Does Your Website Have a Call To Action?
September 30, 2009
If your website doesn’t have a call to action, you’re missing out all together. It’s estimated that 90% of people never return to a website once they leave. If you aren’t capturing their attention and giving them a reason to return, they won’t be back. Here’s something you need to think about:
It doesn’t matter how pretty your website is, it’s how functional it is! It’s functionality, functionality, functionality!
Okay now take a look at your website. Why do you have a website? Do you just think you should have one because your competitors do? Is your website bringing you new business? Can you tell how many people visit your website each day? What are you trying to accomplish with it?
Who designed your website? Was it your IT department? What do they know about marketing? Did your child or some other relative design your website? What do they know about marketing? I’m not trying to pick on your IT department or your relatives, if they designed it, but you need to have a website that markets your business. There’s really no other reason.
It’s no more expensive to have aa website that works than it is to have one that just sits there looking pretty. If it makes you feel good to point to your website, that’s good. Wouldn’t you rather point to one that is bringing you new clients? That’s the way of the future for small business.
The best thing you can do is to be honest about your website and that means looking at the good, the bad, and the ugly. You can get a FREE Website Analysis by clicking this link!
How Will You Market Your Small Business In The Future?
September 30, 2009
You need to find new, innovative ways to market your small business in the future or find your share of business dwindling. Most consumers are finding businesses in a different way. The internet has taken over and out strips the phone book for many consumers today.
How will you compete for your share of the market? You need to get on board with new technology and that means getting a website and getting involved in social marketing. To market your small business in the future, you have to think outside the box. That isn’t as difficult as you might think.
You don’t have to spend a small fortune to get into the modern age. It isn’t who has the fanciest website, but who has more visibility. It isn’t necessary to have a lot of bells and whistles. It is important that you have good content that describes what your small business has to offer to consumers.
You need to decide whether to have a website, that is static, or a blog, that allows you to keep fresh content available. This is a blog and I post fresh content everyday. You don’t have to post every day, but you should post on a blog at least 3 times a week. You need to understand and use keywords. This will help you with the search engines and make your blog more visible.
Other ways you can make your website or blog more visible is to set up pay-per-click advertising using Google Adwords. That means finding keywords and paying Google each time your ad is clicked. Is that the best way to advertise? It depends on what your goals are and how much you have set aside to advertise.
The best idea is to hire a Business Coach to help you look at all the alternatives for your small business. You may want to start by getting a FREE Business Assessment by clicking here.
A Business Coach Can Help Small Businesses Prepare To Come Out Of This Recession!
September 29, 2009
Is it too soon for small business owners to start thinking about coming out of the recession? For some, this may seem incredible. The truth is that you need to start planning now so that you’re small business is not left behind the curve.
A business coach can help you look to the future and re-think the way you’re going to market in the future. The old days of just opening a business and having business come to you are gone. You will have to find different, more efficient ways to market and that means looking at all the alternatives. A business coach is the best source to help you in this area.
Every small business owner would benefit by stepping back and looking at their business from an objective point of view. That’s really difficult to do yourself because you’re to close to it and have an emotional attachment to your small business. A business coach on the other hand, can be objective. He or she can help you look at the alternatives.
How will you attract business in the future? How do you advertise your business now? How much are you spending and what’s your return on investment? Is your advertising paying off or is it just money going down a rabbit hole? You can spend a lot of money on advertising and unless you’re tracking results, you may be throwing money away.
A business coach can help you take a complete look now and help you make plans that will help you move forward ahead of the curve instead of behind it. It starts with a FREE Business Assessment. Click here to get it now.
A Business Coach Can Help Small Business Owners Embrace New Technology!
September 28, 2009
A business coach can bring a lot of skills to a small business. Owners don’t have to take time to learn everything on their own. You have a business to run and taking time to learn all you need to know in order to set up a website and learn how to maximize the results may not make sense. Hiring a business coach can speed up the process and actually save money.
Some small business owners in a small town in Virginia have asked for classes on setting up a web presence and learning about social networking. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc offer a new way to keep in touch with your customers and to connect with new customers as well.
