Starting a business can be very intimidating and overwhelming. There are a lot of questions you need answers to and maybe even some that you don’t know you need to ask!

I will answer these questions below and provide you with information you need to start your business. I’m not a lawyer or an accountant, so none of this is legal advice! It’s a guide I created based off of my experience starting multiple businesses for myself, and for my clients.

Skim the steps you’ve already rocked out on and pay attention to those you skipped. If you’re new, start from #1! Now let’s get to it!

How to Start a Business: A Step by Step Guide

1. Refine your business idea

It is time to turn that business idea into an actual functioning business. At this stage there are three things you need to do:

a. Conduct market research

This stage of market research consists of gathering and analyzing information about the product or service you would be offering in the market.

You can conduct your market research on your own or outsource it to a research firm. Ways to conduct your market research include:

• Create and conduct surveys
• Search for your idea and similar ideas in the same niche on Google
• Talk to established people in your industry
• Organize focus groups for brainstorming and feedback
• Read books written by people in your industry
• Research your competition
• Run product tests
• Read relevant industry magazines and news websites

Doing market research will help you determine if the demand for your product or service is big enough to sustain your business. It will also help you determine if your idea already stands out from the competition. It can also help spark ideas for standing out from your competition if you haven’t already thought of one.

b. Determine your business name and secure it

After conducting market research, give your business a name. Make sure it is clear, catchy, meaningful, and easy to spell.

Take caution while choosing a name:

• Consider very carefully before including a specific service or city in your business name because it can be quite limiting when your business eventually grows and you are ready to scale.
• Use Google, a Thesaurus, and Urban Dictionary to make sure your name isn’t confused or synonymous with any negative words or phenomenons.
• Be careful when inventing words or choosing any other name that you’ll need to constantly explain or spell out for people. You want it to be easy for your customers!
• Definitely do not choose a name that is already taken in your area or by a national or international company. No need for legal troubles.

Luckily, you can check the internet to ensure no other business has the name you’ve chosen.

• Start with your local Secretary of State’s website for a business name search.
• Then check for the domain name availability (domains.google is a great place to look)
• Finally, make sure the social handles are available. NameChk is an example of a handy tool that will check name availability for you on tons of social media platforms. (side note – I had to check the spelling of that tool like 5 times before typing it here, then edited it because I typed it wrong – see there’s a great example of why not to make up words )

Once your business name availability is confirmed, you will want to secure your business name online. This includes purchasing a domain name for your business (register it on the google link above), and setting up all the social media accounts with your business name. Sometimes I do this step immediately before anything else since there are robots scraping data and someone else could snatch the name and put it up for resale just because you searched for it online!!! 

What happens if you choose a name that is available, but the domain is reserved and there is a hefty price tag on it? This happens a lot! And well, you either pay it or go back to the drawing board. This decision really comes down to how important the name is to you and your projected success – is it dependent on the name? Have you already been doing business under the name with a customer base? Will it cause trouble to change the name?

You’re also going to want to register your business with the Secretary of State, but we’ll cover that step later since it involves defining your business structure first (Step 2 below).

After reserving your business name online, you might also want to request a trademark on the name you choose from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This will prevent another person from using the name of your company, but it is not necessary to start or run a business.

c. Clearly state your business’ mission and vision statement

Write. It. Down.

Your business’ vision statement should focus on what you hope to achieve. This statement can be changed in the future, depending on the milestones achieved and the current circumstances surrounding your business.

Your business mission statement, on the other hand, should describe your core business. It should clearly state what your business is about, the people you will serve, and how you will serve them. Coming up with a few core values here can be really helpful.

You might think you already have this step done, but writing it down and thinking carefully of the words you use in the vision and mission statements will help guide the process and keep you focused.

2. Choose a business structure

At this point, you choose your business’ legal structure. Consulting an accounting professional on the pros and cons of the right business structure for you can save you tons of time and headache in the future. It’s worth investing a little time and money here.

Here is a breakdown of some common business structures:

a. Sole Proprietorship

Your business can be described as a sole proprietorship when it is owned and managed by you alone. You have total control over the business and you make all the decisions. Preparing taxes is easy (maybe, lol) and you only pay your personal tax.

