Cheetah Builder Blog

Entrepreneurship for New Graduates

Wed, 23 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Today's graduates are entering into the workforce during a very difficult time. There are far more graduates than there are good entry-level jobs, forcing graduates to choose between waiting for an opening in their field or settling for work outside of their field.

There are also a lot of new graduates turning to entrepreneurship. Graduates are in the unique position to turn a bad situation into a great opportunity, if they are clever enough to turn a new degree into a new business opportunity.

If you've been thinking about using your college experience to start a small business, you need to offer a service or product that is in demand. Look to see what small businesses already exist in your field, and try to find something that you could find a market for locally. Consulting and other service-based businesses are always in demand, if you know how to reach your target audience.

Find a business opportunity that uses skills you learned as part of your degree for other fields. Just because you majored in social sciences doesn't mean that you can't put your electives in other subjects to good use. That's the benefit of a well-rounded education; it gives you a lot more opportunities post-graduation.

You don't necessarily have to find a business opportunity related to your degree. Look to your hobbies, interests and skills for small business ideas. Maybe you love to fix old cars, or you have a real knack for photography. Turn what you love into a way to make money.

Whether you find a small business opportunity that directly relates to your degree or not, being a college graduate will give you a better chance of success than you would have had without the degree. Not only do you already have many of the skills that you'll need to grow your business (writing, research, time management), but you also have a network of peers and professors to start off with. Networking is essential to business success, and those four years of college have probably given you some great connections.

It might take a couple of false starts before you find just the right entrepreneurial opportunity; that's normal. Look for local and online organizations that offer support and advice to new entrepreneurs. Ask for advice, but do your own research and remember that the final decision is always your to make. Learn as much as you can about running a small business and the reality of entrepreneurship before you get started, to make sure that this is the right road for you to take. Then, get to work and start turning the reality of a sluggish job market into an opportunity to start your own business.

Do you know recent college graduates that are looking to entrepreneurship as a career option? Or, if you've recently graduated yourself, have you decided to start your own business instead of entering the traditional job market?

Building an Online Service-Based Business

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Million of Americans dream of working for themselves, starting their own business and increasing their income by doing something that they love. The allure of working your own hours, following your passion, and finally loving what you do for a living is a big draw, and a large part of why small businesses are booming right now. The internet has made it easier than ever for small businesses to be successful.

One popular way to develop a business is to create and offer an online service. For some people, this is web design; for others, it's consulting, tutoring, writing, or affiliate marketing. There's also becoming a virtual assistant, the digital version of a personal assistant. There's any number of online service-based business opportunities for interested entrepreneurs.

The secret to creating a successful service-based business is to create a service that people need, and then offer it in a way that stands out from your competition. Give people a reason to want your service over what everyone else is offering.To do that successfully, you need to have an online marketing plan that includes, at the minimum, a website and a strong social web presence.

The social web presence, your use of Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites, is the key to letting people know about your business. Find followers, and then keep involved. Interact on a daily basis. Encourage conversation, follow people back, and show interest in what they're posting. Share relevant posts and links with the rest of your followers. Build a relationship with your followers to spread awareness and build interest in your business.

As important as a social presence is, you also need a website. This is going to be the virtual version of an actual storefront or office space, so you need to make sure that it's making a great first impression. Let people know what your business offers that no one else does. What makes your business stand out? Whatever it is, make sure people know about it when they land on your website. Have a portfolio or client testimonials ready to back up your assertion that your service is a step above what your competitors are offering.

Part of your website should include a blog. Blogging shows people how much you really know about your industry, and when you're creating an online service-based business, that's essential. Informative, insightful posts prove to potential clients that you know what you're talking about. It also shows that you're committed to your business. Those are two very important signals to be sending, especially when you're just starting out.

With a strong social media presence to drive interest in your service and a quality website to give potential clients the information they need to complete the sale, you can create a small online business that lets you eventually leave behind the trappings of office work and embark on your career as a full-time small business owner.

What advice would you offer new entrepreneurs just starting out in an online service industry?

The Problem With Broken Websites

Wed, 09 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

How many times have to searched for a local business' website, only to find a half-completed site and a lot of "under repair" signs? Some businesses plan out pages that never manage to get finished, or a redesign is only half completed, or a few links break somewhere and several pages of the website become inaccessible.

It's a common problem, especially for very small locally-based businesses. And, unfortunately, these broken or unfinished pages create some big complications. For starters, your site won't look as professional as it could, and that affects how people are going to see your business. Consumers expect that your business will have a website, and that the website will be in working order. If the site is only half-completed or has broken pages, many customers will assume that the same lack of care will be given to other business matters, such as customer service or in creating a reliable product. It's a matter of trust, and half completed sites don't that.

A broken or incomplete website also creates problems with search engines. If search engines can't find the pages that should be there, they won't rank the website as high as they could. Also, leaving pages blank doesn't take advantage of the opportunity to post keyword-rich content. Broken websites also usually have navigational challenges. If pages are missing or incomplete, it's hard to get to where you want to go. This is frustrating, especially when you're looking for something specific.

It's also harder to convert traffic to sales if your website is incomplete. Part of this comes back to the trust issue, but part of it is also a matter of not being able to see what is available or learn about a company before ordering. It's frustrating to go to a product page only to see that the page is still in the process of being built. Just because local customers can stop into your physical store or contact you to learn more about what you offer doesn't mean that they don't want to look at your products online first. They'll go check for a similar business that does have a full product page, especially if they're just browsing. Unfortunately, the better site is likely to get the sale when that customer is ready to buy.

