By Darren Brunson

There are several small business marketing strategies that can provide optimal success when choosing the web as your marketing venue. Small businesses today are at a great advantage with the internet providing several tools and resources for internet marketing and traffic generation. Knowing what these small business marketing strategies are and how to use them in order to locally market your business properly is very important before you get started.

1- Business Marketing Strategies: Start with the Site

When you want to employ top small business marketing strategies online, you want to start with the site because you just cannot get anywhere without your base. This site will be where you are directing your target audience in order to find out more about your business or purchase goods and services from you online. This site should consist of several elements to ensure that there will be a high search engine ranking such as:

• Appropriate Locality Related Keywords
• Keyword Rich Content
• Use of Meta Tags and Descriptors
• High Quality Graphics

You want the page to which you refer your target audience to consist of a landing page with the necessary information and elements to ensure they are able to catch the scope of your offering and get right to where you need them to be.

2- Business Marketing Strategies: Build an Email List

Once the site is in motion, you want to build an email list of subscribers to which you can email information to direct them to your site, to your business and what you offer. Building the list can be quite simple with some key business marketing strategies. There are several ways you can capture an audience to build your email list such as:

• Adding sign-ups to home page of site
• Blogging sites
• Opt-ins upon site entry

Building the email list allows you to share pertinent information with your audience, thereby getting them to be part of your business dealings and, as a result, more likely to convert to customers and ongoing loyalty.

3- Business Marketing Strategies: Blogging and Article Writing

There is a strong force behind blogging and article writing that many business owners have found to be extremely beneficial to employ in their small business marketing strategies. The key picture here is getting extreme exposure so you are found by the search engines, target consumers, and everyone else who inquires within your niche. Starting up a couple blogging sites can greatly increase your visibility, as well as traffic generation to your site.

As you provide relevant information that is sought out, you are building a special relationship with your readers, allowing them to trust your services and products. When it comes to small business marketing strategies, writing articles and posting on your site or on third party sites can also greatly enhance your visibility online and are therefor proven traffic builders.

There are various strategies that can be combined with others to offer high volume traffic generation, allowing your community and all that you wish to become your consumers to see and be well aware of your business and all you offer. Using the right small business marketing strategies means understanding what it takes to get the exposure that is needed exceed expectations.

Darren Brunson invites you to discover new ways of making the most out of your business by utilizing the power of the internet. Before you flush away your money hiring an internet marketing company, please watch this short, eye-opening, Video Presentation for Small Business Owners Now!

(c) Copyright – Darren Brunson. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darren_Brunson
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Suzanne Zionts

- FOXBusiness

- November 20, 2009

In this economy getting online is a crucial move for your business. And it doesn’t need to be difficult.

How important is a Web site to a company’s success?

“I think it is really important to have a good online presence. It is like any other first impression. People are going to judge you on your site,” said LA-based freelance-graphic-designer Bodhi Oser.

Oser has been designing sites for 15 years. He said that when designing your own site keep in mind that people do not respond to blocks of text. He also said the best way to find the right graphic designer is to e-mail a Web site that appeals to you and ask to be connected to the designer.

Whether you turn to a company that provides templates to build a site or a graphic designer who may spend more time devoted to your specific needs, one thing is for sure — in this economy getting online is a crucial move for your business.

Oser designed a site for the retail-store designer firm Verdego. He said the firm is made up of only two women, so the site levels the professional playing field for them.

“They are able to compete with firms much larger than theirs. They’ve been very busy through the recession,” Oser said.

Intuit.com is one company that will create and build a site for you, or assist you in building your own. The company serves over 200,000 customers and caters to new and established businesses. It will completely run your site for a one-time $300 fee and a $100-a-month payment. Or, you can use one of the site-building tools to do it yourself and then keep it up for $5 a month.

Sally Hilles, owner of Hazelnut hill, used Intuit to create a Web site for her 225-acre Hazelnut farm. Hilles’ package costs $700 a year. She said there are various templates that allow her to update the site herself, so she doesn’t need to know how to use HTML.

“I am really satisfied with them,” said Hilles. “It gives me the peace of mind that [Intuit] is updating the security and added features so I have access to them all the time.”

About five years ago Randall Pruit, 48, manager of Hugo Lake State Park, took his business online and he said it has indeed paid.

“I’ve seen an increase in business by 20-30%,” said Pruit.

GoDaddy.com is another site helping small business owners gain online attention.

GoDaddy offers a range of products for customers to create sites and purchase domain names. Domain names costs $9.99, but if you buy one of the packages offered the cost is reduced to $1.99.

“Small businesses need logos, taglines … and this is part of our Dream Design Team,” said Wayne Oleksak, vice president of site building services at GoDaddy.com. “[GoDaddy] offers brand identity products as well. We also [offer] search engine optimization, because customers need to get noticed on the Web as well as putting up a presence.”

Co-owner of The Cup and Saucer Cookie Company Jackie McAllister used GoDaddy to create her site. She said it took just three days and her cookie business was up and running online.