Your business name can be your own name or a “doing business as” (DBA) name. You generally don’t even need to file any paperwork.

The drawback to owning a sole proprietorship is that you will be held personally liable for the business obligations, liabilities, and debts. This puts your personal assets at risk. Also, accounting can get confusing when your personal and business accounts are mixed together.

b. Limited Liability Company

A Limited Liability Company allows you to separate your personal assets from your business assets. When set up and conducted correctly, you are not personally liable for your company’s liabilities or debts.

You don’t have to pay corporate taxes. Instead, you pay self-employment taxes because you will be considered self employed. At certain income levels you’ll want to become a corporation so you can pay yourself a salary – chat with a tax pro about this if you’re planning on bringing in over 80k. Under 80k? Keep it an LLC.

The way I see it, an LLC is like a sole proprietorship, but with some advantages of some legal protections (definitely consult a lawyer for specifics) and you can open a bank account and credit card in your business name. It looks more professional and helps with accounting/bookkeeping.

c. Partnership

When you start your business with another person or people, your business becomes a partnership. Your business partner can be individuals, government entities, or non-profit organizations.

There are three types of partnerships:

• General Partnerships: If your business is a general partnership, all partners share the financial and legal liability. Profits are shared equally between partners.
• Limited Partnerships: Some partners in this structure have limited liability. If one partner gets involved in a lawsuit, for example, the other partners are not at risk.
• Limited Liability Limited Partnerships (LLLP): LLLP is quite similar to limited partnership. Some partners have greater liability over other partners. Limited partners enjoy more protection than the rest.

Note: There is no federal law in the U.S that defines how partnerships should be. However, there is a Uniform Partnership Act which some states have adopted.

d. Corporation

A corporation is completely separate from the owners. In a corporation, you pay corporate taxes, you can sell stock shares, and offer stock as payment to employees.

If you eventually want to sell your business or make a public offering, then you should consider setting up a corporation.

3. Create your business plan

Now that you know what kind of business you will be operating, it is time to create a business plan.

Your business plan should contain:

a. An Executive Summary

This section contains an overview of what your business is, its structure, and your products or services. You can also include the findings from your market research here.

Your summary should contain three major sections:

1. The first is the “Company Profile” where you explain your business goals and mission statement.
2. The second is your “Business Structure”. This outlines the people you need, what roles these people play, and the responsibilities that will be assigned to them.
3. Finally, you need to include in the “Products and Services” section details of what you offer and what makes it different from the competition.

b. Your Financial Plan

Your business financial plan should include costs, revenue projections, and how much funding you will need to start your business.

How do you make a financial plan?

Make a cost analysis

Your cost analysis should indicate the cost that will be incurred in getting the business to run smoothly. This includes cost of purchasing and maintaining equipment, cost of leasing an office space, advertising and marketing costs, insurance and licensing costs, etc.

Do not forget to justify the costs by comparing them to the projected revenue inflow.

Conduct a break-even analysis

The break-even point in any business is that point where the revenue equals the cost incurred in doing business.

You should follow this formula for your break-even analysis:

Break-Even Point = Fixed Costs / (Revenue per Unit – Variable Costs per Unit)

Fixed costs are items that are not affected by the amounts of sales made. For example, computers, rents, software, etc.

Variable costs refer to the materials used in the production of your product or service. As the number of items you produce increases, so does your variable cost.

Revenue per unit is the total revenue divided by the number of products or services sold.

Make a sales forecast

To make a sales forecast, you need to put into consideration the estimated number of customers that are likely to patronize your business, the geographic location of your business, your competitive advantage, and sales fluctuations during certain seasons.

c. A Sales and Marketing Strategy

By now, you should understand who your target audience is, thanks to the market research you conducted earlier. To understand them even further, you can work on creating a psychographic profile.

You need to create a marketing strategy that will show how you will communicate with your target audience and get them interested in your product or service. Indicate which channels you would use for marketing, e.g., print media, social media, etc.

In your sales strategy, include details of how you will get your customers to buy from you after you’ve peaked their interest and got their attention. Also include your product or service pricing (which you should have and be confident on based on your financial analysis you did earlier).