If you have a small business, you need a complete and functioning website. This is especially true for business with an actual physical location; you rely on local business, and the best way to bring in that business is to have a stellar web presence. You can't have a broken or incomplete site if you want to make the most of your online business efforts.

What frustrates you the most about locally-based business websites?

Six Questions for Small Business Success

Wed, 02 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Small business owners face the unknown every day. There is an incredible amount of inherent risk involved in running your own business, and those risks can seem even more daunting from the viewpoint of a small business.

If you want to be successful, you need to be willing to face the unknown, but you also need to be able to come up with the answers you need. There are some questions that cannot be left unanswered if you want your business to be as successful as possible.

The first one is, perhaps, the most important. How committed are you? Running a small business takes an astronomical amount of commitment, with no promise of reward. If you don't honestly love what you do, it's going to be very hard to find the success you're looking for. You have to be passionate about it, or else you're going to have to work twice as hard to make a go of it (and the work will be only half as enjoyable).

The second question is nearly as important: How much is your product or service worth? We're not talking about just what you can sell your product for (although that's certainly important, too); what you need to know is what your product is worth in the market. Is it useful? Is it something that people will want? You can have the greatest product ever created, set a high sale price, and still not have it actually be worth anything. The perceived worth of your product is often more important than the actual price of your product.

That being said, you also need to worry about the practical side of selling. Why is your product or service different or better than similar offerings already in the market? If you can't be better than all of the similar items already being offered, then you need to focus on how you can be different. Can you market the same item to a different audience? Is your product an upgrade over what most people already have? Is the service you offer slightly (or vastly) different than what anyone else is currently offering? You need to either stand out in a crowd, or go to a less populated area if you want to be successful.

Are you outsourcing the right tasks? No one can do everything. Small businesses take a lot of know-how and time, and chances are that you don't know everything that you need to know. Even if you do, you probably don't have time to do everything that needs to be done. Outsourcing certain tasks can make your business more successful, as long as you're outsourcing the right things. You need to concentrate on what you do best, and accept the areas where you need more help. Maybe you love interacting with customers, but hate worrying about writing weekly blog posts or trying to make sense of the business's financial accounts. Outsourcing to professionals means that you have less to worry about. That means more time for the areas of your business that you are most passionate about.

Is your business moving in the right direction? If you're not steadily improving (more sales, more customer interest, better recognition, ect.), something has gone wrong. Take a step back to analyze where the problem is. The sooner you can catch the issue, the easier it will be to get things turned around. Have a clear idea of your goals, and create reasonable steps to reach them. If you're consistently falling short (or even moving in the opposite direction) you either have the wrong goals or the wrong plan for reaching them.

The final question is one that has only become relevant in the last several years. Are you making the most of current technology? Social media, SEO, blogging, websites, internet marketing; technology is constantly changing and growing, and your business needs to change and grow along with it if you want to be successful. If you're not making the most of social media, your website, or internet marketing, your business will never be as successful as it could be.

What other questions should small business owners know the answers to if they want to be more successful?

Are Daily Deals Right for Your Business?

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Groupon, LivingSocial, and other daily deal sites are a great way for smaller businesses to introduce their offerings to their local communities. It's very difficult for small businesses to gain this sort of local exposure on their own, and daily deal sites arrange it for free. But are they right for your business?

First, you need to know how a daily deal is set up. Typically, a business creates a discounted offer, and then the deal website takes a part of the profit. In exchange for offering a set number of deals (usually at a loss), the business's information (along with a small advertising blurb) gets emailed to anyone local who is signed up through the deal site.

The benefit of offering a special offer through one of these sites is mostly in the exposure. Even people who don't purchase the deal will read about the company and possibly check out your business' website. Those that do purchase the deal become even more familiar with your business. Either set of people are likely to make a future purchase, which theoretically means an increased customer base.

Unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way. When a daily deals customer makes their actual purchase from a business (using their discount code), that business has to convince them that not only are they worth the deal price, but that they are also worth the full price of their goods or services. Many of the daily deals customers are looking for a one-shot discount. If you want to create repeat customers, you need to really wow them.

That being said, many businesses do see an improvement in sales, although some businesses naturally do better on these deal sites than others. Museums and family activities almost always do well, and it's not hard to convince people to return again. Sports and recreation (and other 'fun' activities) also see a higher number of non-discounted sales after offering a daily deal. Other businesses that do well include restaurants, apparel, travel and tourism, health and personal care and photography services.

So, should your small business consider using a daily deals site to boost brand awareness? If your business is able to put off immediate profit for the opportunity to improve profits overall, or if similar businesses in your area have done well with Groupon and similar sites, it's something that you may want to look into. It's hard to beat the exposure these deal sites offer, and many companies see an increase in their sales numbers after participating as a featured offer. Even if the initial profit is low, the long term effects are often worth it.

Five Reasons to Not Start a Blog

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Blogs are a huge marketing strategy for many online businesses. They offer a way to connect to the market, tell your story, and improve your reach. Does that mean that every small business should have one?

Surprisingly, no. Blogs shouldn't be a universal requirement for a business website. Not every company needs one, and not every company has the resources to keep a blog running. When should you say no to small business blogging?

