This is the final post in a four part expert series about marketing your small business online in 2012. In this post Cheryl Lawson answers the following question:

What Online Marketing Activities Should Small Business Owners Focus on in 2012? 

#1 Google Plus - Most of us are using Google products like Gmail, Picasa, Calendar, Youtube, Google+ and the +1 project will have the power of Google behind it.

Personal Google+ pages will be like places for people.  The one stop shop for everything you.  Set up your profile if you do nothing else.

Business pages have come to Google+. For more details, see this video:

If you believe search will be important in 2012, your business should begin creating a strategy for Google+.

#2  Is there an App for that?  Is there some part of your business that would work as a mobile app?  WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) mobile app creators are more available and more affordable than ever.  Get in the mobile business.

#3 Get social - You have a Facebook page and that’s great. Facebook has changed the way people see content so you might see your engagement going down.  Find ways to engage your fans, friends, and followers in other ways. Find your most active community members and give them other ways to connect with you. Take the relationship to another level. Facebook groups, Twitter chats, Meetup.com, Google+ Hangouts are just a few ways to do that online.

About Cheryl Lawson

Cheryl Lawson is the owner and founder of event planning and marketing firm, Party Aficionado. Cheryl is also the mastermind behind Social Media Tulsa.  

Resources:

Official video explains Google+ Hangouts here:

Want to learn more? Register for the Social Media Tulsa Conference 2012

On March 15, 2012 at 9:00 AM  local and global social media, tech, mobile, PR, and internet marketing thought leaders will share their knowledge. Get inspired by our speakers. Meet the people behind the tweets, blogs, posts, and comments. Whether you are a small business looking to get started with a social media marketing plan, or a corporate marketing manager needing tips for taking your online marketing strategies to a new level, the Social Media Tulsa Conference is for you.  Find out more, here ›

Read the Rest of the Series on What Small Business Should Focus on in 2012

• Attitude, Video and Going where your customers are by Becky McCray 
• Taking Action and What’s Next by Allen Gibson
• Facebook Changes in 2012 by Melanie Nelson

This is the 3rd post in a four part expert series about marketing your small business online in 2012. In today’s post Melanie Nelson, author of Facebook All-In-One for Dummies and of the popular blog Blogging Basics 101, talks about the Facebook activities you should focus on for maximum growth in 2012.

What Activities Should Small Business Owners Focus On?

It really depends on what the business is because individual goals play a huge part in how you approach social media platforms. Since I’m writing Facebook All-In-One for Dummies right now, I’m hyperfocused on Facebook. The new Facebook changes outlined at the developer conference in September are going to have a big impact on how online and social media marketing evolve over the next 10 years. Back in 1995-96 web browsers brought the internet mainstream and changed how companies reached new audiences and advertised products. The Facebook changes coming over the next year will likely have the same impact.

Three Things Business Owners Should Look for this Year:

1. Facebook commerce will be an important part of how people use social media in 2012.

EDITOR NOTE: A good place to find out more about using Facebook Commerce is here, The Beginner’s Guide to Facebook Commerce

2. Overall, local businesses have been slow to adopt things like Facebook Deals or Foursquare check-in deals. Those that have adopted them don’t publicize them or work to promote them. If that changes, local businesses will find they have a goldmine.

3. Add the “Like/Share/Own/whatever” verb button to your product pages. When people click these buttons, it will show up in their friends’ Ticker. Since Facebook is “verbing” things over the next few months, this can be a great way to market your products. Users aren’t limited to Liking, Sending, or Sharing a product. They’ll be able to be more descriptive.

The New Timeline

Oh, and with Timeline finally being rolled out worldwide, you know it will be available for fan pages soon. That means you’ll be able to create customized campaigns on your fan pages that integrate images, text, video, and music in one place (not like the Wall is now, it’s much more usable). It will truly change the way companies market and create social media campaigns.

Additional Resources

Read more about Melanie’s thoughts on Facebook’s new Timeline here, Facebook’s Timeline Changes Everything

NEXT: 3 Most Important Online Marketing Activities for Growth in 2012

Next up in this series, find out what Cheryl Lawson recommends small business owners focus on for maximum growth in 2012. Read more ›

This is the second post in a four part series about marketing your small business online. We asked several marketing experts about what activities business owners should focus on in 2012 for maximum growth in their business. Today we’re spotlighting Allen Gibson‘s answers.

What Marketing Activities Should Small Business Owners Focus On?

Good question! And, of course, there’s no simple answer that will apply to everyone. Where to focus has to be a product of what am I trying to achieve, which needs to be broken down in to specific “what do I want them to do next” activities.

