In general, branding is the look and feel of your business that you are trying to present to your customers. In this day and age, branding is very important if you hope to help your business grow successfully on the Internet. If you are a new business owner, branding your business should be one of your top priorities.
Your potential customers need to know who you are, what you sell, and what your business is about, and they need to know this very quickly in this fast paced environment. This is a vital part of any marketing strategy.
If you look at 10 different websites for the same product, what would stand out as being special about each site that would draw customers to it? Branding helps you to do something unique to make your website stand out and have its own flavor or feel that can be recognized on all types of Internet social sites, blogs, or wherever it is shown.
Many small business owners don't have the time or money to brand their business. The problem that arises when branding is not a priority is that new competition in their selected profession can easily attract their former customers.
Try to remember that if you successfully brand your business, the branding works for you by selling for you behind the scenes. Pay attention to whether or not your web name is too generic. Does it represent the true niche you are selling in? Is your logo one that will give the potential customer a powerful visual of what your company is all about?
Today more than ever, it is critical to have a website, or at the very least, a business page on one of the social or networking sites such as Facebook or Linked In. This is where need to be creative. Don't just use any old website design and think it will attract millions of customers. It is imperative that you research and find out what others are doing in your profession, and figure out what you can do to stand out.
One key element of branding that is often overlooked is your customer service. What can you do to convince your potential customers that they will be in good hands? Remember, if you take good care of your customers, they will take great care of you. Word of mouth is a very powerful tool in bringing that new business in.
Many new small business owners do not take the time to brand their business effectively. Money invested in creating your unique look and feel will always be money well spent. If you can effectively stand out among the rest, you will ensure more customers, more sales, and a successful business that will endure during this trying period in the economy.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
So, You have an Idea for a Small Business
Okay, so you think you have this great idea for a new small business venture. Now what? Well, think of it as your new baby. You need to protect it, nurture it, and then watch it grow.
If your idea is unique, the first thing you need to do is protect it from being stolen. Make sure that anyone that you share your new idea with first signs a standard non-disclosure. If you don't want to invest in a lawyer early on, you can find a standard form on the Internet at sites like www.rocketlawyer.com.
Like any new baby, you want to put your new idea in the hands of a professional that you can trust to help it grow. You'll need to find someone to help you with small business branding. This includes creating a company name, logo, letterhead, business cards, and a web site. Make sure that you file the proper paperwork with your county. This usually means a DBA form (doing business as) which can be done at a site such as www.simplefilings.com. This form will be necessary if you plan to open a bank account under the name of your new business. You'll also need someone to point you in the right direction when it comes to advertising and search engine optimization. Look on the Internet for a good graphic designer, and don't be afraid to check out their references. You don't want to trust your new baby to just any one.
Your logo is a key element. It will be your calling card that will appear on all your printed materials, so choose it wisely. A good graphic designer can help you find the right look and feel for your new business, but keep your original idea at the forefront. Remember, this is your baby. Put all your enthusiasm into this new venture, and you'll be able to feel proud as you watch all your hard work pay off. Good luck.
If your idea is unique, the first thing you need to do is protect it from being stolen. Make sure that anyone that you share your new idea with first signs a standard non-disclosure. If you don't want to invest in a lawyer early on, you can find a standard form on the Internet at sites like www.rocketlawyer.com.
Like any new baby, you want to put your new idea in the hands of a professional that you can trust to help it grow. You'll need to find someone to help you with small business branding. This includes creating a company name, logo, letterhead, business cards, and a web site. Make sure that you file the proper paperwork with your county. This usually means a DBA form (doing business as) which can be done at a site such as www.simplefilings.com. This form will be necessary if you plan to open a bank account under the name of your new business. You'll also need someone to point you in the right direction when it comes to advertising and search engine optimization. Look on the Internet for a good graphic designer, and don't be afraid to check out their references. You don't want to trust your new baby to just any one.
Your logo is a key element. It will be your calling card that will appear on all your printed materials, so choose it wisely. A good graphic designer can help you find the right look and feel for your new business, but keep your original idea at the forefront. Remember, this is your baby. Put all your enthusiasm into this new venture, and you'll be able to feel proud as you watch all your hard work pay off. Good luck.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Why Use Facebook to Advertise Your Small Business
Facebook is becoming popular for targeted online ad campaigns. Google Adwords and Yahoo Local used to be the most popular online ad campaigns because they targeted users based on their search priorities. Facebook ads are the next generation of these targeted text ads.
Facebook uses targeted online ad campaigns based on age, gender, location, and interests. You’re more likely to get a better response by targeting your ads to the proper users plus you will spend less money.
You can also create a Facebook Fan pageto advertise your business . Once you have a enough fans, you’ll be able to target more hits to your website.
The best way to start is to first decide on a budget. Then, make a list of characteristics your customers probably have in common. What are their interests and where are they located? Once you know your target, write your ad. You will need a title with no more than 25 character, body text with no more than 135 characters, and a photo that is 100 pixels by 80 pixels.