You don't have the time to write great posts. Small business owners have a lot to juggle, and you need to have your priorities straight. If making time for a twice-weekly (minimum) blog post doesn't fit in with your business priorities right now? That's okay.
You aren't a writer, and don't have the means to hire one. Not everyone has the writing skills to write a blog post, and spell check and grammar tools can only go so far. If you can't write well, and having a blog is important to you, hire a professional blogger. If you can't afford to hire a fantastic blogger (because quality really does count), just leave the blog off of your site altogether.
You don't have anything to say. A blog is where you share your ideas, where you reach out to your readers, and where you share the important things happening with your business. Before you start blogging, make sure you have dozens of blog post ideas ready, with a plan on how to come up with more ideas once those are all used. It's horrible to start a blog, write regularly for a month or two, and then realize that you have nothing new to say.
You don't have any exact goals for your blog. If you can't think of a great reason to start a blog, or if you don't have anything you need for your blog to accomplish for your business, there's really no reason to put the time and effort into a blog.
You aren't using social media to promote your business. If you want people to read your blog posts, you need to promote them. How? By sharing them on social media sites. If your business is not actively using social media, it's going to be more difficult to bring in traffic through your blog. Unless you already have a lot of traffic to your website, there's no use blogging if you can't find an audience.

If any of these five reasons sound familiar, that doesn't mean that you definitely shouldn't start a small business blog, but it does mean that you might have an extra hurdle or two to account for before you begin.

Does your small business have a blog? If not, what affected your decision to not create a business-related blog on your website?

How Technically-Minded Should a Small Business Owner Be?

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Small business owners have a lot on their shoulders. They are in charge of every aspect of running their business, even if they are able to outsource some of the duties.

In all of the hustle, it's hard to make time to work on developing your technical abilities. If you can hire someone else to do it, why take the time to learn yourself, especially when you're already facing an overburdened schedule. Unfortunately, having few technical abilities, at least when it comes to websites, social media networks and basic internet marketing, will only hurt your business in the long run.

As a small business owner, you should have at least a basic understanding of web design, know basic code, and be able to set up and run a Facebook business page. You should know how to market your business online; even if you don't use all of the methods (PPC advertising, for example), you should at least know how they work and what the benefits are. Yes, this takes time, but this time is an investment in your business.

You don't need to be able to design a website, or how to do some of the more advanced Facebook page functions. You should, however, know the code for inserting a link or image, and how to manipulate them to get the effect you want. You should know how to use color codes. You should know where your website is hosted and how to access your control panel, should you ever need to. You should know what SEO is, what a keyword is, and how they are used to improve your website's visibility. You should know how to install, update or remove the plugins on your website.

Why do you need to know this? Because, even if you have a web designer on stand-by, there may be times when you need to know basic website maintenance, or how to find your way around the back-end of your site. This technical knowledge also puts you more in control of your business's online development; you won't have to put all of your trust in the experts without being able to really discuss the pros and cons of a certain feature, technique or idea. The more you understand, the better informed your choices are.

If you're entirely in the dark on any aspect of your business's online presence, the best thing you can do is do some research. Learn the basics. Follow a blog or two that focuses on web design or internet marketing. If you still are unsure, find a knowledgeable mentor. Don't leave your online success entirely in the hands of others, no matter how gifted they may be; you'll have a better opportunity for success if you have a more active role in your business's online identity.

Which aspects of web design, SEO, or internet marketing do you wish you knew more about?

Should Your Business be on Flickr?

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:00:00 +0000

In an online world ruled by social media, we all know who the big players are. Twitter and Facebook get most of the attention, followed by Google Plus, LinkedIn, and whatever the hot, new social media site is that month. There is one social media site, however, that doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves.

Flickr is one of the biggest online photo sharing sites. It has millions of active users, including businesses and brands, but it's not a social media site that businesses feel they need to focus on. A lot of that has to do with the limited features; you can share photos just as easily on Facebook, and you can't share status updates on Flickr. That doesn't meant that there's no value for businesses, though. It just depends on what your business is, and how you can get the most out of your Flickr account.

First, you need to know what Flickr offers. While you can't post status updates, there is a lot of value in their groups and communities. You can also tag your pictures, enter in descriptions, and post links back to your own site (nice for SEO value).

Does every company need to be on Flickr? No. The ones that should be, however, are the businesses that rely on visual imagery to sell their product or service. Examples include florists, bakeries or other culinary specialists, interior designers, bands, and any business that can make use of before and after photos. This can also include graphic designers and web programmers, though. You can put your logo or brand on an image, and then specify in the terms of use that the image cannot be altered; anyone who views or uses the photograph will see your logo on there. This also works well for sites or blogger that create their own infographics or images for their websites.

There are two tricks to making the most of Flickr. The first is to be an active participant in the community. Like and comment on others' photographs, and not just the ones immediately related to your business.. Join in on forum discussions. Join groups, and share your pictures. Make contacts and build relationships. The second part is to link back to your Flickr stream. Post your Flickr pictures to social media sites (using the link) and share them on your website. Encourage your followers and website users to explore your Flickr stream, much in the same way that you might invite them to check out your online portfolio.

Flickr isn't for every business, but if you have a business that could benefit from having an easy way to showcase the visual aspects of your work, it might be worth taking the time to check the site out.

Have you ever tried Flickr, for either personal or professional use?