What Action Do You Want People to Take Next?

I tell my clients that generally, the most you can hope for from an ad is that the viewer takes ONE action; be that a click on a link, a like, a phone call, etc. And if that one action leads to a roadblock­ a dead link, a failed connection, a busy signal, then Sphhffft, your marketing just died.

Of course, that’s an extreme position to take. But I believe in today’s overcrowded, oversold, over-marketed world it’s a necessary position. So, if you are a reasonably successful company, with an established website and Facebook presence, the thing I would recommend you focus on in 2012 is this:

HOW DO WE MAKE THE CUSTOMER’S PATH TO PURCHASE EASIER, FASTER, MORE FUN, MORE EFFICIENT. BETTER?

Can we complete the sale with fewer clicks? Automate our quote process? Make saying “Yes” easier? How about offering an electronic signature process? Live customer service? Free gift with purchase?

Make Sure it’s Straight-Forward and Easy to Understand

I don’t know about you, but I find that if online shopping isn’t very straight-forward, simple to understand, and easy to complete the transaction, I go away! If I have to work to understand your path to purchase…I get annoyed.

And your marketing just died.

About Allen Gibson

Allen Gibson owns StarMedia Services, a marketing communications agency in Southern Alberta, Canada. You can also find Allen on Twitter @starmediaguy

NEXT: Facebook Expert Explains What’s New in 2012 and What Business Owners Should Focus On

Facebook will reach 143.4 million US users in 2012, up 8.2% from 132.5 million in 2011 according to HubSpot. Melanie Nelson, author of Facebook All-In-One for Dummies, answers what small business owners should focus on. Read more ›

This is the first in a four part series about marketing your small business online. We asked several experts about what activities business owners should focus on in 2012 for maximum growth in their business. Today we’re spotlighting Becky McCray’s answers.

1. Change your attitude. Talk less about you and more about them.

No matter what tools you’re using, no matter what you are doing with them, the best way to achieve growth is through better serving more people. And to serve people you need to talk about them: their needs, their accomplishments, their success stories. Found out what your customers find interesting, and talk more about it. Sounds easy enough, but if we looked at the last 20 things you put out online, how many would be about your business, and how many would be about your customers?

2. Do video. From the field. With your product in use, or with your people doing something.

You can put the video on any platform: your own website, your blog, your Facebook page, or YouTube. What matters is that you don’t do video of just you talking. Get your video camera out and shoot the action. Show your customers using your product. Teach them something. Heather Thomas shares 21 more ideas here: 21 Ways To Use Video For Your Small Business  Hint: none of them include you sitting in front of your computer talking to your webcam.

3. Go where the customers are.

Don’t trust me to tell you which networks to add, and don’t trust any other expert or guru. Before you add any new tool or platform, make sure it’s the one where your customers are. How do you find out? Ask them. No, really. Ask them what networks they use, where they spend their time online. For a bit more perspective, you can take your customer list (and their emails) to Gist.com. It will let you browse and see their other public profiles. That will help you get a better perspective.

About Becky McCray

Becky McCray has been featured in The New York Times, BusinessWeek, and Entrepreneur Magazine. She publishes the popular website, Small Biz Survival. She and Chicago entrepreneur, Barry Moltz, are writing the upcoming book, Small Town Rules. 

NEXT: Getting Potential Customers to Take Action

Next up in this series, find out about online marketing activities that get action from Allen Gibson. When prospective clients take action, you’re on your way to success. Read more ›

Are you a small business owner looking for a plan to dominate your niche online next year? Here are twelve actions you can take for online success:

1. Define your prospects or online audience well. Create a persona. Then make sure all your online communications are created with your ideal clients in mind.
2. Create your online elevator speech. Tighten your online message so people can quickly catch your business promise. Put it on your website, blog and social media accounts
3. Start a company blog
4. Set-up social media accounts
5. Brainstorm at least 48 articles or blog post topics. Publish at least 4 per month to your blog in 2012
6. Add an email newsletter if you don’t already have one. Build your email subscriber list
7. Connect with local reporters on Twitter. Build a relationship with them
8. Plan at least one live local event with a portion of sales going to charity. Send online press releases. Promote through social media accounts and blog posts
9. Connect your website and blog to automatically post updates to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media platforms
10. Create regularly scheduled social media activities
11. Plan and implement a social media contest to grow Facebook friends and Twitter followers
12. Promote local charities, local bloggers and causes in your community through social media

With all of the options available to market your business online today, small business owners can become overwhelmed. That’s why this list is important. Print it out. Use it as the groundwork for your online marketing plan.