4. Source for startup funding

The next step is to get funding for your business. But first, you need to determine how much funding your business needs.

Identifying expenses like market research, utilities, salaries, office space, insurance, and production and distribution of materials will help you calculate your startup cost.

Once you know how much you need, you can source for funds through:

1. Seed financing: This involves getting money from private investors which can include your family and friends.
2. Small business loans: These are loans from banks or money lenders. If you need help figuring which lender to approach, reach out to the Small Business Association.
3. Crowdfunding: With crowdfunding, you get your startup funds from fans or potential customers. You can pitch your business idea on online crowdfunding sites for businesses.
4. Venture capital: A venture capitalist will give you your startup capital in exchange for equity. These investors usually want some level of control over your business. For example, getting a seat on your company’s board of directors. Think Shark Tank.
5. Bootstrapping: This involves getting your funds from your personal savings. Lots of small business owners get their funds through bootstrapping. This is how I did it. I prefer it this way because I didn’t have any added stress of reporting to investors or shareholders etc – it was a much simpler and freer method. But my startup costs were minimal, so it was an easy option. Some small businesses need more capital to start and bootstrapping is a riskier option or maybe even not an option at all.

5. Register your business

With your funds ready, you have to get your business registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the government.

Here is what you should do:

a. Register your business name

You should register your business name with both local and state governments. For more information, check your state’s regulations.

Some businesses also register with the federal government. Doing this will help get tax exemptions or trademark protection for your business.

b. Get your tax registration

The next step is to visit the IRS website for your tax registration. You need to:

• Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN). This is kind of like an SSN for your business in that you can use on forms and applications instead of your own personal SSN.
• Study the tax requirements for your business structure – research and take note whether there are different requirements for federal, state, county.
• Pick a tax year (a 12-month period for keeping business records of income and expenses).
• Pay the dues allocated to your business structure.

c. Get your business licenses and permits

Do you need a business license? Seems like a simple question, but finding the answer can be a little complicated unless you know where to look. The SBA and your local government websites will have the answers to this question. When in doubt, contact your local small business support groups and they can help guide you.

Small businesses apply for and get their licenses and permits from state agencies. Visit your state’s website to find out which licenses and permits your business needs.

However, businesses in specific industries like agriculture, firearms, alcohol, broadcasting, aviation, etc., have to register with the federal government.

d. Open a business bank account

Instead of using your personal account, open a business account(s). You need to get a:

• checking account: aim for an interest earning account if possible – lots of banks now offer these and you don’t have to pay fees
• savings account
• credit card account: Capital One Spark is a good one that earns points and cash back on all your purchases
• merchant services account – merchant services process payments – Stripe, Square, Paypal are examples of reliable, well known payment processors.

6. Purchase an insurance policy

You need to get your business insured. You can get:

• Professional Liability Insurance (protection against claims of negligence).
• Property Insurance (protects your inventory and equipment when damage is made by a storm or fire).
• Product Liability Insurance (protection from lawsuits due to damages caused by your products).
• Business Interruption Insurance (prevents income loss from events that interrupt the natural course of business).
• Vehicle Insurance (protection for when your vehicles get involved in accidents).

7. Get your team ready

You have to determine which roles need to be filled for the smooth running of your business. Defining roles and responsibilities, division of labour, how your team will work together, how they will give feedback, etc., helps to create a healthy working environment for your employees.

This part was most likely outlined in your business plan, but now is the time to expand upon it and get detailed. As a small business owner, you might initially start without employees or with a team of two or three.

Helpful tip: As you start working, track your time spent on tasks. Once a week, review it and assess where most of your time was spent and where you should focus more in the upcoming week. This will help you keep a balance in your business… and your insanity. While doing this, make note of the tasks you dread and start a list for outsourcing. Once you have a few tasks on the outsourcing list, you can hire someone to help!

8. Choose the right vendors

You need to choose vendors for your business. You have to decide who will be your suppliers, subcontractors, third-party service providers, and so on.

Make sure your vendors are experienced in serving businesses in your industry and they are people you can trust. Getting customer feedback from their existing clients can help you determine if you should work with them. Another good source is your network – look tot hem for referrals.

