Niche Info Online Business

By Erik Rosenow

As we begin the new year, and earnestly think about 2008, one of the activities we typically do as small business owners is evaluate our challenges and successes over the prior year. If you find yourself reflecting, "My business really could have benefited from having more customers last year" or "I wish my business had been more profitable", then we encourage you to read on to find out how you can be more successful and get 2008 kicked off to a grand start!

An area that most small businesses neglect is marketing their businesses on the Internet. After building a website, many business owners believe that having an "online presence" from a website is all they need. But few companies have experienced Internet success by just "building it." Consumers are online in ever growing numbers to look for local vendors and businesses to fill their needs. In fact, the latest research from Nielsen indicates that 73% of consumers use search engines as their primary means to find businesses like yours. But if you already have a website, then why isn't your business skyrocketing? Why aren't those consumers finding you online? As our new year's gift to you, we have developed the following 8 tips for planning your online marketing strategies. We will make sure those active online consumers find you!

A quick story: Three women decide to meet at a park to let their 3 year-olds play together. On the way, one woman notices one of her car tires is low and sees a nail in it. A second one hears a radio advertisement on her way to the park, describing a new spa that just opened in the city. She decides it is time to treat herself to a little relaxation. The third one is reminded at the park that she volunteered to make a dinner reservation for the 3 women and their husbands to go to dinner together the following weekend.

All 3 of these women are likely to use search engines to help. The first will probably search for a local tire dealer or the kind of tire she has on her car. The second one may not remember the spa's name, so will search online to try to find the spa (or a competitor) to treat herself. The third one will use a search engine to find a hip restaurant and impress her friends with a reservation there. All three of these examples are daily consumer situations, and opportunities for you to add new customers to your business, when the situations are related to your kind of business.

1. Do some sleuthing. When doing your own shopping, use Internet search engines to find local businesses. See what comes up and use your own shopping behavior as an indicator of what a consumer is likely to do when they are looking for a business like yours. Put on the hat of a consumer who might be inclined to contact you or do business with you. What were the compelling websites that induced you to visit or call their business, and to make a purchase? Do you know the keywords your customers use to find you online?

2. Look beyond online directory listings. If you provide services in your local community as an accountant, chiropractor, dentist, travel agent, insurance agent, doctor, florist, limo service, cleaning service, plumber, auto repair shop, or a moving company, and you think that all you need is a listing online and that's how customers will find you, you can do much better. In online listings, customers will also find your competitors, because online listings are categorized by business. You have very little control over the content and how you are shown to prospective customers. Since most traffic to online directories comes from search engines, you are also at least one additional step removed from your potential customers. Invest in online search engine advertising to get as close to your potential customers as possible. Make sure they find you and not your competitor.

3. Pay attention to your competition. If you think you're the only one selling what you sell or providing the services you provide, think again. We all have competition. Otherwise, you wouldn't be wondering where all your customers are. Your competition may not be readily known to you, and the Internet has broken down many geographic competitive barriers, but there are other businesses out there marketing to the same potential customers as you. Why aren't they finding and going to you? What is your competition doing differently from you? Some of your competitors are investing in search engine marketing to drive customers to their websites, and you should be, too.

4. Make your website compelling and effective. First impressions are critical, and even more so in the online world. Ask five people to give you feedback on your website, specifically in the areas of their first impression when reaching your site, your credibility, content about what you do and what needs you address, and whether you are easy to contact. Ask your customers to evaluate your website's usefulness and whether it provides what they seek. Is it compelling? Use your website not only to display your qualifications, but also as a way to capture the attention of the visitor. Put yourself in your customers' shoes. What need are they trying to solve, and what would they like to see when they reach your website? Websites that are more about visitors' needs will be more effective. Think solutions, advice, discounts, offers...capture their attention. Make contacting you easy - display your phone number, hours of operation, etc. prominently.

5. Believe it - marketing is an investment. Internet marketing should be an investment, not an expense. When making a decision how you will market your business in 2008, look to the Internet first. Search engines are probably the best way to get the highest return on investment (ROI) for your marketing dollar. Demand to know how a return on your investment will be determined when speaking with potential providers of online marketing services. Get the biggest bang for your hard-earned buck!

6. Do the math. What's a good example? What should the math look like? With search engine marketing, the math should be easy to calculate. For example, let's say your time is worth $50/hour, a customer is worth $200 to you, and each time someone clicks on your ad it costs you $3.00. If you invested in search engine ads and got 1000 targeted visitors to your website, and 2% of them became customers (20 new customers), that would mean $4,000 in new revenue for your business. Your cost would be $3,000 (based on $3.00 per visitor), and if you had a partner execute this strategy for you, your time savings would be worth at least $5,000 (it would take you at least 100 hours to get set up and manage this yourself). You would make at least a return of $1,000 on a $3,000 investment ($4,000 revenue - $3,000 cost). That equates to a 33% return on investment (which, incidentally is much higher than the stock or bond market). Don't forget, you also would save yourself $5,000 of your own time, that you could devote to these new customers, or your family and personal well-being!.

7. Let experts help you. As a small business owner, how much free time do you have? Most of us admit to wearing dozens of different hats. And if you do have extra time, are you going to spend it learning the complexities of Internet marketing or keeping up with the ever-changing formulas that the search engines use to determine who gets displayed and when? From the thousands of business owners we have met, the common theme is "I'll learn it tomorrow." How many different things are always "one day away?" When it comes to acquiring new customers and growing your business, don't let your procrastination get in the way. Let the experts handle the complex stuff. Do you know how to create the most effective search engine ads to attract the right customers for your business? When planning your Internet marketing strategies for 2008, don't go it alone. After all, you hire an architect to design a building or home, so why not hire a search engine marketing expert to design your online marketing and customer acquisition strategy?

8. Talk to your merchant association or local chamber of commerce. Ask your fellow merchants what they are doing to attract new customers to their businesses. Ask your merchant association, convention/visitors bureau or your local chamber what they are doing to help you "get found" on the Internet. How are they looking out for you, and providing programs and solutions to help you grow your business? Your peers are a great forum for interacting and sharing ideas, and becoming better educated about business growth opportunities. Put together an interest group within your association and ask for educational resources. AdvancedLocal is one group who will offer free web-based or local educational sessions about the opportunities available to you to market your business online.

It is our sincere hope that these tips will help you start 2008 with a bang, and ensure you stay current on trends in Internet marketing, the opportunities with search engine marketing, and the consumer demands of finding you (or your competitors) online. Make search engine marketing an essential part of your business planning and investment strategy, and you will find greater success in 2008, as tens of thousands of other local businesses have already discovered by employing these simple strategies.

Finally, make your website visible. Make sure your business is found when and where consumers are looking online...for you. Welcome to 2008!

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