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 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

Presentation at the 2011 Small Town 140 Character Conference

If you like this, you might like:

• Seth Godin’s Blog – When You Stand for Something
• Bob Burg’s Blog - Stand For Something: A Brief Chat With John David Mann

A friend of mine put together this great list of Twitter tips. I recommend you bookmark this page. Add it to your favorites. Then put Cheryl’s advice to work for you. 

Here’s a tip Cheryl missed. Follow Cheryl, http://twitter.com/#!/partyaficionado. Watch what she does. You’ll be glad you did.

Links to Resources:

• TweetDeck - Client or Application
• Hootsuite - Client or Application
• Support 
• Bit.ly - URL shortener
• Disqus - Share blog comments accross the web
• Foursquare - Application for sharing your location

If you have a resource you want to share, please tell us in the comments below. 

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart

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

PS – If you have a question about tweeting, ask. Do you have a tip or a story to share? Share in the comments below. We want to hear from you.

If you liked this article, you might also like:

• Can Social Media like Twitter and Facebook Help You Get Better Search Engine Rankings?
• Converting Your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Connections to Customers with Face-to-Face Events
• How to Capitalize on Your Company’s Facebook and Twitter Connections
  

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!”

The New Social Learning: A Guide to Transforming Organizations Through Social Media
By Marcia Conner  & Tony Bingham

It’s five a.m. this morning. My eyes are glued to the page. I’m excited. I’m writing down ideas on my legal pad about how I can collaborate with clients and friends using social networking tools. I’m already using Twitter to learn from my social network. But as I dig deeper into this book, I realize I can learn more from my social network. And so can you. If you’re like me, this book will give you flashes of inspiration you can use in your small business.

The New Social Learning: Transforming Organizations Through Social Media includes pages and pages of examples about how the CIA, IBM, Intel and others are incorporating social learning into their organizations. Here’s one example.

“Josh Bancroft, technology evangelist and blogger at Intel, tells of an experience when one of the people he worked with needed to accomplish a task. To do so, she needed to use a piece of software no one in her group had ever heard of, let alone knew enough about to use. It would have taken months to learn the software and complete the task. Instead, she searched the organization’s internal wiki system and found someone who had done a project using the software. She contacted that person and asked for help. Within a matter of weeks the project was done. How many wiki pages was the efficiency gain worth? Add up not only the time saved by one person, but also the advantages of a quicker time to market for this project.”

In a smaller organization, you could do the same thing on Twitter. If someone in your business needs to learn how to solve an issue and no one else in your business knows how, then ask your network on Twitter. You’ll get answers with links in minutes.

The downside is that most examples featured in the book are from large organizations. But it doesn’t matter. The book mentions using blogging software and Wiki software. Both are free. Bulletin board software is free. Any web design firm can set-up this software quickly and easily for you. You’re also able to use Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to accomplish the same goals. But if you want something password protected, you’ll need to talk to a web design firm.

Here is another example from the book:

“Bob Picciano, general manager of IBM Software Sales, uses microsharing tools to narrate part of his work and share his whereabouts with various teams. When he posted on IBM’s internal microsharing tool that he was heading to a town where he hadn’t been before for an important customer meeting, within a few minutes an IBM sales rep asked if Picciano might have time to meet with another customer in the same city. Picciano met with both customers that day, helped close a sale he didn’t even know about when he woke up that morning, and established a new and now long-standing relationship with another part of his organization.”

If you’ve only thought about using social networking for marketing, you’re missing out. I recommend this book if you want to expand your thinking and grow your business through learning and collaboration.

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart

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

If you liked this article, you may also like:

• Book Review: The Retail Doctor’s Guide to Growing Your Business by Bob Phibbs
• Using Social Media Correctly Gives Your Customers and Community More Power
• Small Business Owners: Two Real Life Examples of Using Twitter Contests to Grow Your List

Yesterday I spent the day at my mom’s house. I had 4 chores: mow mom’s backyard, move some furniture to my sister’s new place (I have a truck), install a new printer/fax machine and grill the burgers and hot dogs for the family cookout.

As I’m installing the printer in mom’s home office, I can’t help but eavesdrop on the conversation in the other room. My mom and sister are talking about a friend who is always texting or Facebooking (did I just use Facebook as a verb?). They’re talking about how this friend won’t put down their iPhone or BlackBerry for a regular, relaxed conversation. They’re talking about how social media and smart phones are addictive and can interfere with a person’s life. I’m sure you know someone like the person being talked about. Is it you?