9. Brand your business and advertise your product or service

Now that you have taken care of the basics, it is time to build your brand and advertise. Building a brand is a small note in this list, but it is a huge task. Take care to define your brand identity and guidelines.

Get a logo and a website for your business, create social media accounts, open an email address, hand out business cards and flyers, etc. Once you are done with these, begin to communicate with your customers through these platforms.

This is the time to implement the marketing and sales strategies you included in your business plan.

10. Launch your business

Finally, you are ready to launch your business. Yay!!

If you need more guidance, you can join a business support group or a trade association. Better still, contact us at Evergreen Design Studio.

After launch, make sure that your marketing and sales campaigns yield profits. Also, create a plan that will ensure the continuous improvement of your products, services, and processes. This is another small note on this how-to guide, but it’s huge! Doing this will ensure the growth and success of your business.

How to Start a Business: The Easy and Cost-Effective Way

The process of starting a business can be strenuous and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way for you.

We at Evergreen Design Studio can take the stress out of the process. We will guide you on what to do, when to do it, and how to do it the easiest way possible. We will also be by your side throughout the journey until you launch your business.

If you are truly serious about starting your business, click here now to hire Evergreen Design Studio to guide you on starting your small business.

The post How to Start a Business: A Step by Step Guide from Idea to Registering to Launching appeared first on Evergreen Design Studio.

How can you do that?

There are several ways to market your business, but one option you should consider as a small business owner in this modern age is digital marketing.

What is digital marketing?

Digital marketing is basically marketing your products or services online.

It is the use of online marketing strategies and platforms to reach your ideal customers, get them to fall in love with your brand and buy from you.

Digital marketing allows you to reach a large number of customers within a short period, without digging a huge hole in your pocket. It allows you to pick from several marketing options, the best one that will help you achieve your goals.

You can market your business through several platforms online, for example, websites, emails, online stores, social media marketing platforms, etc.

And here comes the best part, there are several tools in place that make your digital marketing efforts seamless. Using the right tools for your online marketing helps you save time. They help you create and launch your campaigns quickly and effectively. The right tools also give you a competitive edge over your competitors.

Now that you know that your business needs digital marketing and there are tools that help to boost your marketing efforts, we can move on to the question of the day: How can you market your business online with the best digital marketing tools?

Keep on reading to find out.

How can I market my business online with the best digital marketing tools?

This is where it gets interesting.

There are several ways you can market your business online with the best digital marketing tools. Here are some of them:

1. Optimize your website for SEO with SEMrush SEO toolkit

Your website needs Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Great SEO increases website traffic, creates a better user experience for visitors, makes your business pop up when customers search for your niche, and increases engagement and conversions. It basically helps you to understand the environment of the web and helps your website thrive in it.

To get your SEO game on point, you need The SEMrush SEO toolkit. It allows you to view detailed keyword analysis reports, compare the performance of your pages to that of your competition to see how you rank, identify your competitors’ sources of web traffic, figure your website bounce rate, etc.

2. Establish good relationship with your customers through email with Mailchimp

Email marketing is one way to form personal relationships with your prospects and customers and get them to buy from you repeatedly. According to marketinginsidergroup.com, email marketing offers a higher ROI than other forms of marketing.

You can boost your email marketing efforts with Mailchimp. Mailchimp allows you to create segmented lists of your audience, send personalized messages, analyse your audience insights, build forms and landing pages, and many more. Not only is it easy to use; you use it for free until you hit 2,000 subscribers.

Do you want the best online marketing strategies that will help you achieve your business goals? Contact Evergreen Design Studio for help with your online marketing now.

3. Create unique visual content on all your online platforms with Canva

When it comes to creating unique and branded visual content that strikes engagement with your audience, Canva should be your go-to tool.

Canva provides you with countless graphic design tools and templates that help you create social media posts, blog images, infographics, posters, business cards, e-book covers, quotes, graphs, and almost any kind of graphic you can think of. You can do this within a few minutes without any design experience and access to this tool is free.

While creating your designs, you can use the free photos on Canva or get free stock photos. Pixabay, Unsplash, Burst, StockSnap, etc., are where to get free stock photos for your business marketing.

