Once upon a time there was a small business owner. He sold shoes. With money in his bank account he rented a shop, had some lovely signs painted, fitted out his store and purchased stock. After placing an advertisement in the local paper and filling mailboxes with flyers, his business took off and 40 years later he retired a happy man.
This story sounds so pleasant it could be a fairytale. In fact, it is very much how business developed 40 years ago. These days small business not only has an offline target market but must consider a complete online strategy when growing their business. We must have a website, social media profiles, SEO, email marketing. The list never ends and the upkeep is incredibly time consuming.
Many business owners, whilst incredibly experienced in their field, have no idea where to start with online marketing. So here is the Concise Small Business Guide to Online Success to help steer you in the right direction.
CONCISE SMALL BUSINESS GUIDE TO ONLINE SUCCESS
Small Business Website
Must your small business have a website? Yes. Are there any exceptions? No. Every small business must have a website. A website is akin to an online brochure, but so much more. Your business website informs visitors about your business, who you are, what you do. People will locate your business online, searching Google for a product or service your business can provide.
TIP! Do not settle for an inferior website. You do not need to spend a fortune, but you must use a web design company who can provide examples of previous quality work.
Do not build a website without considering your SEO strategy. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) defines how you create strategic content, titles and image text to ensure your website ranks highly on search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. SEO obviously involves much more than strategic content, there is a real art to successful SEO. However, a great way to start is by heading over to Google Keyword Tool, typing in a keyword phrase relevant to your business, and saving the list of keywords Google provides you with. Use a selection of these keywords in your content throughout your website.
I don't know anyone who does not have an email address. However, in relation to small business, if I come across a business using a gmail, hotmail or any other generic email address, my first thought is they must be small and unprofessional. Once you have purchased your domain name and have a website, there is no excuse not to have a customised email address such as support@smallbusinessgurus.com.au. Unsure how, contact your website host.
Debate still exists as to whether social media works for every small business. It may not work for your business, however without social media you are alienating a growing portion of your potential customer base. Starting out in social media, set up business pages on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. Join other pages on these networks that will help you to market your business and learn about social media marketing.
Do you have a physical business location? Are you a local business? Submit your listing to Google Places to ensure your website ranks in local business searches for your industry.
We often hear about poor performing online directories that damage our SEO rankings. However, online business directories are vital. Legitimate online directories are essential marketing sources for any small business. Free listings are available on such sites as Yellow Pages, Start Local, True Local, or check out this list of 50 Ultimate Local Business Directories (global).
Personal Brand
You may be a franchisee. Perhaps you sell a network marketing product. There are business types you are not able to market separately from head office. This does not, however, stop you from promoting your very own personal brand. People will connect with you. Never under estimate the power of the personal brand. To set up you very own personal site, check out aboutme.com
This article is meant to be a brief and simple online guide every small business owner can understand to implement an online success strategy for their organisation. Each of the above areas has multiple branches requiring work, development and education, however this guide offers you the foundation on which a small business can commence their online journey. It is hard to believe any business could not be found online somewhere, however the world still consists of humble business owners reluctant to embrace online technology. Any business owner striving for development and ongoing success must make it their goal to get themselves online today, or risk having no business at all.
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