“My experience with GoDaddy was great because I didn’t even know what I was trying to purchase from them. I called their customer service line and the guy refunded me for what I bought piece by piece,” said McAlister. “What I ended up with was a package where they build the Web site and the domain name was included.”

- Entrepreneur.com

- May 05, 2010

Five simple strategies to keep people coming back to your site.

Every small business loves the exposure, empathy and sense of community that having a Web site that’s a daily destination for consumers can generate. But getting people to visit on a regular basis can be a challenge, especially if updates are infrequent or all you have to offer is the occasional monotone press release or product announcement.

Thankfully, building a Web site that’s sticky enough to keep users engaged and coming back doesn’t have to require investing thousands or reinventing yourself as the next online media empire. All it takes is a little elbow grease and personal touch, as indicated by the simple strategies below, each designed to send your homepage’s daily number of visitors soaring:

Connect and Communicate: Make no bones about it: Blogging should be an essential part of any modern Web site. After all, a few clicks is literally all it takes to post updates in real-time around the clock, creating a steady stream of content that promises something new and exciting with every visit. Better still, professionals at all experience levels have the capability of readily doing it, and the practice also helps put a personal face on your organization, shining the spotlight on the individuals behind it.

However, to really captivate an audience enough to keep them returning, take note: You’ll also need to provide content that’s dynamic, unique and offers measurable informational or entertainment value, plus speak in a language that all can understand. In short, the occasional pre-approved sound bite from the HR guy or gal won’t cut it. Rather, you need to address audiences like you’re having a normal conversation, and provide content with meaningful substance to the reader. Making-of articles, features detailing how to get more from your products, partner profiles, project diaries, step-by-step how-to guides, interviews with notable personalities or internal stakeholders: All present compelling ways to connect with audiences while also keeping them interested and informed, providing ample incentive to keep coming back.

Emphasize Community Building: As social media insiders well know, creating a sense of community around your Web site is one of the most powerful tools for engaging and ultimately enthralling prospective fans. But doing so doesn’t simply mean throwing up a sponsored message board then leaving it to stagnate, or e-mailing customers sporadic newsletter updates that regurgitate existing material easily found elsewhere. Rather, you have to not only encourage discussion and actively take part in conversations by dedicating internal time and resources, but also make customers feel as if they truly have a voice in the discussion by listening to their concerns, responding and sourcing feedback at every opportunity.

Implementing programs that recognize and reward valued contributors is also vital, as is creating fan-based initiatives that allow community members to contribute and share ideas, concepts and creations of their own. Even simply giving enthusiasts the chance to submit designs for your next fundraiser’s logo or arranging times where they can chat with top execs to provide input on upcoming ventures won’t just engender goodwill. They’ll also excite and empower a legion of amateur brand ambassadors–an essential source of free ongoing updates and constructive conversations, which will both attract users to and keep them enamored with your site.

Design for Mass Distribution: Sharing is good–even more so if you’ve got a message worth spreading and it winds up in front of millions of eyeballs. As such, you should be not only updating your Web site with unique pieces of content (surveys, research reports, custom editorial clips, guides to solving common problems, unique looks behind-the-scenes, etc.) designed to grab viewers’ attention, but also making everything from blog posts to pictures, photos, PDF documents and videos shareable, embeddable and ready to be commented upon or re-tweeted via social media platforms.

When it comes to corporate assets, the tendency–especially among hyper-competitive start-ups–is always to tightly hold and control. But often, the more powerful strategy is to design pieces of content with the specific idea in mind of seeding them throughout the user community, as it’s a great way to build brand awareness. Beyond heightened exposure and additional media mentions, using your Web site to disseminate unique, specially branded pieces of content can also lead to improved search engine optimization results through a larger number of incoming links.

And, more important still, generate heightened word of mouth surrounding your homepage, letting countless potential readers know exciting things are happening there on a regular basis.

Focus on Value: Exclusive specials, contests, promotions and timed discounts can all be powerful drivers of Web site traffic, especially in these cost-conscious times. By offering direct bargains and rebate programs on both an ongoing and sporadic basis through your online headquarters, you can keep customers’ interest piqued, and generate additional sales. These marketing programs become even more valuable when coupled with Facebook, Twitter and other social marketing tools, which have the potential to help news spread like wildfire online.

Just make sure that the only place such bargains can be found is on your homepage, and be consistent in terms of the pages to which you drive this traffic, to establish in shoppers’ minds the importance of regularly checking a certain destination. Similarly, establishing relationships with key bloggers and members of the media can also help reinforce the message, as can a regular series of e-mail or newsletter updates designed to inform current and prospective buyers. Customers get to save on purchases while you benefit from enhanced publicity and heightened sales, creating a win-win situation for all.