Back when I sold IBM equipment, I used to pick the top sales guy’s brain all the time. The best advice he ever gave me was, “Plan your work. Work your plan.” The above list is a great place to start. But you have to work it.

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart
“Giving You the Power to Fight the Big Boys”

If You Like this Article, You Might Also Like:

• Converting Your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Connections to Customers with Face-to-Face Events
• Blogging for Your Business: An Interview with Ann Handley 
• Website Redesign Checklist for Attracting New Business

Yesterday, while I was researching keywords for a client, I found “Top 12 (client’s keywords)” in a web page title on Google. I stopped. I had to click on the link. I was hooked.

How many times have you searched for the best something-or-other on a search engine?

What Happens When Your Prospect is Ready to Make a Decision?

Imagine someone who has already decided they’re going to buy a product or service you sell. Now think about what your prospect would do just before deciding on a specific brand or a specific service. How would they narrow their choices to the BEST possible solution for them?

After 12 years of doing keyword research for different websites, I’ve always been amazed that more people don’t have “best” lists on their websites.

If you’re a travel agent who specializes in romantic getaways, why not write a best blog post about your Top 5 Recommended Romantic Getaways for 2012? If you own a paint store, why not write a blog post on the 5 Best Selling Paints of 2011?

Now, I’m not the only one who recommends using this tactic. You’ll find top ten lists and lists of the best everywhere. Why? Because it works.

Case Study: Search Engine Results after Adding Best Blog Posts or Pages to a Website

Earlier this year we set-up a website for a client using WordPress. We created a few pages and posts on the site to rank well for keywords with the word “best” in it.

Today Google Analytics reported that 19.24% of Google traffic to the website in the last 30 days was from searches that included the word “best” in it.

We also had a few surprises. Since the website is a review website, the website ranks well for “best” review site for certain keywords. We never intentionally tried to get high search rankings for phrases with “best review” in them. But we’re happy with the results.

6 Reasons Why BEST Blog Posts and TOP Recommendations Work:

1. Establishes yourself as the expert and not just another website trying to sell something
2. Your website is the one people see when they are at the critical moment of deciding which option is best
3. People like to share “best” or “top” lists.
4. Other websites are more likely to link to your BEST or TOP web page
5. When tweeting or talking about the page on Facebook, there is a better possibility that people will click to your web page and actually read your content
6. When someone is ready to make a purchase decision, they will ask themselves: ”Where did I see that Best article?”

Common Mistakes When Writing a Best or Top List

Once you’ve decided you’re going to write you own BEST blog post or article, here are the things you should avoid:

1. Don’t push the most expensive, highest profit option as the best unless it truly is the best. One of your goals is to be seen as a trusted advisor. Be honest. Share any cons or negatives.
2. Don’t try to trick your website visitors. Tell people upfront when you benefit from them buying through your website or through the links you provide.
3. Don’t skip products or services you don’t sell. Add at least one choice you WON’T benefit from if they buy. This adds credibility and builds trust. Tell people that you don’t benefit from this recommendation. Spell it out for them.
4. Don’t assume your “best” blog post or web page will get high search engine rankings. Privately ask people to promote your blog post. Ask people to read and tweet or share on Facebook if they like it.
5. Don’t post photos without permission. Don’t tag people without asking first. Don’t get photos from a Google search without permission. Pay for your photos. Or use photos of current customers. But ask permission first.
6. Don’t forget feedback. Ask for feedback from people/customers who used your best recommendations.

Since you’ve read this far, you know posting a BEST list on your blog or website is something you should do. Why don’t you stop right now. Decide on a list you think will help potential clients. Then write a rough draft, or assign someone in your organization to write it. Get started. Decide on a deadline for posting it. Then get it done.

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart

“Giving You the Power to Fight the Big Boys!”

If You Liked this Article, You Might Also Like:

• Blogging for Your Business: An Interview with Ann Handley
• Retail Jeweler Grows Business With Blog and Social Media: Interview with Daniel Gordon
• Printer Uses Blog to Generate More Leads for His Business: Interview with Blase Ciabaton

Check out this recent video from Google’s Matt Cutts. In the video below Matt talks about how Google uses Twitter and Facebook links as ranking signals.

Testing and Signals of Influence

When Matt talks; search engine experts listen. Everyone wants to know what Google is “really up to.” Here are my 3 major takeaways from this talk:

1. Google is still testing how they will measure and rank social media activities for the long haul.

2. Google is looking for true clues to a content creator’s authority. Google wants clues to authority that are difficult to fake.

3. Google seems to discount the current players of Twitter and Facebook as long lasting.

In the past black hat search engine experts would “game” the system and get high search engine rankings by creating false cues of authority. Google wants to do their best to avoid this issue when it comes to social media. I believe that is why Matt is cautious in the way he talks about the signals of authority.