How to Dominate Local Search

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Doing well in local search takes a multifaceted approach. There are several areas that need your attention if you want to make the most of the potential traffic from local search users. Ignore any one area, and you stand the risk of missing out on sales.

Start by making sure that your website is targeted for local search. Use location-based keywords, in addition to more general keywords. Because the local market is always much smaller than the overall online market, it's much easier to rank well on a local level. But you need to put the work into it and place the local keywords in your meta tags and content.

Register your business through location-based search. This includes things like Google Places and Yelp.com. Do a search for local businesses, and make note of any directories that come up. These smaller directories often do very well in search results, claiming several of the top results. If you want to compete, you have to be listed there. Google Places also pushes their results for local businesses to the top of the results pages. With all of these directories, make sure you have your business profile completely filled out, and take advantage of any opportunity to include pictures or other media that will make your listing stand out over competitors.

Make sure your online information is accurate. Even if you've been very careful about inputting accurate information, sometimes things change or sometimes directories try to gain the information themselves and come up with inaccuracies. Regular checks to make sure that the information about your business is correct is absolutely essential. If one directory or website accidentally publishes the wrong phone number or address, you could be missing out on sales.

Pay special attention to your website. The more your business shows up in local results, the more people will be checking out your site. Don't lose them by having an incomplete or low-quality website. Your website provides the first impression people will have of your business; make sure it's a good one.

Encourage customers to post online reviews. Sites like Yelp and Google Places give customers the opportunity to post reviews, and these reviews affect how your business is presented in search results. Better reviews mean a better search position. They also build trust in your business; a business with several positive reviews will usually get more business than a business with no reviews. Also, because many review sites gather reviews from several sites, a positive review could be posted on several sites instead of just the original one.

It takes more than just one technique to really do well in local search. Covering all of your bases will get you much better results in a shorter time frame, improving sales and creating brand recognition at the same time.

What steps would you recommend to a business just getting started in local search?

Five Ways to Ramp Up Your Social Media Response

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:00:00 +0000

If your small business is floundering in its social media use, you're not alone. There are a lot of smaller business owners that struggle to create a social identity for their business that both "fits" their business personality and encourages engagement from their followers. For those of you who are struggling with this, here are five quick tips for ramping up the responses of your social media followers.

Keep it Short

Studies performed by various social media experts show a surprising fact about social media engagement: shorter posts are more popular. Keeping your posts to 80 characters or less can improve the number of followers reading, liking, and commenting on your statuses. Obviously, it'd be nearly impossible to make all of your statuses this short, but trying to keep most of them short and sweet can make a very positive change in the level of involvement you're getting.

Lead for Comments

If you want comments, you need to ask for them. It's the easiest and most straight-forward way to encourage participation. Statuses such as: "Today, I will celebrate the warm weather by going outside and _______." have a much higher response rate than "What will you be doing outside today?". Fill-in-the-blank questions are much faster and easier to answer. Also, Why questions (Why won't the Kindle beat out the iPad? Why does Google care more about ads than about privacy?) have a much smaller response rate. Those questions require more effort. The best way to get comments is to make it as quick and easy as possible.

Be Relevant

Use current events, popular memes, and other relevant details to increase interest and response to your posts. People like to talk about what is current and relevant in their world; give them the opportunity to do so and you'll see an improvement in your number of comments, likes and shares. This is where some businesses get caught. There is a common assumption that your posts should only focus on the business itself. If you're a web company, you shouldn't post about anything other than things that immediately relate to your business. While you don't want to be all over the place with your posts, being relevant sometimes means posting about a wider number of topics.

Ask for What You Want

If you want shares, ask for them. Ask for comments. Ask for likes. Don't do it for every status, but there is nothing wrong with asking your followers to comment on a status, or to share a post (usually one with a picture, link or video) that you're particularly proud of or that you think is particularly relevant.

Use a Call to Action...

...but use a soft sell. If you want a particular response from your followers, let them know what it is. "Follow our new Pintrest account." is a lot more direct than "Hey! We're on Pintrest!". At the same time, if you're going to try to sell something directly on Facebook, Twitter or any other social media site, don't use the same strong call to action that you have on your sale page or website. Social media is about engagement, not sales. So if you're going to ask for sales, don't get too pushy about it, and don't let that be the focus of your social media use. Be helpful and conversational first, sell second.

Bonus Tip: Be passionate

What's the biggest difference between a social media business page with an large, enthusiastic following and one with a handful of fans that rarely interact? The passion of the person behind the account. If you don't love what you do, and if you don't love interacting with your fans, it will show. People want to follow businesses that are as passionate about their industry, products or services as their followers are. If you're really into what you're doing, your followers will be to.

Which brands do you love to follow on Facebook or Twitter?

Preparing Your Small Business for Facebook's Timeline

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Facebook's Timeline is changing the way small businesses can engage and interact with their followers. While change is never easy, especially if you've put a lot of work into your current Facebook page, the new Timeline has some great features that every small business can get behind.

Facebook is changing every business page over to the Timeline format on March 30th, whether the business is ready or not. That's still two weeks away, but that doesn't mean you should wait. Get ahead of your competitors, and make sure your Timeline is published on your schedule (not Facebook's) by setting up and publishing your new page as soon as you can.

Timeline for businesses creates a more cohesive Facebook experience for users. Business pages look nearly identical to user pages. The pages have the large cover photo, and the same general set-up. The big difference is in what business pages can do.