4. Engage with your audience on social media platforms with Hootsuite

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, make it easy for you to reach out to your ideal customers, to engage with them, create an online community for your brand, and ultimately, get your prospect to buy from you. You can also advertise your business on these platforms.

Though many of these platforms have their own built-in tools, Hootsuite helps you to manage all your social media platforms in one place. You can schedule content release in advance, identify important hashtags for your business, analyse the effectiveness of your campaigns with their advanced reporting tools, track and respond to mentions of your brand, etc. — all in one dashboard.

5. Create engaging and eye-catching marketing videos with Boosted

Video is one of the most engaging forms of content. By creating videos, you can boost awareness about your brand, become an authority in your field, create valuable content that will get your audience coming back for more and create ads that convert.

Boosted makes it easy to create your marketing videos. With Boosted, you don’t have to worry about making video tutorials or how to make a video ad for your business.

Boosted provides you with top-quality templates to use if you do not want to create your videos from scratch. You can customize text, colors and music to match your brand. Also, you have access to this tool for free.

How can you get all these done in one place without stress?

Marketing online can be very tiring. First, you have to decide which platforms to use, then create a marketing strategy that suits your goals but also conforms with the unique traits of each platform. Next you have to create, curate, and share content across all your platforms and engage with your audience.

The good news is at EverGreen Studio, we can take off that burden from you. We will help you create an online marketing strategy in line with your goals and lead you through each step of your strategy till you achieve those goals.

Do you want the best online marketing strategy with the best results? Contact Evergreen Design Studio for help with your online marketing now.

The post How to Market Your Business Online with The Best Digital Marketing Tools appeared first on Evergreen Design Studio.

Reasons why you should get print materials for your online shop

1. Printed materials allow you to run direct mail marketing campaigns which can get your business a response rate that is 30x higher than email.
2. They boost brand recognition. These materials take on the unique design elements associated with your brand which makes it easy for people to recognize your brand.
3. A print campaign can be easily worked into your budget and is paid with a few campaigns or maybe less (depending on your industry).
4. There is no restraint on customization. You can design whatever you want and how you want it. One of the most exciting things about print design is the ability to work with textures and in the 3D space, so you are touching more than the visual sense with your marketing materials
5. They add to the professionalism of your brand.
6. They continuously advertise your brand for free, for as long as people come in contact with them unlike digital ads which often require that you pay per view or click.

Now, you know how printed materials can help your online shop, let’s talk about the various print materials you need.

Print Materials you need for your online shop

Like I said, there are a ton of print materials to choose from. Here are some ideas of materials you can get for your online shop.

Business Cards

Business cards provide immense value to your brand.  They:

• create a great first impression of your brand.
• give a personal touch to exchanging contact information.
• make you look professional as opposed to asking people to type your contact details on their phone.
• help people to visually commit your business to memory.
• are portable so you can take them wherever you go and access them whenever you need them. 

Business card design and printing is important because these cards do a quick introduction of who you are, what you do, and how you can be reached. They are an easy way to spread the word to prospective customers that your brand exists.  Not only that, sending a card in your delivery packages gives a personal touch to your transaction. It is a subtle reminder to your customers to stay in touch with you and spread the word, if they really love your product or service. 

Postcards

Postcards are another way to get the word out about your online shop.  They are usually sent to specific individuals (your target demographic) through direct mail with a direct mail marketing campaign. Your postcard design can contain any message. You can make it a product information card, a thank you card, an invitation to an event, an announcement of a new product or service, a promotional offer, etc.  Postcards give a personal touch to your marketing and keep your brand alive offline, which makes it more likely for your customers to become repeat buyers.  Looking for quality yet affordable custom and design and printing? Evergreen Design Studio has creative, custom and results-oriented design solutions that will help grow your business. Click here to get started on your first printing material.

Catalogs

Catalogs showcase your products and services in a booklet that can be flipped through. The essence of a catalog is to spark your customer’s interest in a product or service they might have overlooked while shopping on your website.  Your catalog should contain attention-grabbing headlines and images. It should also include details about each product or offer. You could even include a short backstory to each product.   Whether it is an online catalog or paper print, catalogs entice your customers to buy your products. 

