Tips
Keep Website Updated
By Carl Weinschenk
Exerpt from www.smartbiz.com which is a great small business resource site. Click SmartBiz image to link to whole article.
A Website is a great thing—if it is up to date. But companies that don’t bother to keep their site timely are better off simply shutting their sites down, since they reflect poorly on their effort, attention to detail and attitude... The important thing to remember is that a visitor's impression of a company is deeply linked to how the Website looks. Indeed, in most cases a person knows nothing about a company other than what they find when they visit the site. For that reason, attention must be paid.
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Exerpt from www.smartbiz.com which is a great small business resource site. Click SmartBiz image to link to whole article.
A Website is a great thing—if it is up to date. But companies that don’t bother to keep their site timely are better off simply shutting their sites down, since they reflect poorly on their effort, attention to detail and attitude... The important thing to remember is that a visitor's impression of a company is deeply linked to how the Website looks. Indeed, in most cases a person knows nothing about a company other than what they find when they visit the site. For that reason, attention must be paid.
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Ten Tips for Online Success
By Tema Frank
Exerpt from www.smartbiz.com which is a great small business resource site. Click SmartBiz image to link to whole article.
Seventy-eight percent of small and medium size business in the United States report that their business is healthier — has a competitive advantage or stronger economic footing — because they have a Web site. Seventy-six percent say their Web site generates leads for their business... Make your home page shine. Your home page must clearly state what you do and why people would want to deal with you. What makes you different from your competitors, whose sites they can so easily click over to? Why should they trust you? What results have you achieved for others? Be specific. Think from their point of view, not yours. Don’t talk about your offering’s features, but rather speak to the problems you solve.
Look professional. Avoid animated cartoon figures or scrolling words. Those are sure signs of amateurs. If your site looks amateurish, they’ll assume your company is too. On the other hand, don’t go overboard with slick Flash animation...
Introduce yourself. Put a picture of your president on the website, even if the president is the only employee. (They don’t need to know that!) Put an e-mail link right below it. Add a personal note. It helps build confidence that your business is for real, and that there is actually someone they can go to if they have a problem.
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Exerpt from www.smartbiz.com which is a great small business resource site. Click SmartBiz image to link to whole article.
Seventy-eight percent of small and medium size business in the United States report that their business is healthier — has a competitive advantage or stronger economic footing — because they have a Web site. Seventy-six percent say their Web site generates leads for their business... Make your home page shine. Your home page must clearly state what you do and why people would want to deal with you. What makes you different from your competitors, whose sites they can so easily click over to? Why should they trust you? What results have you achieved for others? Be specific. Think from their point of view, not yours. Don’t talk about your offering’s features, but rather speak to the problems you solve.
Look professional. Avoid animated cartoon figures or scrolling words. Those are sure signs of amateurs. If your site looks amateurish, they’ll assume your company is too. On the other hand, don’t go overboard with slick Flash animation...
Introduce yourself. Put a picture of your president on the website, even if the president is the only employee. (They don’t need to know that!) Put an e-mail link right below it. Add a personal note. It helps build confidence that your business is for real, and that there is actually someone they can go to if they have a problem.
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Create A Million Dollar Website
By Ken Schaefer
Exerpts from www.smartbiz.com which is a great small business resource site. Click SmartBiz image to link to whole article.
What’s in a Web site?
It’s a simple enough question, but one that, when it applies to your business, requires more than a simple answer. So much information! What to leave in? What to leave out? Creativity is important. Content is key. If you want your business’ Web site to stand above the rest, you need to do your homework and pass what I call, “The Five Yes Test.”
Question One: First off, is a Web site right for your business or are you just getting one because “everyone else has one?” This is an important distinction, which may save you a lot of time and money. Certain small businesses – such as those that thrive on referrals and word-of-mouth, with a decidedly lo-tech clientele and a lack of demand for e-commerce – may have very little to gain from a Web site.
If you conclude then that a Web site – with the added expense of design, development and ongoing maintenance – is the right course of action for you and your business, where do you go next? Simply put, there are two kinds of sites: those that tell and those that sell. While a “telling” Web site is perfect for getting information to your prospective customers, most startups are in the business of “selling” and therefore need a site that’s created to attract and convert visitors into not just one-time buyers, but life-long customers.
Question Two: Have you developed a clear, concise marketing message that’s relevant to your target audience? Every business, big or small, should have a clearly defined marketing strategy with key messages that communicate perfectly what the business does, and why people need it. Every marketing initiative, including a Web site, should fit into the overall marketing strategy...
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Exerpts from www.smartbiz.com which is a great small business resource site. Click SmartBiz image to link to whole article.
What’s in a Web site?
It’s a simple enough question, but one that, when it applies to your business, requires more than a simple answer. So much information! What to leave in? What to leave out? Creativity is important. Content is key. If you want your business’ Web site to stand above the rest, you need to do your homework and pass what I call, “The Five Yes Test.”
Question One: First off, is a Web site right for your business or are you just getting one because “everyone else has one?” This is an important distinction, which may save you a lot of time and money. Certain small businesses – such as those that thrive on referrals and word-of-mouth, with a decidedly lo-tech clientele and a lack of demand for e-commerce – may have very little to gain from a Web site.
