing about the reveal for more publicity and free marketing. If that was the case, it was simply genius.