Small business, in many cases, is now on the Web. Whether this is for simply marketing or collecting data or whether their businesses are conducted almost entirely online. If you operate your business fully or partially on the Internet, this roundup is for you.
Online Marketing
Why your customer doesn’t care about your Website. Ever tried to order something from an online store? Was it easy or overly complicated. Many customers buy online because of ease and convenience. But what happens when there’s nothing easy or convenient about shopping with you online. You say you’re having technical problems? We don’t care. The next Website is just as good as yours. MyWifeQuitHerJob.com
An SEO lesson for the rest of us. If you plan to operate your small business online, making it show up on the search engines is part of the drill. But it turns out you don’t need to be a search engine guru to learn how to optimize your site and help customers find you faster. Come along with Stephen Murphy and learn SEO for the beginning small business owner. You might be surprised how easy it is. Get Busy Media
Latest Trends
Washington takes to the Web. In an effort to cut costs and increase efficiency, government agencies are turning to the Web. Small businesses that haven’t already, should take a lesson here. Web services are often cheaper, easier and more convenient for the customer. How could you take advantage of the Internet today? Bloomberg BusinessWeek
Why everything may soon be purchased online. Think of the things you would think could never be bought or sold on the Internet. Perhaps fresh organic local produce comes to mind? Wrong! As it turns out a Central Texas company i8s already providing this service and sending shock waves through the grocery industry. With less waste or packaging and more convenience for the consumer, what could be purchased online these days? Forbes
The Social Web
Never go to a chamber mixer again. No need at all since even networking is best done on the Internet these days. It may take time and energy, but, hey, so does finding a tie that matches and then driving to the local bistro. Twitter, LinkedIn and other platforms provide a great place to meet and greet and you never have to leave your couch. Tweak Your Biz
Is Google + the next big thing? No matter how you market your online business today, the future is always in question. The present belong to Facebook with a commanding lead in the online display add industry, but the success of a new social media offering by an well-known competitor could change all that. Bloomberg BusinessWeek
Brands & Connections
Building your Brand one comment one comment at a time. Whether on a blog or a social media platform like Facebook or Twitter, your comments are the way your community gets to know you. Are you getting the most out of this situation? Make no mistake, the quality of your commenting establishes the way other relate to you. Are your comments creating the best brand they can? Basic Blog Tips
What’s the real value of your Facebook fan club? It could be easier to quantify than you think. The people who click “like” on your brand’s Facebook site have value even if you can’t always see it. Sure they can provide referrals to others who might also be interested in your product or service. But hpow can you be sure you’re getting the full value of your online minions? Forbes
Online Tools
Nowadays even faxes can be sent online. Say goodbye to that big bulky fax machine in the corner of your office. There’s a new way to send even signed faxed copies via the Internet using nothing but your home computer. Blogger and marketer Chris Piepho may be getting a few free faxes from the affiliate links on the page, but says bhe’s taken with the service even without the incentive. Tell us what you think. Small Business Shift
Conclusion
There’s no right way. The most important thing about creating a business online is that it has to work for you. Turn off the voices of gurus you’ve heard and read about how your business should be done. You’ll be surprised what you can accomplish by simply evaluating your strengths, says online consultant Matthew Mansfield. Create the online business that’s right for you. Pitney Bowes
Excellent roundup of posts. Just a note about Google Plus, if you’re a small business and wondering whether or not to jump in right now I’d say go ahead and create a personal profile but wait until Google makes their business pages available to the public to launch your business there!
A lot of small businesses I know had headaches with Facebook after they had created a personal profile that represented their business and then needed to convert it to a Facebook business page.
Lots of great resources here! You’ve done a lot of the work for us. I hope I don’t get a bill…
As usual, you’ve got a nice bunch of posts here. Thanks for including my article in the list!
Hi, it’s nice to be included in the small business round up this week. I plan to read the Bloomberg post on Google + first. I’m really pleased with the features of Google + and I’m looking forward to the expansion.
Thanks!