Put Your Toe in with a One Page Site

            I am sure that many of you have been scared off from having a website.  Cost may be one thing that scares you away, but another may be that you just aren’t interested in the Internet.  After all, you have plenty of business as a brick and mortar business, and plenty of people know you exist.

            Let me assure you that you should have a Web presence.  Let me also say that you do not need more than a one page site if you truly have a brick and mortar business that depends more on referrals and your physical location.

            Think of your one page site as a one page brochure that tells a visitor who you are, what you do, where you are located and different ways to get in touch with you.  You can even see it as a complex business card that says more than your business name, name and phone number.

            For instance, maybe a customer of yours mentioned you to someone and gave a recommendation.  Maybe that person is one to check things on the Internet – everyone is different.  Or maybe that person lost the phone number but still remembered the name.  If you have a site, that person can find you and see your basic information as well as contact information.  The website works much like an ad in the Yellow Pages.

            Some people will say that they certainly do not want to get email.  That’s fine.  My dentist told me that he is totally against giving out emails.  He says that he has enough people cancel at the last minute by phone, and he doesn’t want them to use email as an excuse, and he just isn’t interested in dealing with email.  I can’t say I disagree with his philosophy when it comes to his practice.  If you too feel that way, still get a website.  Just don’t put your email address.  Instead list your phone number and office hours.  You still have given your visitors a way to contact you – your preferred way.

            Don’t turn your back on new technologies that come up in the business world.  You need to accept them, but you can accept them on your terms.  Consider a simple Web presence for your business.  You never know how a small investment can benefit you in the future!

Aggregators Help Manage Your Social Media

            Aggregators for social networking have been one of the best things I’ve learned about in the last year.  These services allow you to schedule content to your social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.  For a small business owner, this is a powerful tool that allows a person to manage her time much more efficiently.

            Although there are many out there, the one that I have used is Hootsuite (http://hootsuite.com). After setting up an account, I then let Hootsuite access my various social networking sites/accounts.  Once I had that accomplished, I could simply go into Hootsuite, type in my messages and links, and tell it which social networking sites the information should go to.  Then I picked the dates and times when my information would post.

            What is nice about Hootsuite besides its ease of use, is that its free version allows you to put your toe in the water and test the aggregator, so you get a feel for what it can do for you.

            Using a social networking aggregator has improved my productivity tremendously.  Now, I can choose to work on my social media postings once a week or once a month.  Occasionally, I do have to go in and post something that came up unexpectedly, but for the most part, I can work more efficiently, putting a batch of time into social media instead a portion of my time every day.

            Here are some popular ones according to InventorSpot:

1.      Microsoft’s Spindex

2.      Convo Track (helps tracks comments on blogs)

3.      YackTrack (helps monitor social media)

4.      FlavorsMe

5.      Social Radar

6.      Hootsuite

7.      Netvibes

8.      Profilactic (helps protect online identity)

9.      Flock (through its web browser)

Whatever one you choose, you will find that you use your time more efficiently.  It’s one of the best things that I can recommend to anyone venturing out into social media marketing.

Let me know which aggregator you use and why!

Get a Website

            It surprises me how many people don’t have a website for their business.  I know that there are many successful businesses that do not have sites, but in general, in this electronic, Web 2.0 age, businesses need a site.

            Ask yourself a few questions.  When was the last time you used a phone book to look up a number?  Where do you look when you want to learn more about a business?  Where do you go when you want to find directions of a business?

            Chances are that you answered the Internet.  More and more, the Internet is becoming part of our daily life whether you use a PC, tablet or phone.  If you are using those devices a lot, don’t you think others are as well?

            If you are worried about making a big investment, don’t be.  You don’t have to have a fancy website with many pages.  You can even have just a simple page with your logo, a description, address and contact information.

This is what I want you to really agree to:

·         You need a site.

·         You need it to look professional.

·         And you need it to have at least the information necessary for visitors to find you or contact you.

You are missing valuable leads without it.