Let's start with new interaction features. Business can now moderate what other people post on your timeline. Word of warning, though--businesses that try to control what people are saying about them almost always end up facing a huge backlash. If you're going to use this feature, be very careful about it.

Your business can also now receive messages from followers. This is something new; before this, followers had to contact you through your website, leaving a message on your page, or following the contact information in your About area. Now, they can message you directly, making it more convenient.

The set-up features of the Facebook Timeline business pages are different, too. Businesses now have the ability to "stick" posts to the top of their timeline, keeping those posts at the top of the page, regardless of any future posts made after that point. Followers won't need to search through your old posts to find the importance announcements that they've missed.

The heading area of Facebook business pages has also changed. The cover photo is the most obvious example of this. When you're selecting your page's photo, don't choose a logo and make sure that you're following Facebook's new brand guidelines (you must own all rights to the picture you use, you can't show prices or a call to action, ect.).Your best bet is to feature a creative picture, something that represents your company without it being a logo. Get creative with it. Check out these examples to get some ideas:

Brands can still create custom apps and pages on Facebook, but only four can be featured in the heading area, much less than the old Facebook model provided. Also, Facebook has taken away the ability for pages to set up a landing page for non-subscribers. All traffic, whether they have liked the page already or not, gets delivered to the main front page of the Facebook brand page. That's the biggest problem most brands are going to have with Timeline and, unfortunately, it's a huge issue. Many current brand pages rely on the landing page function to introduce new followers to their Facebook page, and taking that away leaves an otherwise great improvement sorely lacking.

Have you switched your business page to the new Facebook Timeline brand pages? What's your opinion on the changes?

DIY Small Business Apps

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Does your small business have an app? Does it need one? Most small businesses could benefit from having their own app, either for business use or customer use, but hiring someone to create this app for you is a huge hassle and expense. A professional mobile application programmer might charge thousands of dollars, and take several weeks, just to create a simple app that works for iphones and android devices. For many small business owners, that's not a feasible option.

If you don't have the time, or the money, to invest in having a professional build your app, there are several DIY options available to you. Websites like Appsbar or AppBreeder walk you through the steps of creating a great app using an easy-to-follow format. Users select the type of app they need based on what the app will be used for (band, small business, healthcare, ect.), and then select a name and icon.

After that, you start choosing what you want your app to be able to accomplish. Do you want to offer coupons, provide directions, or let users learn more about what your business does? What about create an appointment or order a product or service? You can add these functions (and more) to your mobile application. Once you've selected what you want your app to do, you can start personalizing your app with your business information. After that, you can publish your app and let your customers know about it.

If you're looking for highly customized mobile applications or complicated features, you might feel a little underwhelmed by the choices offered by these DIY app websites. Some do offer more customized options for an price, but the businesses behind these application creators aren't targeting people who need a heavy-duty app. These services are meant for small business owners, bands, and organizations who need something to promote their offerings without too much flash. For that, DIY apps are perfect.

The cost of these types of app creators range from free (creator places ads in your app) to a few hundred dollars, and some are free to build but require a monthly payment to keep it running. There's an option for every price range, and obviously the more expensive choices provide more functionality and better options.

For many businesses, having an app has become an indispensable part of either getting things done or staying connected with their customers. You can design an app that makes day-to-day business tasks easier, or one that makes life easier for your customers, all without the hassle and expense of hiring a professional programmer.

Does your small business have an app? Did you hire someone to create it for you, or did you build it yourself?

The Importance of Building Trust

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Search engine optimization takes more than perfect SEO techniques. You can use every tag, keyword and link to improve your website's visibility, but that's not all you need to do.

Search engines look at more than just who has the best website. They also want to see who has the most authority and trust. While you can optimize your website in relatively little time, building the trust you need takes a lot longer, but it can be the one thing that makes a difference between ranking at the top of the first page and ranking at the top of the third page of the search results.

What is trust? Google defines it as the authority and reputation of the website and of the author. There's no "trust rank", and Google doesn't assign scores for who is the most trustworthy, but they are paying attention. A website that routinely publishes relevant content, with links that are passed around social media sites, will do better than a website publishing relevant content that doesn't get the same attention from the rest of the web. When people land on a webpage, and then share that link, it builds trust. When a website publishes new content weekly (blog posts), stays relevant, and links to other relevant sites (and receives links in return), that also builds trust.

Building trust takes time, but it should be a huge part of your SEO strategy. You need to start by having a great website, relevant content, and solid SEO in place. Then, you need to build recognition and trust on social media sites, sharing high quality content (both yours and links to other website), and start building a reputation for someone that knows what he (or she) is talking about. You need to build trust at the user level before you can build it at the search engine level.

This takes time and patience. It takes being committed to your website and your online brand. If you want to prove to Google that you deserve to be at the top of the search engine result pages, you need to prove it to the people who are actually doing those searches, first. After time, Google will catch on and start moving you up the ranks.

Google's interest in putting the most trustworthy websites at the top of the SERPs is strongly tied to their belief that the satisfaction of website users should be the ultimate goal for website owners, not a high SEO score. All of the things that build trust also make your website a lot stronger and go a long way towards creating a site (and a brand) that people can depend on. That in itself will build traffic and create a sense of trust in your website, your rankings on the SERPs are really just an acknowledgement of that fact.