What does this mean to small business owners?

If you want your business to be found on the internet in the future, you will need to be viewed as a major player within your niche on social media sites. You will need to create quality content consistently that helps prospects become more informed. It’s important for others to recognize that the content you’re creating for social media has value for the niche you serve. 

If you want the search engines to recognize you as a trusted resource within your niche, you have to create content that others in your space on the web value enough to share.

In the short term search engine experts or social media experts may get your company attention without providing quality content. But if you want to be the “big dog” in your niche online in the next few years, you need to provide great content.  

Want to learn more about creating great content?

I recommend you read this book:

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart

“Giving You the Power to Fight the Big Boys!”

Large businesses build brands through repetition and consistency. Commercials are repeated. Stores look the same. Packages look like the “brand.” People know what they’ll get with a brand. People trust the brand. On the other hand small businesses are built on personal relationships and word of mouth.

Small business owners take notice -

Regus, a provider of workplace solutions with over 1,100 business centers in 85 countries, recently published a study that explored the role of social media in customer acquisition. Based on input from senior managers and business owners around the world, the study found that almost one-half of small businesses are successfully connecting with prospects through social networks. On the other side of the spectrum, only 28% of large firms reported finding new customers in social networks. Medium-sized businesses landed appropriately in the middle at 36%. – From “Almost Half of Small Businesses Find Customers in Social Networks” by Brian Solis

Small business owners are using the power of local people to grow their business. People in your community are promoting locally owned businesses online. Here’s how .  . .

“For where two or three are gathered together”

On Facebook I’m “friends” with a large number of people from my hometown. My friends share photos of their favorite foods and restaurants where we grew up. We also share links to Facebook business pages owned by family and friends. 

My Facebook friends promote hometown businesses without being asked. They don’t get a financial reward for promoting local businesses. But they share a since of pride about where we grew up. They want to preserve and promote what they loved growing up in our hometown. Promoting the people and places in our hometown is part of our Facebook culture.

People want to support family businesses. People want to support hometown businesses. Social media helps people support the small business owners of the world. Social media is a revolution for you, the small business owner. But you have to dive into the water.

Developing a personal bond with prospects

Every good salesperson develops a personal bond with their clients. They care for them. Clients know when a salesperson really cares for them. Clients do business with those who care for them. They trust them. Social media helps you show more people that you truly care.  

As a small business owner now is your chance. Now is the time for you to publish information to a wide audience for almost nothing. Now is the time to build relationships by sharing of yourself. Let people know what you’re about.

Once people get to know you and trust you, they will do business with you. But you have to give of yourself first. You have to be brave and put your personal life under the spotlight so people can get to know you as a person. That’s what Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels do well. They magnify your personal life and personality.

If you are brave enough – - If you put yourself out there. You will be rewarded.  Remember, “Fortune favors the brave.”

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart

“Giving You the Power to Fight the Big Boys!”

Related articles

• How Facebook Changes Marketing And Sales (forbes.com)
• Why you need a social media strategy, not a Facebook strategy(econsultancy.com)
• Why Are You Scared To Be Outspoken?(outspokenmedia.com)

Have you gone to a restaurant or a business because of a Facebook friend’s recommendation? What was your experience? Share it with us. We want to hear about your experiences.

Listen to this interview and you’ll find out how small town businesses are growing using YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and more.

Key points you’ll learn:

• How a linen rental service is using YouTube to grow their business
• Find out about a trade show promotion that drove booth visitors to the company website
• How to use video to promote your business online

Click on the arrow below to listen:

Or to download the interview to your computer, click here >

ABOUT BECKY MCCRAY:

Becky McCray says that small businesses and small towns matter. She is a small town business owner, with a retail store and a cattle ranch in Woods County, Oklahoma. Through her consulting firm she helps small town governments, and promotes entrepreneurship and tourism in small towns. Her blog is smallbizsurvival.com

She’s been featured in The New York Times, BusinessWeek, and Entrepreneur Magazine. She is also the author of 20 Small Business Ideas for Small Towns and Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns. Her home is in the thriving metropolis known as Hopeton, Oklahoma, a community of fewer than 30 people.

