Market Your Biz Online

Most likely, you will make changes in your business. Your Web site needs to be part of those changes. Now that your site is built, don’t let it sit stagnant. Stagnant sites tell the search engines – “don’t bother looking here; no changes or updates have been made, this business owner isn’t a serious Web site owner”.

Static sites  -

• offer your customer little more than an ad in the yellow pages.
• provide your customers little value.
• will force your customers to go elsewhere.

Your customers are searching for much more.

Promoting your site should be included in everything you do. Just like your other marketing, you don’t just promote once; you continue to make changes as your business grows.

A combination of efforts to expand your Web presence will help create a strong listing for you in the search engines. NO QUICK FIXES HERE! Steady effort over time works best.

Use your site as a place to fill a need your customer has.

Here’s a few things to keep in mind -

1. Put your Web site address on everything.
   Remember that statistic? A whopping 90% of people will start their search for you ONLINE!!
2. Expect change to be inevitable.
   Your Web site should be changed to meet the needs/demands of your customers at least every 6-12 months, or more often if necessary.
3. Did you know your Web site is for your customers, not for your business?
   Your site should go beyond being simply a ‘brochure’ about you – know who your customer is, know what their ‘problem’ is and provide them a solution. They want to know WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
   
4. Make your site so it is need-driven and provide a constant stream of information.
   You know a lot about your business and you can share that with them. Keep them connected to you and they will come back.

Remember this… A   S   A   P -

Accurate – be truthful, transparent, simple – no bells and whistles -  simply give customers what they want and more than they expect;

Strategic – connect all your promotional activities together – all marketing pieces (print or online) work together and drive traffic back to your Web site;

And – [there's always an 'and' plus I haven't thought of a better term for this 'A' yet! Ideas welcome, comment below.]

Profitable – gets the customer to take action and buy, opt-in or call you.