If you conclude then that a Web site – with the added expense of design, development and ongoing maintenance – is the right course of action for you and your business, where do you go next? Simply put, there are two kinds of sites: those that tell and those that sell. While a “telling” Web site is perfect for getting information to your prospective customers, most startups are in the business of “selling” and therefore need a site that’s created to attract and convert visitors into not just one-time buyers, but life-long customers.
Question Two: Have you developed a clear, concise marketing message that’s relevant to your target audience? Every business, big or small, should have a clearly defined marketing strategy with key messages that communicate perfectly what the business does, and why people need it. Every marketing initiative, including a Web site, should fit into the overall marketing strategy...
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Five Ways To Boost Online Business
By Jennifer Bosavage
Exerpt from www.smartbiz.com which is a great small business resource site. Click SmartBiz image to link to whole article.
Small online businesses are constantly on the lookout for ways to make the most of their time and money. You can have the best product in town, but if potential customers don't know about it, they'll never become real clients. These five ideas will help you get your business out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
Obviously, different people see different things. What is simple to one is boring to another. But remember, fancy graphics take time -- sometimes a lot of time, depending on a user's connection -- to download. Therefore, the overriding concern a small business should have is on substance and ease of use. "You don't need animation for B2B," says D.J. Perlman, president of Superior Software Logic. "Sites should be clean and simple; make them elaborate at your own peril." In addition, he recommends not reinventing Web site convention. Familiarity among various sites' designs is good; use your creativity elsewhere. For example, nobody wants to search for where the shopping cart lives. It should be where it is on a majority of sites: The upper-right hand corner...
Create an email newsletter: You don't have to go out and hire an advertising agency to promote your business through a newsletter; there are several software products available to help you get started. Some publishing software helps you actually build the publication and manage your email lists (such as mynewsletterbuilder.com), others are geared specifically for streamlining publication (like EmailLabs' ASP software solution or Raizlabs' ASP Email Manager). Again, this is a terrific way to get mindshare among potential clients. Seeing such a newsletter on a regular schedule helps customers think of your company first when they are in the market for your product or service. Newsletters are also effective at communicating the "personality" of your business.
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Exerpt from www.smartbiz.com which is a great small business resource site. Click SmartBiz image to link to whole article.
Small online businesses are constantly on the lookout for ways to make the most of their time and money. You can have the best product in town, but if potential customers don't know about it, they'll never become real clients. These five ideas will help you get your business out of the shadows and into the spotlight.
Obviously, different people see different things. What is simple to one is boring to another. But remember, fancy graphics take time -- sometimes a lot of time, depending on a user's connection -- to download. Therefore, the overriding concern a small business should have is on substance and ease of use. "You don't need animation for B2B," says D.J. Perlman, president of Superior Software Logic. "Sites should be clean and simple; make them elaborate at your own peril." In addition, he recommends not reinventing Web site convention. Familiarity among various sites' designs is good; use your creativity elsewhere. For example, nobody wants to search for where the shopping cart lives. It should be where it is on a majority of sites: The upper-right hand corner...
Create an email newsletter: You don't have to go out and hire an advertising agency to promote your business through a newsletter; there are several software products available to help you get started. Some publishing software helps you actually build the publication and manage your email lists (such as mynewsletterbuilder.com), others are geared specifically for streamlining publication (like EmailLabs' ASP software solution or Raizlabs' ASP Email Manager). Again, this is a terrific way to get mindshare among potential clients. Seeing such a newsletter on a regular schedule helps customers think of your company first when they are in the market for your product or service. Newsletters are also effective at communicating the "personality" of your business.
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Win With Google AdWords
By Neil Anuskiewicz
Exerpt from www.smartbiz.com which is a great small business resource site. Click SmartBiz image to link to whole article.
Most businesses want a cost-effective way to bring in more customers. The challenge is to find prospects who are thinking about your products at the precise time that you reach them.
With the advent of Google AdWords, it is now possible to target prospects at the very moment they are thinking about buying your products or services. If someone does a Google search on digital cameras, they only see ads for digital cameras. If someone does a search on organically grown coffee beans, they only see ads for organically grown coffee. Google AdWords enables you to implement precisely targeted advertising.
Read on to learn how to maximize your success with Google AdWords. With proper preparation and execution, starting Google AdWords can be like planting a money tree that will provide your business with a steady stream of revenue.
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Exerpt from www.smartbiz.com which is a great small business resource site. Click SmartBiz image to link to whole article.
Most businesses want a cost-effective way to bring in more customers. The challenge is to find prospects who are thinking about your products at the precise time that you reach them.
With the advent of Google AdWords, it is now possible to target prospects at the very moment they are thinking about buying your products or services. If someone does a Google search on digital cameras, they only see ads for digital cameras. If someone does a search on organically grown coffee beans, they only see ads for organically grown coffee. Google AdWords enables you to implement precisely targeted advertising.
Read on to learn how to maximize your success with Google AdWords. With proper preparation and execution, starting Google AdWords can be like planting a money tree that will provide your business with a steady stream of revenue.
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