RESOURCES

Find out about QR codes:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code
• http://www.google.com/help/maps/favoriteplaces/business/barcode.html

United Linen’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages:

• http://www.youtube.com/user/unitedlinen
• http://www.facebook.com/unitedlinen
• http://twitter.com/unitedlinen

Becky McCray’s blog about small town business and ebooks:

• http://www.smallbizsurvival.com/
• http://www.smallbizsurvival.com/2009/05/shop-local-campaigns-for-small-towns.html
• http://www.smallbizsurvival.com/2008/05/small-business-ideas-for-small-towns.html
• http://www.twitter.com/BeckyMcCray

Did you like this interview? Tell us. Have questions about promoting your small town business? Ask. We want to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart

“Giving You the Power to Fight the Big Boys!”

More Interviews on How to Dominate Your Space on the Web:

• Professional Photographer Grows Business with Blog and No Budget. Find Out How
• Interview with Troy Vossoller: Example of a Small Business Using Twitter Right
• How a NY Trailer Dealer’s Website Grew from 300 Visitors per Day to 1,096 Daily Visitors Last Month

Listen and you’ll find out how independent retailers are growing their businesses on the web and off.

Key points you’ll learn:

• How to use video for your small business
• How to use free tools to market your business online
• What smart small businesses are doing right online now

Click on the arrow below to listen:

Or to download the interview to your computer, click here >

ABOUT BOB PHIBBS:

Bob Phibbs (AKA: The Retail Doctor) is the author of The Retail Doctor’s Guide to Growing Your Business and You Can Compete: Double Sales Without Discounting. Bob is also a frequent guest on MSNBC’s Your Business, he and his work have been featured in Entrepreneur magazine, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. 

Did you like this interview? Tell us. Have questions about this interview? Ask. We want to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart

“Giving You the Power to Fight the Big Boys!”

More Interviews on How to Dominate Your Space on the Web:

• Professional Photographer Grows Business with Blog and No Budget. Find Out How
• Interview with Troy Vossoller: Example of a Small Business Using Twitter Right
• How a NY Trailer Dealer’s Website Grew from 300 Visitors per Day to 1,096 Daily Visitors Last Month

The other day I was asked to review Bob Phibbs’ new book, The Retail Doctor’s Guide to Growing Your Business: A Step-by-Step Approach to Quickly Diagnose, Treat, and Cure.The people promoting the book sent me a copy to read.

Of course I’m looking at this book from a different angle than others who will review it. I want to know if this book really helps small business owners dominate their space on the web. I want to know if I would recommend it to you based on that criteria. Before I tell you my answer, let’s discuss how the book addresses marketing your business online.

Marketing Your Business Online

First, the book devotes one chapter to marketing your business online. I was surprised at how well researched this chapter was. Much of the information Phibbs provides is right on the money and current. But I found one glaring omission.

On page 180, he lists 5 things that determine your web site ranking on the search engines. But he leaves off one of the most important factors in getting high search engine rankings. He doesn’t talk about how backlinks, the links from other websites to your website, affect your search engine ranking. He doesn’t talk about anchor text in your links either. Big mistake.

How Search Engine Experts Get You Higher Rankings

Most search engine optimization experts spend the majority of their time getting better quality and more backlinks for their clients. If you do everything else wrong, but have higher quality backlinks with the right “anchor text,” your website will rank higher on the search engines.

He also says your source code is the same thing as your “meta description tags.” That is wrong. Meta description tags are part of your web page’s source code – they aren’t one and the same. But your meta description tag is extremely important for search engine optimization. All-in-all this is a minor flaw.

If I were to grade the search engine ranking part of this book, I would give it a “C” or even a “D.” Omitting backlinks from this chapter is too big of an error. But the rest of the chapter contains top notch information that is fairly current. His information on Twitter and Facebook includes good examples you’re able to easily learn from.

Is there a good reason for you to read this book?

A few years back I ran a retail store called the Sportsman’s Gallery. In one year my team and I increased revenue from $240K annually to close to $500K annually. But after reading this book, I know I could’ve done a better job.

In The Retail Doctor’s Guide to Growing Your Business, Bob shares information on managing the financial health of the business. He shares information about hiring and training your team. He includes information about merchandising and store traffic flow. He also includes a lot of information on what you should be looking at weekly to keep your retail store on  track for growth. He does a great job in these areas.

Despite the search engine ranking issues with the book, the other chapters more than make up for these deficiencies. There are several great lessons any independent retailer can learn in this book. It doesn’t matter if you’re a new business owner or if you own a multi-generational family business, this book teaches retail management and marketing for whatever ails you.

Interview with Bob Phibbs on Thursday, July 15th

If you want to learn more about this book and Bob Phibbs, visit this blog on Thursday, July 15th. I interview the good doctor right here. You’ll be able to listen to the interview from your computer or download the MP3.

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart

“Giving You the Power to Fight the Big Boys!”

In this interview you’ll find out how Mandy Vavrinak, a PR professional, helps small businesses get press coverage.

