The start of a New Year is a great time to give your website a refresh. A great way to give your business a fresh start in 2015 is by updating your website.
Read MoreCustomers buy from people, not businesses. This is especially true with small businesses. Customers buy from you because you are local, or you have a great backstory. Maybe your owner is in the business all the time and gives advice about whatever the business sells. Your website should be an extension of your business. It is an opportunity to show off your business personality before a customer ever walks through the door or makes a purchase.
Read MoreWebsites need blogs. A good blog will help improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and more importantly, help make you or your business an authority in your field. Your blog is a great way to showcase why customers should choose you, without being a direct, hard sales pitch. However, you cannot be an authority on your blog if your blog lacks basic copy editing.
Read MoreThe key to a great blog or website is to keep it updated with fresh original content. A admit that isn’t always easy. Conceiving blog topics takes time and research, especially if you are writing for a specific industry or target audience. It is okay to use excerpts from previously published or posted content as long as you attribute the original author. This goes for anything you post, whether it’s a blog, quote or Tweet. If you didn’t write it yourself, you need to give credit to whoever did.
Read MoreEvery business is subject to online complaints. Customers often prefer the relative anonymity of complaining online versus talking to a business manager or owner in person about the issue or concern. The anonymity often means online complaints are much harsher than they would be if someone discussed the issue face-to-face. Businesses should assume they will get a negative review or harsh online complaint at some point. How you handle the issue is what will ultimately impact your reputation more than the complaint itself.
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