Do you focus on building trust through your SEO strategy? What steps have you taken?

Essential Apps for Small Business Owners

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000

According to a study performed by the small business and entrepreneurship council, small business owners (those with less than 20 employees) save an average of $14,000 a year through the use of mobile apps. More and more businesses rely on smart phone apps to make the most of tight schedules and tight budgets.

With thousands of business apps out there, trying to find just the right app for your small business needs can be intimidating. What do you need, and which apps will best meet those needs? There's an app for everything these days, and these are some of the best for small businesses:

LogMeIn

LogMeIn isn't a new program, but it's one that most business owners don't know about. This app allows Log Me In clients to access their home computers and laptops from remote locations, even from their smart phones. You can email yourself the document you need, or access any of your files, all from your cell phone or any other computer or tablet.

Easy Sign

Important documents don't always wait until you're in the office to arrive in your inbox. When documents require your signature, use Easy Sign to sign and send documents from your phone or tablet. You can also use this app (and the connected website) to send documents for others to sign. This app makes printing, signing, copying, and faxing or mailing important documents obsolete; all you have to do is sign and send.

Business Card Reader

Clear out your wallet and organize your contacts at the same time. This app allows you to take a scan of business cards, which automatically enters the information into a database. This information is available on your phone as soon as you need it, without needing to dig through your wallet or a disorganized Rolodex.

Pocket

When you're a small business owner, you have a lot on your mind. Pocket is an app that helps you to keep track of all of the minor details. It stores passwords, bank account information, and other bits and pieces in a secure place. Everything is stored on your phone, with a master password keeping you information safe.

Dragon Dictation

Dragon Dictation is a smaller app version of Dragon Naturally Speaking, and just like it's more robust brother, it allows you to take notes just by speaking into your phone's microphone. If you need to get your thoughts down and don't have the time to type everything in on the small mobile keyboard, or if you're in a place where you don't have your hands free, Dragon Dictation can help you get everything written down before you forget.

Total Recall

Did your client want a blue background with black text, or a black background with blue text? Nothing is worse than forgetting an important detail after a business call. Even if you take notes while talking, it's easy to miss something. Total Recall solves this problem by recording your phone calls, either on demand or automatically. When you need to review the call, you can just play it back.

Which apps do you find essential for running a small business?

Get More From Your Business Emails

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Years ago, the company letterhead was all the branding a letter or direct mail marketing letter needed. The first thing people saw was the company's logo, and they knew who they were receiving the correspondence from and what to expect.

Then email popularity exploded. On average, 87% of a company's communications take place through email. Fortunately for businesses, we have moved past the plain emails with basic templates and on to the ability to create dynamic emails that fit a businesses branding efforts. It's now possible, even easy, to create emails that not only promote your brand but also further your social media efforts and encourage the recipient to further engage with your business online.

Email marketing is a great opportunity to better connect with your customers. You can (and should) thank them for their order, alert them to new deals and products (if they've signed up for these alerts), teach them how to use the item they purchased, ask for feedback, or share news about the company or the products/services they've purchased. When you send these emails, you should do better than black text on a white background; don't ignore this great branding opportunity. Create a template for your email communications (or have one created for you) that includes places for pictures, links to your website and social media sites, and your company logo. Use colors and a design that matches the colors and design used on your website.

I can hear what you're saying: With the popularity of reaching your customers through social media, does email even still matter anymore? Can't you just share important information through Facebook?

Not really. You still need to have an email program in place for your business. Email allows you to reach out to customers in a way that you can't do through social media and your website. It also puts your business right where people are sure to see them--right in their inbox. Email also allows you to individualize your correspondence when needed; you aren't sending out a message to all of your followers, just one or just to a small group.

Email can also improve your response rate. Social media is definitely important, but it's hard to reach customers when your message is quickly buried under the status updates of a hundred friends and family members. Emails reach customers differently; once they open your message, it stays on the screen by itself. You have a little more time to get your message and call-to-action out there. Still not a lot of time, unless you can capture their attention, but more time than you'd have for a Facebook status update.

Focus on social media, but don't forget about communicating with your customers through email. Social media is definitely essential to the success of a business, but it won't ever replace emails, nor should it. Whether you're sending out a thank you for an order or delivering a monthly newsletter, emails can be the perfect opportunity to build your brand and encourage engagement on the part of the customer.

Do you use emails to communicate with your customers? What other tips do you have for other small business owner looking to get more from their business emails?

How to Write an Effective Sales Page

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000

If you've ever tried to purchase anything from an online sales page, you know a little bit about what works, and what doesn't work, in a sales scenario. You want a motivated seller, but you don't want to be pressured into a sale that you're not ready for. You want to deal with someone who is friendly and knowledgeable, and you'd probably rather buy from a well-written ad than one that is thrown together or incomprehensible..

When people go buy from an online business, they are looking for certain things, and you want to keep that in mind when writing your website's sales copy. Just like in any other online sale situation, people land on your webpage in different phases of the buying cycle. Some are just browsing, looking for information about their options. Other are interested in buying right then. Everyone else is landing somewhere between the two, and you need to make sure your website can meet everyone's needs.

This can be a challenge in almost all cases, but it's especially challenging when you're trying to fit everything into a single sales page.

