"I've got enough to do without worrying about SEO!
If you are a business owner, you are focused on the best ways possible to make money. You know your product or service, and you are confident you can provide excellent customer service to those who buy from you. But how do you find those customers? You even know the answer to that is "marketing."
If you have been in business awhile, you probably have tried some of the "traditional" methods for marketing. Things like putting ads in the local newspaper or Yellow Pages, cold calling the people you want to serve, joining community organizations like your local Chamber of Commerce and service clubs, and telling people everywhere you meet what you do. I actually recommend all of them except the cold calling, and that's only because I don't like telemarketers and I live in a guarded community where you would not be permitted to go door-knocking. But these tactics do work for some companies.
But ask almost any marketing expert, this one included, and we will tell you social media is a must-use tactic in this day and age. There is also one other must-use tactic that may not have been so important once upon a time, at least if you've been in business a long time. That is your company website. While these were nice to have a decade ago, not having a website now almost signifies you're not really in business.
The more you have on a web page, the better - provided the key aspects are easy to find. It's important that you have a home page, and that it or other pages are clear about what you sell, why consumers should purchase from you, and how they can buy it. If it's a product that you sell, you also should have a way for the customer to buy online. If it's a service, since this likely will be individually tailored to the customer's needs, you just need all ways the customer can possibly contact you.
Beyond that, the reason more is better, is because of the tremendous impact the internet has on buying these days. While senior citizens and some Baby Boomers will still look at the Yellow Pages (if they can find a copy) to find a good ____________ (insert name of goods or services you provide), most people under 40 don't even know what Yellow Pages are for. And those in between, as well as all those seniors and Baby Boomers who can't find their Yellow Pages, are looking on the Internet for the place. In fact, people in all these age groups may be doing these Internet searches from their cell phones while in their car.
So, people need to find you on the Internet. How is the best way to do that? Get things on your website! That often means blogging. Usually, your company blog will tell how you are involved in your industry and your community. It might also share your thoughts on your industry, as my blog does here and in most of my other entries. If updated regularly (and actually on your website) it will give your website visitors an additional glimpse into why you are a really great company to do business with.
Even if your blog is not on your website, it will be seen on your blogsite. That's one more way to get your company exposure, because each blog entry goes somewhere. If your blog entry has the words your customers are looking for, and it is a well-written story, chances are that story will show up in the web searches your customers use. And on your blogsite, they will see how to contact you and do so. \
This is known as search engine optimization. It means you have information in cyberspace (on your website or blog) that is easily seen when key words are typed in search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.)
But, what if you just don't have time to write a blog regularly? Or what if you find your website could benefit from being a little more clear. Or you just don't like writing. You can hire people to do that. You can hire Pen Porter to do that, and if you do, you will know it's a well-written story because Pen Porter is Ellen Porter (me) and I write stories that get published in newspapers and magazines, and get to the top of search engines.
If you have been in business awhile, you probably have tried some of the "traditional" methods for marketing. Things like putting ads in the local newspaper or Yellow Pages, cold calling the people you want to serve, joining community organizations like your local Chamber of Commerce and service clubs, and telling people everywhere you meet what you do. I actually recommend all of them except the cold calling, and that's only because I don't like telemarketers and I live in a guarded community where you would not be permitted to go door-knocking. But these tactics do work for some companies.
But ask almost any marketing expert, this one included, and we will tell you social media is a must-use tactic in this day and age. There is also one other must-use tactic that may not have been so important once upon a time, at least if you've been in business a long time. That is your company website. While these were nice to have a decade ago, not having a website now almost signifies you're not really in business.
The more you have on a web page, the better - provided the key aspects are easy to find. It's important that you have a home page, and that it or other pages are clear about what you sell, why consumers should purchase from you, and how they can buy it. If it's a product that you sell, you also should have a way for the customer to buy online. If it's a service, since this likely will be individually tailored to the customer's needs, you just need all ways the customer can possibly contact you.
Beyond that, the reason more is better, is because of the tremendous impact the internet has on buying these days. While senior citizens and some Baby Boomers will still look at the Yellow Pages (if they can find a copy) to find a good ____________ (insert name of goods or services you provide), most people under 40 don't even know what Yellow Pages are for. And those in between, as well as all those seniors and Baby Boomers who can't find their Yellow Pages, are looking on the Internet for the place. In fact, people in all these age groups may be doing these Internet searches from their cell phones while in their car.
So, people need to find you on the Internet. How is the best way to do that? Get things on your website! That often means blogging. Usually, your company blog will tell how you are involved in your industry and your community. It might also share your thoughts on your industry, as my blog does here and in most of my other entries. If updated regularly (and actually on your website) it will give your website visitors an additional glimpse into why you are a really great company to do business with.
Even if your blog is not on your website, it will be seen on your blogsite. That's one more way to get your company exposure, because each blog entry goes somewhere. If your blog entry has the words your customers are looking for, and it is a well-written story, chances are that story will show up in the web searches your customers use. And on your blogsite, they will see how to contact you and do so. \
This is known as search engine optimization. It means you have information in cyberspace (on your website or blog) that is easily seen when key words are typed in search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.)
But, what if you just don't have time to write a blog regularly? Or what if you find your website could benefit from being a little more clear. Or you just don't like writing. You can hire people to do that. You can hire Pen Porter to do that, and if you do, you will know it's a well-written story because Pen Porter is Ellen Porter (me) and I write stories that get published in newspapers and magazines, and get to the top of search engines.
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