Brochures

Brochures are printed in the form of leaflets and pamphlets. Brochures usually contain a  description of your products or services and how they benefit your customers. Brochures can also be used to promote special events like sales or conferences. You can include a brochure in your package to a customer or give them out in trade shows or conferences.  Just like catalogs, you can have a digital copy on your website. They are not limited to offline interactions. 

Stickers

Stickers are a fun, cheap, and effective way to advertise your brand name.  With the right messaging and design, your stickers will catch the eye of anyone that sees it. Your stickers have to be creative and appealing. They serve as fun reminders that your brand exists. They can be placed on almost any visible exterior, from indoor surfaces like table tops to outdoor objects like car bumpers.  So, when you are sending the next batch of deliveries, do not forget to put a sticker or two in each package. 

Labels / Roll Labels

As a small business owner, you should consider label design and printing for package design such as bottle labels or for applying to your shipping materials.  Labels contain the company’s logo and are usually used for product packaging. Roll labels are labels that are placed on a roll of thick paper that can be used by hand or with a special label machine. Instead of being produced individually, labels are produced in bulk. This helps you save money.  Labels are similar to stickers but they are printed on special paper using a special printing technique that 

• displays small fonts better which is crucial when working with limited space especially when you need to display FDA guidelines like nutritional info or disclaimers
• stands up better to the elements like exposure to water or steam from a shower or kitchen . 
• can be designed to fit a custom area

Hang Tags / Folded Hang Tags

Hang tags are tags attached to a product that tells you more about the product and its proper care, sometimes including the price of the product. They are usually small, around the size of a  business card.  You can decide whatever is printed on your hang tag or how many tags you want attached to the product. However, your hang tag should include basic branding elements like your logo, your colour scheme and your tag line.  Hang tags are absolutely necessary if you have a clothing store.

How can you get the print materials you need for your online shop?

Once you have decided which print materials to go for, the next step is getting them printed. You need a professional designer who is not just skilled at design but also at marketing and strategy. Your designer should be able to help you determine which print materials best suits your marketing needs and create designs that best communicate your brand’s message to your customers. 

We at Evergreen Design Studio take it a notch further. We help you create your marketing strategy and ensure that your print materials actually grow your business.  To get started and for inquiries about pricing and availability, contact us here to leave a message.

The post Print Materials You Need for Your Online Shop appeared first on Evergreen Design Studio.

Top Global Company and #2 Graphic Design Company in Denver

Clutch increases visibility for brands in an ethical and reliable method, by creating vetted profiles for them on Clutch’s website based on industry and geographic location. These profiles offer a prospective client loads of information on the company including past client reviews of their entire partnership with the company. Clutch then creates a Leaders Matrix highlighting the highest performing companies in every industry. Evergreen Design Studio has earned the number two spot for the matrix of graphic designers in Denver, Colorado.

I earned this spot by providing excellent service to my clients. Clutch vetted me for this award by calling and interviewing my past clients. I’m very honored to hear that my past clients love me and said enough wonderful things about results and the process of working with me that I earned a spot in the top 1000 globally, and #2 locally!

Here at Evergreen Design Studio I offer a variety of graphic design needs. Whether that be print or digital, I can do it all! I offer plenty of varied graphic design services including B2B web design and branding, book design, digital and printed marketing pieces, and even event design like invitations or calls for papers.

#1 Graphic Design Studio in Denver

Clutch has also created two sister sites, The Manifest and Visual Objects. Visual Objects is a portfolio style website which showcases the creativity of service providers to help prospective clients visualize what their projects have the potential of being. Evergreen is ranked NUMBER ONE top graphic designer in Denver, Colorado on Visual Objects. Check out my profile below.

Top 20 Ranked Design Firms in Denver

The Manifest is a blog style review site where the customer can read through projects of companies and also read basic descriptions for each. Our profile on The Manifest can be viewed below. As you can see we are in the top 20!

On DesignRush, Evergreen Design Studio has been featured as a leader in Real Estate Web Design Companies, Law Firm Web Design Companies, Restaurant Website Design Companies, Financial Services Website Design Companies, and B2B Website Design Companies.

“I am thrilled to have been chosen as one of the leading graphic and web designers in Denver!”