Key points you’ll learn:

• How to get reporters to listen to you
• How a start-up grew to the point that their subscriber base was so large that a news station acquired them within 2 years 
• How an author successfully marketed their book with no advertising budget

Click on the arrow below to listen:

Or to download the interview to your computer, click here >

ABOUT MANDY VAVRINAK:

Mandy Vavrinak is a PR professional based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mandy has spoken or hosted panel discussions at several local Get Social conferences. She is also the owner of Crossroads Communication. She blogs for the Journal Record and http://www.mandyvavrinak.com.

Did you like this interview? Tell us. Have questions about PR and social media? Ask. We want to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart

“Giving You the Power to Fight the Big Boys!”

More Interviews on How to Dominate Your Space on the Web:

• Professional Photographer Grows Business with Blog and No Budget. Find Out How
• Interview with Troy Vossoller: Example of a Small Business Using Twitter Right
• How a NY Trailer Dealer’s Website Grew from 300 Visitors per Day to 1,096 Daily Visitors Last Month
• Holiday Facebook Ad Doubles Traffic to Website. Listen to the Interview Here

Famous Perkins Resident, Frank Eaton, AKA Pistol Pete

A few years ago I lived in a quiet Dallas neighborhood. My wife and I had a beautful house with a beautiful landscaped yard.  Little did I know how much my world was going to change in a few short years.

I left my corporate job and started my own business. Then my wife lost her job. Property values climbed and so did our property taxes. Soon our mortgage payments ballooned too. Our American dream was becoming a nightmare. We fought and we struggled to pay our bills. Finally we sold the house. We divorced. 18 years of marriage gone down the drain. A new life was beginning for me whether I wanted the change or not.

At this time we moved my grandparents to a nursing home too. Grandma asked if I would take care of the “Perkins house” for them. I told her I would.

Perkins is a sleepy  little town 10 miles south of Stillwater, Oklahoma with a popluation of about 2,300. Now I grew up in Oklahoma. But I grew up in Tulsa. Not a rural community. In Perkins I felt like an alien who just landed in a strange red dirt world.

Social Media Changes My Life

All alone with my dog, my grill and the glow of my computer screens, I signed-up for a couple of dating websites. Most people don’t talk about dating websites as “social media.” But they are. After a few dates, I met a great girl. We’ve been dating for over 2 years now.

On Facebook I reconnected with people I graduated high school with. In fact, we just celebrated July 4th with about 10 other couples . . . all through the magic of Facebook.  It was a blast.

Through Twitter and LinkedIn I’ve met a lot of great people in the business community. New clients are finding me and learning about what I do. It’s been a great experience so far. And I only see it expanding and growing more.

So what does this mean for you, the small business owner? How will this help you dominate your space on the web?

In Dallas, I was a member of a networking club. After a few meetings I started to get leads and new business. But it was a slow process.

Armed with a blog, twitter and facebook, people get to know me faster. Trust is built quicker. Therefore business relationships are able to develop faster. New clients get to know you and trust you at an accelerated rate. Your business grows.

Don’t get me wrong, it takes a lot of work. I write on my blog regularly. I tweet. I meet people face-to-face (that’s where the real magic takes place). I generate a constant communication flow and I’m involved. I try to help everyone I can through these social networking tools. I don’t “sell, sell, sell.” I “help, help , help.” Then the business finds me.

I recommend you start a blog. Start a Facebook page for your business. Set-up a LinkedIn page. You don’t have to do it all at once. Buy a book or take a class. Get started and do your best. Then start on the next one. Your business contacts will start expanding. Your business will grow. And before you know it, you will be kicking the big boys’ butts.

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart

“Giving You the Power to Fight the Big Boys!”

One of my clients runs four paint stores in the Dallas area. Friday he sent me this e-mail:

You probably know that I like things simple and easy to work with when it comes to our website. 

Lord knows I’ve been using the same Frontpage website software since the 90′s. 

Well, it’s time to make a change. Our website has been neglected for way too long. I’m ready to start all over! Our Company is on Facebook and Twitter, and we want to capitalize on those connections, as well as to point more people to our shopping cart as well, and for our customers to have more online access to us. 

I got your email regarding the “Website Redesign Checklist” and I’ve found it to be very helpful — Thank you for that. I tried to look at WordPress and the others, and it overwhelmed me with the need for information that I just don’t know where to find.

Keep reading. Answers below.

Getting your website set-up with WordPress

WordPress offers two ways to use their software. One option is to set- up everything with a web address like, http://yourname.wordpress.com. This is extremely easy and it’s free. But it has limited functionality. This isn’t a good choice for most businesses.