It wasn’t me. I’m an advocate of these new gadgets and tools. But I don’t want my e-mails, Twitter and Facebook or any other “social media” with me 24/7. I want to give focused attention to people or a project without being interrupted by a tweet, an e-mail and a Facebook friend request. I want face-to-face people time and no-gadget time.

I was unplugged yesterday. I didn’t check Twitter. I didn’t check Facebook. I didn’t check LinkedIn. I didn’t check my e-mail. Did I miss anything? Yep. I did.

I missed a mention on Twitter. I missed a really good blog post by a friend. I also missed an interview that was scheduled with a LinkedIn contact (I screwed-up and scheduled something on Labor Day – oops). But it was worth it.

We had a hoard of kids, all under five, running, laughing, squealing and tugging on me. They wore me out. And I loved it.

I enjoyed the noisy meal. I enjoyed sitting and talking with family. It also felt good helping my mom and sister. My work “to-do” list was un-touched. And it was good.

Sincerely,

Doug Stewart

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

Listen to this interview with Cheryl Lawson, an event planner and social media consultant, and you’ll find out how small business owners can create events to meet Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter contacts face-to-face.

Key points you’ll learn:

• How to use events and social media for better lead generation
• How to use events to reach large corporate prospects
• How to get your company seen as a larger player in your community
• Converting Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn connections to customers
• Inexpensive ways to create powerful events for your business

Click on the arrow below to listen:

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

ABOUT CHERYL LAWSON:

Cheryl Lawson is the owner and founder of an event planning and marketing firm, Party Aficionado. Party Aficionado helps companies develop social marketing strategies both online and Face to Face, using full event coordinating capabilities, and coaching to help companies cultivate their audience before, during, and after events.

I met Cheryl through the Tulsa, Oklahoma Social Media meetups. I encourage anyone in the Tulsa area interested in social media to attend one of our events. You’re able to find out more here, http://www.meetup.com/Social-Media-Tulsa

RESOURCES

Website and Blog:

• http://www.partyaficionado.com/
• http://partyaficionado.blogspot.com/

Facebook and Twitter:

• http://www.facebook.com/PartyAficionado
• http://twitter.com/partyaficionado

Did you like this interview? Tell us. Have questions about creating events for your small 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:

• Blogging for Your Business: An Interview with Ann Handley
• Printer Uses Blog to Generate More Leads for His Business: Interview with Blase Ciabaton
• 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 to this interview and you’ll find out how a fourth generation retail jeweler uses a blog to grow their business.

Key points you’ll learn:

• How face-to-face selling compares to marketing with Twitter and Facebook
• Find out how a contest got over 5000 visits to their small business blog

Click on the arrow below to listen:

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

ABOUT DANIEL GORDON:

Daniel Gordon, 37, is a fourth generation jeweler and President of Samuel Gordon Jewelers in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Born in Oklahoma City, and raised there for most of his life, Daniel attended John Marshall High School and the University of Central Oklahoma. In addition, Daniel holds his Diamond Certificate from the Gemological Institute of America.

Now in his 15th year with the firm, Daniel has made many important changes for Samuel Gordon Jewelers: he’s virtually changed its’ entire business model and corporate culture, thereby insuring the continuation of the firms’ reputation as a leader in both the jewelry industry and the Oklahoma City market.

Some of Daniel’s many initiatives include: changes in product mixes & buying techniques; major changes in personnel (both in sales and administrative staff); creation of the firm’s website and a massive change in the firm’s marketing strategies, and the implementation of revolutionary & creative usage of social media/networking websites in which thousands of people are communicated with constantly. Daniel has created over 20 different presences on the Internet including: Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Digg, Flickr, Linkedin, plus a highly viewed personal blog, all of which have been recognized as cutting edge by every major jewelry trade magazine in the industry.

As humble as he is creative, his favorite expression, when receiving any compliment, award, or accolade, is to simply say, “I’m just a jewelry salesman.”

RESOURCES

Find out about WordPress and WordPress Themes (affiliate links included):

• WordPress
• Thesis
• Headway
• WooThemes

Samuel Gordon Jewelers Website and Blog:

• http://www.samuelgordons.com/
• http://blog.sgj.com/

Facebook and Twitter:

• http://www.facebook.com/SamuelGordons
• http://twitter.com/SamuelGordons

Did you like this interview? Tell us. Have questions about your small business blog? 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:

• Printer Uses Blog to Generate More Leads for His Business: Interview with Blase Ciabaton
• 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

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.

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!”