You can actually set up a site in about an hour, but is that enough? Here’s all you have to do:
- Pick a domain name. That’s the name that will become the way people find you on the internet. You may choose to use your business name such as, www.joetheplumber.com
- Pick a web hosting company. This can be done for as little as $10.00 a month.
- Connect your domain name to your host account.
- Set up a website using software like Dreamweaver, FrontPage or some other software. You may choose to set up a Blog instead using WordPress or some other software.
- Upload your site to your hosting company.
This is a little over simplified, but you get the point. Do you want to spend the time to learn how to do this? Keep in mind that this is only the beginning. A business coach can not only help you with this project, but do the things that will make it pay off. Having a website is one thing. Having a website that attracts visitors is something else again.
Don’t underestimate the value a business coach can bring to the table. Remember, “Good advice doesn’t cost, it pays!” You may want to start with a FREE Business Assessment to see whether a website makes sense. You can get a FREE Business Assessment by clicking here.
Should Small Business Owners Have A Website?
September 27, 2009
Small business owners need to change with the times. Gone are the days when you could simply open your doors and do business. In today’s environment you have to do things differently and that means changing the way you attract new business. Customers are finding new ways to look for what they want and small business owners need to adjust.
You have to take a hard look at how you are advertising your small business. Yellow pages aren’t as affective as they used to be and they can be very costly. I have one client that was spending over $40,000 a year for yellow pages and over time we reduced his cost by getting him a website and putting him in the modern age.
Before you set up a website however, you need to decide what you want to accomplish and how much you’re willing to spend. You can spend a lot of money on a website and still not end up with the results you want. Make a plan and make sure your website will do the job. It won’t happen over night, but give it a chance and it can provide amazing results. By the way, the cost for setting up a website varies all over the board so do your homework.
A website is only as effective as the content on it, so keep in mind that you need to continue to put fresh, relevant content on your site. You may want to set up a blog which gives you the opportunity to keep fresh content going. It also keeps you in control of your website. You don’t have to hire someone every time you want to make a change.
There are many new approaches you can take with your small business and I advise you to step back and take a broader, objective look before leaping in a new direction. You may want to consider and Business Assessment offered for FREE on this blog.
A Business Coach Can Provide An Objective View Of Your Small Business!
September 26, 2009
Every small business would benefit from an objective view of their business. That’s just one of the things a good business coach can provide. When you’re in your business all day, every day, it’s hard to be objective. You continue to see the same things in the same way. You may also continue to do the same things in the same way and hope for a different result. That’s called insanity.
There are often so many problems a small business can have and when you’re too busy to stop and get to the cause, they just continue. Most small business owners start a business because they’re good at the technical side of their business. Maybe they were good carpenters or plumbers, etc. When it comes to their technical skills, no one is better.
Running a business isn’t quite the same. You’re suddenly faced with cash flow issues, having to collect money, dealing with problem employees, finding new business, etc. Who has time to fix the problems when there seems to be a never ending supply of them?
A business coach can help the small business owner stop the madness and focus on solutions by getting to the root of the problem not the effects. Objectivity is the key and a business coach can be objective because he or she isn’t involved in the day to day activities. There is no emotional attachment so being objective is easier.
A good place to start with getting a different picture that is objective is to get a FREE Business Assessment offered on this blog. There is no cost or obligation so you have nothing to lose, but a lot of objective advice to gain. All you have to do is click here to obtain a FREE Business Assessment.
Small Business Owners Can Benefit By Working With A Business Coach!
September 25, 2009
Sometimes small business owners need to think outside the box. It’s very difficult to be objective about your own business because you’re too close to the forest to see the trees. Self examination is often diverted due to the day to day activities in the business. A business coach can help you get a clear and objective picture.
Even when owners can rise above the day to day activities, they don’t often have the time or specialized skills to fully analyze their business. They don’t often have specialized people on board either because there is no ongoing need for these skills. A business coach can not only bring those skills to a small business, but they don’t remain on your payroll.