The best option  for businesses is to set-up WordPress software on your own domain name. You’re able to download their software free at http://wordpress.org. Many web hosting companies already have the software on their servers with easy ways to install on your own domain. My company can do this for you too.

After installing WordPress on your domain name, hire a web designer to create a custom theme for you or have them customize a pre-built theme for you. There are several places where you’re able to get professionally designed WordPress themes. At DSC Web Services we use Thesis and WooThemes for most clients. 

WordPress gives you the ability to manage your basic website pages (an about us page, products/services page, etc).  It also gives you the ability to add a blog to your website.

Use a blog to push your announcements and news to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

Once you’ve set-up your website on WordPress, you’re able to automatically post your upcoming events, news and other blog posts on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter automatically. 

Here’s how you get started. Go to the networked blogs Facebook application and follow their directions. It takes a couple of minutes and you’re up-and-running.

Next, set-up your LinkedIn page (if you don’t already have one). Then use the WordPress application to automatically share your blog posts with your LinkedIn contacts.

Create a contest that drives Facebook fans to your website or shopping cart

One easy way to get Facebook fans to your shopping cart is with an online treasure hunt or scavenger hunt contest. Offer the winner a prize for their efforts.

Post clues on your Facebook fan page. Fans have to find the items on your website. Then post a link to the shopping cart page or web page with the item on your Facebook page. Winners get gift certificates or other prizes.

Here are a couple of other articles on creating contests that drive traffic:

• Small Business Owners: Two Real Life Examples of Using Twitter Contests to Grow Your List
• A Jewelry Store’s Best Promotion in 10 Years & How You Can use the Technique Today
• E-Commerce Websites Use Facebook Fan Pages to Increase Sales

Add ways to share your website content on Twitter and Facebook

WordPress makes it easy for people to share your web pages with their friends using plugins. If you’ve seen a “Tweet this” or “share this” button on a website, you’ve seen plugins you can use on WordPress.

Most plugins are extremely easy to install with a couple of mouse clicks. For a list of 10 plugins I recommend, click here.

Create live events and share photos of customers on Facebook

Facebook and Twitter are great ways to get people to a “live” event. After your event, post photos on Facebook. People will share your photos with their friends – - spreading the news about your business with their friends.

Here are a couple of other articles about events and Facebook or Twitter:

• CHALLENGE: Attract a Crowd to Your Small Business Using Twitter and Facebook. Heres how . . .
• Arrooooh. “Let the wild rumpus start!” Where are the wild things in your business?

Promoting your website and shopping cart doesn’t have to be complicated. Yeah, it takes work. But the tools are easier to use than they’ve ever been before. The tools are cheaper than they’ve been before too.  Why not get started today?

The checklist below is for small business owners who want more leads and new clients from their website. If you want something other than more business from your website, this isn’t for you. But if you’re a business owner focused on growth, you’ll want to print this checklist. Then use it. I guarantee you’ll be happy with the new business your website delivers.

Ready to begin?

1. Make a list of measurable results you want from your new website.

How many more leads do you want a month from your online marketing efforts? How many more phone calls? How many new customers?

You want a goal to shoot for. You want to measure whether your website redesign is successful or not.

Web designers will tell you that they can’t guarantee you will hit these numbers. They’re right. They can’t and that’s OK. But they will do their best to make your updated website a lead generating machine if you tell them it’s the focus of your website redesign. If you tell them you’re measuring the success of the redesign based on increasing the number of leads, phone calls, etc.

As a business owner you can work on improving your website after your initial re-launch. You can keep working to improve your internet marketing activities until you hit the numbers you want.

2. Who do you want your website to talk to? Who are your ideal prospects?

When a prospective client lands on your updated website you want them to know that your website is designed for them. You want them to know that your website offers solutions designed specifically with them in mind. By defining your ideal prospect well, your website designer will be able to create a website that really “speaks” to your ideal prospects.

That is why I recommend making up a character or a  customer persona that represents your ideal client. Name them. Write down if they play golf, if they’re married. Do they have kids? Do they go to church? What is their job title? How old are they? Do they live in a small town? Do they live in the suburbs? What magazines or TV shows do they like?

The more details you can create about your imaginary ideal prospect, the better information you can share with your website designer. You’re able to find out more information about creating a customer or prospect persona here.

3. Besides your product or service, what do your customers get when they do business with you?

This is your website’s elevator pitch. You want this on your home page. If you were in an elevator with a big prospective customer, you only have a few seconds to tell the customer why they should do business with you. Your website’s home page is your opportunity to communicate in a few seconds why they should stay on your website. You have to tell them why your website benefits them. Grab your prospects with your elevator pitch, or they will leave your website in seconds.  

