Step-by-Step Online Marketing Strategies for Independent Service Providers

Business Blogging: How to Start a Website Successfully

Is it really necessary to learn how to start a website for your business?

With over 150 million blogs in Cyberspace and thousands more being created every minute, having a blog is no longer an option for business owners; it’s a must-have. Regardless of your industry, one of the first places your customers and potential clients are going to go is your website, and if all you have is a basic page with contact information, they’re going to be pretty disappointed.

This next series we will cover the basics of setting up and launching . . . Click to continue → Business Blogging: How to Start a Website Successfully

Website Design Tips for Connecting With Your Customers

Make sure you’re connecting with your customers with these 3 website design tips.

But first, you need to examine what your business message is, then figure out whether or not your website is conveying that message.

What’s the unique selling point for your business? What determines the effect people get?

What Message do You Want to Send?

Generally website design depends on your brand. A small business needs a different approach than a small business.

A large business might need to try to look extremely professional and not convey a lot of personality for . . . Click to continue → Website Design Tips for Connecting With Your Customers

How to Know Your Customer

How can you generate more sales? One of the best methods is to read your customers’ minds. In other words, you have to know your customer so you can provide them with a better solution than anyone else.

If you’ve ever been a salesperson, you know how important it is to understand your customers’ wants. The most successful salespeople get in a conversation and ask their prospects what they desire before attempting to sell to them. They are trying to identify whether they have a solution that would meet those needs.

You have to . . . Click to continue → How to Know Your Customer

What’s YOUR Unique Selling Point?

Why is it so critical to have a unique selling proposition (USP)?

Actually, this is one of the more important elements to a company. If you don’t have a USP, you are just a “me too” firm trying to sell the same thing as everyone else.

Without something to make you stand out, you likely aren’t going to stay in business long. This is particularly true if there are a lot of companies you are competing with. And having something that makes you stand out will enable you to charge more money than most . . . Click to continue → What’s YOUR Unique Selling Point?

3 Musts When Starting a Small Business Website

So, you’re ready to take your business online and join the virtual world. Yeah! The Internet is a great tool for a small business because there are so many ways to target local customers with your small business website.

Like other tools you evaluate before using them in your business the Internet is no different. Proper planning and understanding is crucial to your success online. If you think that you’ll just put up a website and start blogging and customers will come running – I got news for you and you’re not going to . . . Click to continue → 3 Musts When Starting a Small Business Website

Small Business Blog Goals

Once you’ve decided to set up a small business blog you may be tempted to jump in and begin spilling all your thoughts out into the Internet world for all to read and marvel at. Don’t do it!

Before you write even one word, answer the following questions:

Why are You Blogging?

To establish yourself as an expert? Attract traffic? Make sales? Share your opinions? Choose one or at most two primary goals to keep in mind, and write each and every post (article) with those goals at the forefront.

How Often are You . . . Click to continue → Business Blogging: Small Business Blog Goals