You will need to log into Facebook, and then make your way to the Facebook advertising page by finding the link to ads on the bottom of your profile page. Facebook will ask you to set up your budget, and they will automatically target your ad to run on user pages based on your criteria.
Start with a low budget and you can increase it if you start to see hits to your web page increase as your ad runs. Good luck
Facebook uses targeted online ad campaigns based on age, gender, location, and interests. You’re more likely to get a better response by targeting your ads to the proper users plus you will spend less money.
You can also create a Facebook Fan pageto advertise your business . Once you have a enough fans, you’ll be able to target more hits to your website.
The best way to start is to first decide on a budget. Then, make a list of characteristics your customers probably have in common. What are their interests and where are they located? Once you know your target, write your ad. You will need a title with no more than 25 character, body text with no more than 135 characters, and a photo that is 100 pixels by 80 pixels.
You will need to log into Facebook, and then make your way to the Facebook advertising page by finding the link to ads on the bottom of your profile page. Facebook will ask you to set up your budget, and they will automatically target your ad to run on user pages based on your criteria.
Start with a low budget and you can increase it if you start to see hits to your web page increase as your ad runs. Good luck
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
What is this SEO that we keep hearing about?
SEO is the acronym for Search Engine Optimization. It means optimizing your site so that it can be easily found and properly indexed by the search engines.
This means knowing how to design your site and its content so that search engines will rank it high within the search results. There is a definite basis as to which key words you should use in the title and description of your pages and in the content of your site so that the search engines will rank your site higher. You can use one of several on-line tools to help you find high ranking keywords such as the one from Google Adwords, which can be gound at https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal, but you are then asked to pay per click for ads on a Google account. A totally free tool can be found at http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/.
You may have also heard the term SEM which is Search Engine Marketing. This is the process of paying search engines so your site appears in the small text ads or sponsored links on a search engine's site based on the words and terms that someone is searching for. For example, you may buy the keywords "designer New York City" so when someone searches for a designer in New York City, your website will appear in the sponsored links section which is often above or beside the other search results.
This means knowing how to design your site and its content so that search engines will rank it high within the search results. There is a definite basis as to which key words you should use in the title and description of your pages and in the content of your site so that the search engines will rank your site higher. You can use one of several on-line tools to help you find high ranking keywords such as the one from Google Adwords, which can be gound at https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal, but you are then asked to pay per click for ads on a Google account. A totally free tool can be found at http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/.
You may have also heard the term SEM which is Search Engine Marketing. This is the process of paying search engines so your site appears in the small text ads or sponsored links on a search engine's site based on the words and terms that someone is searching for. For example, you may buy the keywords "designer New York City" so when someone searches for a designer in New York City, your website will appear in the sponsored links section which is often above or beside the other search results.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Internet Directories - How valuable are they?
Many people know that high rankings on Google and other modern search engines can be achieved if a website has both optimized web page content and good inbound links. A relatively easy way to get inbound links is to submit websites to Internet directories. But how valuable are these directories when it comes to search engine rankings?
An internet marketer tested three pages that were created to provide valuable content to search engines.These pages were submitted to some high quality paid directories (Yahoo, BestOfTheWeb, Joe Ant) and free directories. The marketer reported tat about 45 days after the paid directory links went live, the web pages had increased visibility on search engines. Visits and conversions also increased and the tracking of the marketer indicated that at least 50 percent of the results could be attributed to the directory links.
The final results included a lift of traffic to levels that other highly visible site pages receive within 90 days and an increase in monthly conversions for the business line of 45 percent year-over-year
Therefore, getting links from Internet directories should be a fundamental part of any search engine optimization strategy. You should submit your website to all big Internet directories and to Internet directories that cover your niche.
Links from Internet directories are only one way to get links from other sites. If you want to outperform your competitors, you also need links from websites that are related to yours. Links from blogs will also help. Don't forget to optimize your website content before building links. The better your website content has been prepared for search engines, the better the links to your website will work.
An internet marketer tested three pages that were created to provide valuable content to search engines.These pages were submitted to some high quality paid directories (Yahoo, BestOfTheWeb, Joe Ant) and free directories. The marketer reported tat about 45 days after the paid directory links went live, the web pages had increased visibility on search engines. Visits and conversions also increased and the tracking of the marketer indicated that at least 50 percent of the results could be attributed to the directory links.
The final results included a lift of traffic to levels that other highly visible site pages receive within 90 days and an increase in monthly conversions for the business line of 45 percent year-over-year
Therefore, getting links from Internet directories should be a fundamental part of any search engine optimization strategy. You should submit your website to all big Internet directories and to Internet directories that cover your niche.
Links from Internet directories are only one way to get links from other sites. If you want to outperform your competitors, you also need links from websites that are related to yours. Links from blogs will also help. Don't forget to optimize your website content before building links. The better your website content has been prepared for search engines, the better the links to your website will work.
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