4. List the other benefits of doing business with you

Make sure you put together a good solid list of benefits of doing business with you. People usually look at several websites before choosing one company to buy from. By putting together a more comprehensive list of benefits than your competitors, you have a better chance of being chosen as the best company to buy from.

5. Plan your website and blog as the “hub” of your online selling and marketing program

Most small business owners think that if they can get to the top of the search engines with certain keywords, they’ re golden. Nothing wrong with getting to the top of the search engines. But because of  iPhones and Blackberrys peoples habits have changed. Now people spend more time on Facebook than on search engines.

Besides getting listed at the top of the search engines, you have to reach people on their mobile phones, Facebook and other social media. You want your website to be a hub or home base for your online marketing materials. Then “push” your information to the spokes, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

6. Include a blog in your redesign plans.

Search engines love blogs. Matt Cutts, Google’s spokesperson on search engine strategy, recommends WordPress blogs because they automatically create web pages that the search engines like.

Social media loves blogs. Blogs are an easy way to “push” your content to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media. Blogs help you reach prospects who aren’t actively searching for your product or service. It also helps keep your company in front of prospects before the have a need to do business with you.

If you want to hear more about what Matt Cutts recommends, watch this video.

7. List what your prospect does online at each stage of the buying process.

In a previous blog post I went into the details of this process. You want to create web content that helps potential clients at each of the 5 stages of the buying process.

8. What do you want people to do next?

Plan a baby step to bring prospects closer to doing business with you once they get to your website. A baby step could be signing up for a free report or white paper. It could be signing up for a free conference call. But create a baby step. Make it easy for people to start a conversation with your business.

9. After a prospect makes that initial contact, have the next step in the communication process already set-up

Once a prospect takes a baby step to start the conversation with you, put them on your e-mail newsletter list. Put them on your mailing list or e-mail them 10 tips e-mailed over a period of time. Grow your list of prospects and keep communicating with them. Develop a level of trust by delivering quality information.

10. Automate your follow-up program

Use services like MailChimp, aWeber, RSS feeds, or Networked Blogs to automatically share your information across the web. You can also use services like HootSuite and TweetDeck to send timed tweets throughout a week or month. Personally, I use TweetDeck.

11. Gather testimonials, certificates, awards and other badges of trust

Because anyone can have a website built, you have to include as many “badges” of third party endorsements as possible on your website. These badges aren’t the primary focus of any of your web pages. But you want to wow prospective clients with third party proof that your business is trustworthy. Putting the right badges or “flare” on your pages can increase your conversion rates 10% – 40%. 

12. Put together a list of your clients (especially well known companies or people)

Birds of a feather flock together, right? People want to know if you understand their industry. People want to know if you have a history of doing great work. Listing clients, especially famous clients or well respected clients in a specific industry or niche, helps more people want to do business with you.

13. Create ideas for linkbait

Links to your website from other websites have value. Search engines give websites with more incoming links  (also called backlinks) more authority. If important websites link to your website, but they don’t link to your competitors’ websites, you have more authority. Therefore you get higher search engine rankings.

When you create something on your website with the goal of getting a lot of people linking to it, that’s called creating linkbait. You’ve probably seen lists of the top 100 cities ranked for the best places to start a business or something similar. That’s linkbait.

The main idea is to create compelling content for your website that people will want to link to. On a mortgage lending website, I added mortgage calculators and I also gave away the code or script so other websites could easily put calculators on their websites. It worked very well. We also had a link back to our website in the code. Thousands of websites put our calculators on their websites which automatically linked back to us. That’s a good example of linkbait.

You’re able to find out more about linkbait here.

14. Make sure your website redesign includes tools for easily updating your own website

There are several software platforms now that make it easy for you to update your own website. WordPress, Drupal, Joomla!, DotNetNuke are some of the most popular. You should find website designers who will build your website using these platforms.  

15. Gather photos and bios of people in your organization

People want to do business with other people. They also want to know that the people they’re doing business with are experts and will do a great job for them. They want to know that they’re working with a real company qualified to serve them well. By adding photos and biographies of your key personnel, you’ll prove that you’re a business they can trust.

16. Put together your logo graphics, brochures, product photos (if needed), past advertising samples and other collateral materials

Once you’ve completed this checklist, you’re now prepared to hire a website redesign company. You will know what you want. You’ll have everything a good website design company needs to do a good job for you.

If you have any questions, ask us. If you have any experiences with the web redesign process, we’d like to hear from you. 

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart

“Giving You the Power to Fight the Big Boys!”