Where Does Fear Hold You Back?
A big issue that I see with business owners and internet marketing is F-E-A-R. For so many who have been in local or brick and mortar businesses, marketing on the internet can be an intimidating process. However, there is hope. Small business owners are a brave lot. I mean who else would risk it all to open their own business and put in grueling hours to follow a dream? We didn’t build it to be mediocre, we built it because we wanted to make it happen!
You Must Venture Forth Online to Succeed
The business world has always been a fast moving train and with the internet, it has become 10,000 times faster. The competition is not just down the street, it is across the nation– even the world! But the good news is, just as the competition has grown, so has the market. You can sell snow shoes in Houston and flip flops in Iceland.
3 High Impact Ways to Start Marketing Your Business on the Internet
- Get a Professional Website – One that has your phone number and address on the HOME page very visible. Ditch the pretty fading in pictures that take your customers hours to load and the annoying pop -ups ads. Get real. Get personal. And do it quick. You only have 2 – 5 seconds to capture your visitors interest, use them well!
- Get a Facebook Fan Page – Facebook for business is a must for too many reasons to list here but my favorites are: specials, ads, coupons, customer loyalty, business brand recognition, word of mouth (er… computer) marketing. Lastly, it has become business standard to have a Facebook business page. You don’t want to be the only business in your industry who customers can’t find on Facebook.
- Google Places and Local Listings – You must claim or create your Google Place page. Most businesses already have a listing but just haven’t claimed it. When you claim it you get to add all sorts of awesome, market-y stuff like pictures of your store, testimonials, hours of business, phone number, pictures of products. The more you add, the higher you get to the top of the rankings in most cases. So instead of being D or F on the little push pins, you could be B or even A. Worth it to be listed first with lots of pictures and stuff for potential customers to look at? Absolutely!
Just like eating the proverbial elephant, take internet marketing one bite at a time. You don’t have to do EVERYTHING, just do the smart things one at a time.
“If I can’t be daring in my work or the way I live my life, then I don’t really see the point of being on this planet.” ~ Madonna, rock star and entrepreneur