I don’t want you to waste another second not getting the graphic design assistance you need. Talk to me today! I love helping small businesses succeed by getting more clients and streamlining their processes. You can send me a message through my contact form, text me at 303-222-4248 or schedule a discovery phone call here.

The post Evergreen Design Studio Awarded Top Graphic Design Company appeared first on Evergreen Design Studio.

By investing in your SEO strategies, you are showing your audience that you are working to make your content more accessible and easier to find. Additionally, if a search engine likes how your website looks (at least SEO-wise) the more likely it will be to show your website in the SERP (search engine results page). Your company’s SERP ranking is where it ranks on the search engines. 

This article will take a look at all of the different aspects of SEO for small business and SEM and how they can boost your business faster than you thought possible!

Let’s start with the basics. Terminology.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, which is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results. 

What is SEO made up of?

To better understand SEO for small business, it is sometimes easier to break it down into its different elements:

• Quality of traffic. Attracting traffic can be easy if you’re using certain keywords, but you want to make sure that people are coming to your website for the right reasons.  If people find you because search engines tell them your business is the popular game Farmville when really you’re a farmer’s market website, that is not quality traffic. Instead you want to attract visitors who are genuinely interested in products that you offer.
• Quantity of traffic. After you have found the correct keywords for your audience, increasing traffic is the next step.
• Organic results. People who find your website for free, or by not clicking on an ad to get there, is organic traffic. 

Here are a few ways to boost your ranking on the results page:

• Produce quality content. Producing quality content that is unique and substantial is by far the best way to boost your ranking. The more information that the search engines have to evaluate your site by, the better.
• Do your keyword research. Make sure that you are using relevant keywords as mentioned above. Focus on a few of the keywords that best describe your business and then branch out from there.
• Make sure your site is mobile friendly. Not being mobile optimized is a sure-fire way to get on Google’s bad side. These days it can be very easy to turn a desktop site into a mobile optimized site. If this is something you are unsure of, feel free to reach out to me!

All about Google My Business

If your business is a brick and mortar store (or rather, has a physical location), it qualifies for a Google My Business listing. This can also help you to improve your SEO ranking as it helps Google to understand the tie between your website and where your store is located, its’ phone number, and more.

Not only can Google My Business help your rankings, it also shows you insights into what aspects of your SEO for small business strategy are working the best. For instance, do most people look you up so they can find your phone to call you? Is it to get directions to your store? Maybe they want to know if you have any special sales going on. Whatever it is, this information can be priceless as you’ll know what aspects of marketing you need to work on, and which areas you are doing well so you can capitalize on that.

Check out everything Google My Business can do for you here: https://www.google.com/business/ and go ahead and sign up, claim your business. They just released a new app, which makes managing your business through Google even easier!

In summary

Basic principles:

• Write your content for the user, not the search engine.
• Don’t use click-bait headlines to attract readers to an article about something unrelated.
• Make sure that your website has an SSL certificate. Google has publicly stated that having an SSL Certificate is the easiest thing site owners can do to boost SEO ranking.
• Is your site optimized technically? This includes items such as compressing images, having a mobile version, and more. If you aren’t sure contact us for a technical audit here.
• Don’t try any tricks you see that are intended to trick the search engines. Would you feel comfortable explaining what you did to a Google staff member? If not, you might want to rethink your actions.
• Does this content provide your readers with something unique, valuable, or engaging.

Things to avoid:

• Robots that generate content
• Not using original content
• Cloaking — this is a SEO technique in which the content presented to the search engine spider is different from that presented to the user’s browser.
• Hidden text and links (a lot of people create text using the color as the background of the webpage, this is dishonest and frowned upon)
• Doorway pages — these are pages that will rank well but feature content unrelated to your page. The user is then funneled to your business page. This is a great way to increase your bounce rate, or how long a user will stay on your website. The lower the bounce rate, the better!

Don’t let it overwhelm you! If you get bogged down in the technical details, forget about them and think about SEO for small business from a human standpoint. Think about it like “how can I help a visitor to my site?”

And if you do find yourself overwhelmed, contact me for an SEO audit and I’ll tell you exactly what you need to do to your specific site and can even do it for you if you want.

The post SEO For Small Business (and Why You Need It) appeared first on Evergreen Design Studio.