Use Targeted Demonstrations: While special membership options, premium subscription packages and frequent buyer programs can all prove great incentives, services that you freely give away are often just as important as those that you reserve for more exclusive clients. Whether you’re looking at offering complimentary computer virus scans by having users visit your homepage, providing a suite of free continuing education resources or simply hosting an archive of complementary, corporate-branded webinars on software engineering, realize: Providing helpful services or information at no charge that solve pressing, evergreen problems or answer important questions can all serve to generate a steady source of online traffic, and provide a ready supply of leads to upsell on premium services. Sometimes you have to give in order to get.

It may seem counterintuitive, but ultimately, the practice makes a ready way to demonstrate your organization’s capabilities to a potentially lucrative client base, while also giving them a taste of the benefits to be had by partnering on more advanced or long-term services.

What is everything you could say and show about your business online –
remember the entire world could see thisThink and Grow Rich Action Step #11) Control Your Attention

Keep your mind On the things you want and Off the things you don’t want!

Do you have a website That is one of the first questions someone will ask you – whether they see your business image card, or talk to you over the phone or in person. And since it is relatively simple (what isn’t when you know the secrets) to put up a website – or maybe Minisite – that enables someone to see who you are and what you do.

Plus the cost is only $10 for a domain name and free hosting for 30 days – with $6.99 – $9.99 per month thereafter

Websites have been around since the mid 1990s and they have changed the way many companies do business – think of Amazon.com or iTunes – selling goods over the Internet.

You really should have a website.

The cost is minimal and you don’t need a lot of money to set one up – you don’t need a fancy website – with “Flash” animation and an expensive look.

You don’t usually start off in a mansion – you rent an apartment, then buy a home then a bigger home – the same is true of setting up your website.

Website designers can charge several hundred or several thousand dollars – but so can professional wedding photographers – this doesn’t stop you from taking great photos yourself with your own digital camera or even camera phone does it? The same applies to a website.

There are some technical hurdles – but you probably use a word processer, maybe a spreadsheet, probably an Internet browser – you can create your own documents, right?

Many of the programs you use on your desktop or laptop – like Word – are similar to website creation programs – for instance Microsoft Expression Web – a new version of Frontpage

Don’t like Microsoft or use a Mac? There are Free program available to edit the pages of your website and to upload files

All of the technical aspects are explained in an Appendix – and there are many sources of information and tutorial on how to do this.

Since you should have a website – the only question is whether you do it yourself or pat someone else – and you can have a “starter site” up and running within hours of getting your domain name.

You can add photos to your website

You can add music and voice narration to your website

You can add video to your website

You can take orders or donations – collect money via services like PayPal – where you can easily accept credit cards online – at minimal cost and without any hassles with a bank – like filling out umpteen forms and getting approval

Your website is your online sales person – if you wanted to know some information about a company or product – would you call a salesperson and ask? Probably not – you would visit their website and calmly and easily look at the product or service – without ANY worry that a “salesperson” will try to pitch you and pressure you. Why not make it easy for your prospects, customers and clients.

Plus you can add your e-mail address – as well as a Skype phone address- so people can call you for free – great for foreign customers – free call s worldwide,

Also you van have video call worldwide – see your customers and allow them to see you – here is a free service that didn’t exist 5 or 6 years ago – and again it is easy to use and Free – well, anything is easy to use after you do it several times – but the free part is important too.

Is there a catchy website template you can use – immediately – that is easy to upload to your website and that expresses visually who you are? Just like you fill in an online form – or a Word template – you can “fill in” the details of your website. Paint by the numbers is a good way of looking at this process – you start at blank #1 and continue from #2 to #100.

Do you have PayPal – can I pay you on line? It’s easy to set up and it is free. Here is the link to start your PayPal account – and here is how to create a button that “accepts credit cards” – most major credit cards and deposits the money in your personal PayPal account.

So you don’t have to sell or market – why not have a marketing pro put your info online in a sales-friendly way. I have been doing this for over 30 years. Yes, I started out as a filmmaker – telling a message – selling a product. With today’s video and computer technology, this entire process uis faster and less expensive. And much more effective.

Can you answer the top 10 questions that people ask you – on video?

Do you have customer testimonial – from happy customers – that would like to advertise themselves – by linking to their websites – or even audio or better – video testimonials

Do you have a website?
Once you have a business,
a USP,
business cards
and a domain –
you can set up your website in less than 24 hours.

Here is the template
for your first basic website
(deluxe version are available)

Can you take payments on the Internet?
DO you have PayPal?
Here is how to set up a PayPal account –
for Free so that people can pay you online,
can buy your products
and/or you can invoice them –
via e-mail

Do you have a website?
They are very expensive.
Perhaps $10 per month –
do you have a theme you can use –
a template that describes your business – visually?

And they can be set up in an hour or two -
using a template that you customize –
there is no need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars
you just want a handful of pages
that simply deliver your message.

What is your Home Page look like?
Does it have your picture,
does it have a logo that looks sharp?

1) The real website – the home page

2) Pages 1-5 or 1-6 – what are they?

3) Your blog – with testimonial page

4) Photo page – uploadable photos

5) Links to friends and businesses
you want others to know about

Map of where you are or your business area