The first thing you want to do is to get the potential buyer interested. Write a headline that is descriptive but still interesting enough to get people reading. Hook them right from the beginning. Your first sentence or two should work to pull the reader even more into your copy. The best way to do this is to get right to the top couple of benefits of your product. Present a problem, and show how you can solve it. And then start to talk about your product a bit.

The next thing you need to do is state your offer. It needs to be above the fold (positioned so that people can see it without scrolling down the screen). Remember that everyone has different resolutions and err on the side of an a few inches above the bottom of the screen.

People aren't going to buy right then. That's not why you're putting the offer at the top of the screen. By stating your offer straight away, people know what your product costs, and they'll be keeping that cost in mind as they keep looking at the details. You've given them the price; now you need to prove that it's a great deal.

Your job through the rest of the page is to provide all of the information a buyer needs to make a decision. Offer the benefits, testimonials, how the product or service works, and other relevant details. You also want to offer a guarantee, something that allows them to try it for free, or get their money back if they aren't happy. If it's a service, consider offering a reduced price for a short time period. If you can, you want to take away the risk of buying. No one wants to put money into something only to end up disappointed.

Place your offer every 350-500 words, depending on the length of your sales page. You want it in there at least twice (once above the fold and once at the bottom), more if the page is longer. Make sure it stands out, but not in a glaring or obnoxious way. This isn't the time to pull out neon colors. You need your page to make a good impression, and nothing can ruin that quite the same way that flashing, neon-pink banners can. Use a strong, benefits-based call to action to encourage people to buy, or to keep reading to learn more. The more they read, the better your chances are of making a sale. Even if someone isn't ready to buy right then, by the time they finish reading, they should be prepared to buy from you when they are ready to make their purchase.

The key to creating an expert sales page is to create a page that you would buy from. If you aren't motivated by reading over the page, chances are no one else will be either. You need to make sure that you've provided all of the information someone needs to make a decision, along with a strong (but not too strong) call to action and a reduced risk.

What did we miss? What else would you include in your site's sales page?

Pintrest for Small Businesses

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Pintrest is the latest social media site to really capture the attention of the masses. If you've never visited the site before, it allows members to "pin" webpages or pictures that they enjoy or want to share with others. Think of it as a huge, interactive community cork board, crossed with a wish list and planning board.

Originally, it was a way for people to share recipes and craft ideas, but in the past few months, it's grown well past that. Businesses are starting to use the site to market their products or services with a surprising amount of success. Successful pinners are finding new followers (and customers) just by sharing images and links. If you're interested in putting your business on Pintrest, this is what you need to know.

How Do I Find Followers on Pintrest for my Business?

Find the right categories to find the right followers. Once you've got your profile set up, browse through the categories to see who is sharing what. When you find a place where your business belongs, and then start following people. They'll be able to follow you back. You can also check to see if any of your Facebook friends are on Pintrest, and follow them. Another way to get more followers is to share the pinned items of others. People are more likely to follow you back (and share your posts) if you share their items first.

Announce your Pintrest account through your other social media profiles and through your business' website. Your current followers are already interested in your business; those that are also on Pintrest are likely to follow you there as well.

What Should I Pin to Attract More Interest?

Pin things that relate to your business, not just things that link back to your site. Like any other social media site, Pintrest is about community, not self-promotion. The businesses with the most success are the ones who are sharing first and promoting second.

You have to consider what will be most useful for your audience, along with the occasional thing that lets them know something about the person behind your business. Share business-related items, but if you come across a great recipe for chocolate cake or a humorous image that your audience might appreciate, share that too.

When you pin something, don't forget to fill out the description. Not only is this useful for sharing your thoughts and opinions with your followers, but it also places keywords with the images and encourages people to respond with their own comment.

What Else Should I Know About Using Pintrest for my Business?

Your followers can choose to follow your whole profile or only the boards they choose. Because of that, make sure your boards are organized to allow people to follow only what they are interested in.

You can mention people in your posts by placing an @ before their name, just like on Twitter or Facebook. This allows you to alert specific followers to a pinned item they asked about or might be especially interested in.

If you are placing the items you have for sale on Pintrest, don't forget to put the price in the description, making it easy to see without your followers needing to click through to your site. Don't forget to add in sale information or anything else they should know to make a decision on whether or not to buy.

Are you on Pintrest? Have you tried using it to promote your small business?

The Most Common Online Marketing Mistakes Made by Small Business Owners

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Starting an online marketing campaign isn't easy. Most small business owners do the marketing for their business on their own, and that can breed a lot of challenges. Most small business owners don't have a business degree, let alone a marketing degree, and marketing online can be a tricky task.

Many of the most common mistakes that small businesses make online are based on making what sounds like a good decision. Unfortunately, these "good decisions" can easily backfire into a huge problem. Is your business guilty of any of the following?

Bad SEO

"Click here, and we'll submit your website to 100 search engines!" "We can get your page to number 1 on Google in two weeks!" Bad SEO is almost always a matter of not understanding how important SEO for your website is, or how to do it properly. Anyone that promises quick results isn't looking out for the best interests of your website or business. SEO takes time, but it's always worth the effort and wait.

One-sided marketing

In traditional marketing, a business put out an ad, and then waited for the sales to come pouring in. Online marketing doesn't work that way. It's not a one way street, and as a business owner, you need to not only present your marketing message, you also need to listen and respond to what your customers are saying. You need to open up the conversation if you really want your online marketing campaign to be a success.