Every business problem has a solution, but you must first understand the problem and the root cause. In other words, cash flow is a problem, but what is the root cause? Is it poor collection procedures, poor pricing of your product or service, poor productivity causing cost overruns? There can be any number of issues that are causing your cash flow problem.
A business coach can:
- Identify and strengthen operational problems.
- Improve accountability at every level.
- Design and implement performance measurements.
- Reinforce organizational control and results.
- Reduce day to day responsibility and stress for the owner.
Every small business would benefit from an objective and independent business assessment. What you learn could mean the difference between profit and loss. It can also help small business owners have a life and business too. You can get a FREE Business Assessment on this blog.
Health Care Reform Must Consider Small Business Issues!
September 24, 2009
Health Care Reform is as important to small business owners as anybody, but how it is designed can either help or hurt companies. It doesn’t make sense to push through a reform package that penalizes business with threats of penalties and higher taxes.
Take a look at these statistics and you’ll understand why companies need health care reform. In 1993 61% of businesses provided health insurance. Today only 38% provide coverage. The problem is that premiums have gone up 9-15% per year for several years now. Add to that the fact that more than 20 million self employed individuals have seen there costs rise by 74% since 2001 and it looks worse in the future.
The truth is that small business wants Congress to say yes to meaningful reform that provides:
- Continuity so that we can keep our current plan and doctors.
- Cost containment that so that premiums will not continue to rise at current rates.
- More affordable choices for individuals to choose from.
- Insurance reform that prevents insurance companies from denying coverage on pre-existing conditions.
- Redesigning systems to included electronics record keeping.
Many companies simply cannot afford to provide coverage for their employees so some reform will be welcomed. Forcing owners to provide coverage they can’t afford will simply cause financial hardship and may drive many small businesses out of business.
Is Now The Best Time To Start A Small Business?
September 21, 2009
Now may actually be the best time to start a small business. I know that seems crazy, but the recession has created some opportunities to strike out on your own. It seems that a lot of people are doing just that.
If you’re one of the unfortunate ones who have lost your job, don’t waste your time. Look at it as an opportunity. I’m not insensitive to those who have family members to support, but try to think outside the box and see what opportunities may be right in front of you.
Businesses such as photography, day care centers, restaurants may be an idea. What are your hobbies that may make an interesting and profitable business? There’s an old saying, “Do what you love and the money will follow.”
But how do you get started? The first thing you might do is to look for help. There are a number of sources available like SCORE, the Small Business Administration, etc. There are any number of books in the library or book stores on how to start a variety of businesses. There are also a lot of resources on the internet, but be cautious. There are a lot of scams on the internet right now that prey on people who are desperate. You may also hire an independent business coach to help you brainstorm your ideas and put them into a business plan.
Take an honest look at your personality as well. Are you self disciplined enough to own your own business?
If Healthcare Reform Is So Good For Small Business, Why Do We Have To Threaten Them?
September 20, 2009
Why do we have to threaten small business owners with fines if health care reform is such a good deal? When you make health care reform mandatory and create fines for those who don’t provide it, you’re setting up a serious problem for many small business owners.
I have a hard time understanding the logic of adding costs to small business owners who are already struggling to stay in business. It’s a catch 22. You either add to your cost by providing health insurance or pay a fine for not providing it. That sounds pretty much like a lose lose situation.
With the economy still in bad shape, in spite of what Washington is saying, businessmen are still having a hard time. Some that I’ve talked to have had their lines of credit pulled or frozen, even though they have made all their payments on time.
Some businessmen I’ve talked to have indicated they’ll have to lay people off if providing health insurance become mandatory. Others have indicated they may outsource work overseas or use more independent contractors.
The latest bill proposed by Senator Baucus doesn’t even touch on two things that would help everyone including small businessmen. It doesn’t address medical malpractice and doesn’t allow people to cross state lines to find cheaper insurance policies.
When you come right down to it, we’ll all have to deal with whatever bill passes. I personally hope that someone in Washington stops to think about the impact of some of the current proposals. Small business owners want change just like everyone else, but don’t put them out of business.