Silencing Critics

If someone critics your business online, it's out there for everyone to see. The best way to solve this problem is to just delete the comment or otherwise get rid of the critique, right? No. If you delete negative reactions to your business, all you're doing is opening yourself up for more problems. What you need to do is address the concerns publicly; respond to the negative comments and do whatever you can to solve the issue. Other customers (and potential customers) are watching; prove that providing excellent customer service is important to you.

Biting off more than you can chew (social media/blogs that don't get regular updates)

Having a blog and active social media account is super important to having an online presence for your business. In fact, there is only one thing worse than not having a blog and social media profiles for your business, and that's having them and not updating them regularly. Letting your account sit inactive is the kiss of death for an online marketing campaign, especially if social media was a part of your plan. Online marketing requires conversing with your fans and customers. Ignoring the best ways to do that, especially after you've set them up, shows that you don't value the people following your business.

Poorly thought-out campaigns

The best ideas take a lot of planning. Weeks of planning. And research. And more planning. Just because you had a great idea for marketing your business online at 2:30 in the morning doesn't mean you should start implementing it at 9:30 in the morning, no matter how perfect the idea may seem. If you don't take the time to plan and research your new campaign before you start it, you're setting yourself up for some serious problems. Make sure everything is legal, and that it doesn't cross any ethical lines. Anticipate any problems and have a plan to solve them. Finally, make sure that the ROI of your campaign is going to make it worth the initial cost.

Fortunately, even if you have made some of these mistakes, you can still fix the problems and move on, with a much stronger (and more successful) online marketing plan.

What are some of the mistakes you've noticed other businesses making online?

Five New Things to Try in Social Media Marketing This Year

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Using the same two social media sites in the same way can lead to a tired social media campaign. Shake up your business' social media accounts by trying something new this year. Most of these suggestions are easy enough to be set-up by the end of the week, and they might just provide the changes your business needs to rock social media in 2012.

Test out a new social media site for your business. If you haven't used Google Plus yet, go make your account and give it a try. If you want to try something really new (that shows a lot of promise) check out Pintrest. Start using a photo or video social site to promote your business, or look for a niche social community to interact with.
Run an official contest. Although you have to check for the rules and regulations that might affect how and where you run the contest, doing a giveaway can really liven up your social media profiles. Everyone loves the chance to win a prize; doing this the right way can increase followers across all of your social media channels as well as bring in a ton of new traffic to your website.
Work with a partner. If there is a complementary business you've worked with before, consider offering a combined bundle of your products or services. A partner could also be helpful if you want to grow your followers, by cross-promoting each others work and posts.
Focus on user experience. There's a huge difference between a Facebook page with no features, and one that has several tabs and interactive features. Spend some time improving the user experience of your social media pages. Add tabs to your Facebook page. Make sure all of your links work, and that your contact and about information is all accurate, too, while you're at it.
Cut down on content overload. Don't share everything you read, and don't post every thought that pops into your head. More and more businesses could be accused of over-sharing. Before you hit the 'Share' button, make sure that the link or status is something that will be helpful or interesting to your followers.

You could also try changing what you share or how you interact. Improving your interaction with followers can liven up a dull social media page, and get people interested in your business. How are you going to brighten up your social media marketing this year?

The Best Industries for Entrepreneurs in 2012

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Entrepreneurs can find opportunities in any field, but there are some areas that are more popular than others for those interested in starting their own business. If one of your resolutions was to make 2012 the year you finally stop working for others, and go into business for yourself, one of these fields may have the opportunity you've been looking for.

One of the biggest industries for the newly self-employed is translation and interpretation services. It's a global economy; businesses need to be able to communicate with business and customers around the world, and that often means using the services of an independent translation company. Translators can work with companies to communicate with overseas partners, or to translate websites, newsletters, or other written communications.

IT and web-based business are also thriving. Small business owners and independent contractors with technical skills are finding tremendous amounts of opportunity working online, as tech support, web designers, app programmers, and more. If the necessity of an online presence and computer skills is growing at a rapid rate, the number of people needing help with technical matters is growing twice as fast. That's a lot of potential for entrepreneurs who have the ability to work on computers, or who have other technical skills.

Another industry with a lot of potential for small business owners is the health and fitness industry. With the growing obesity levels in the US, a fitness or nutrition professional has the chance to help people get on track to a healthier and more active lifestyle, while creating a successful small business. Anything from one-on-one services to teaching classes or even opening your own small workout center has a very good chance of success right now.

In-home healthcare is another area with a lot of opportunity. As baby boomers age, their need for in-home assistance is going to increase, and there are always people looking for additional care for their aging loved ones. If you have a nursing or medical background, and if you can get the necessary licensing and training, this is a field worth looking into.

If you consider yourself an expert in your current field, you may consider starting a consulting business. As a consultant, you offer your expertise to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations or individuals, giving them the opportunity to work with an industry professional for as long as needed, without needing to hire them on full-time. As a result, consultants are always high in demand, especially if you've proven yourself to be knowledgeable and one of the leaders of your field.

Another huge opportunity for entrepreneurs is to provide services for other business owners. Instead of making your money working with consumers, you make money from selling your professional services to other businesses. There is always a call for businesses that offer services or supplies to other business owners. Marketing, advertising, accounting, legal services, and any number of other necessities that business owners need can be taken care of by an entrepreneur working on his own or as the leader of a small business.