Tuesday, April 26
Small business and the Web
This is from an email exchange I had recently with a reporter doing a story on "Small business and the Web." It's my 2 cents on the matter:
I'm a small business owner (and marketing consultant to other small business owners) and I use (and recommend) blogs and value-laden websites to my clients.
It's critical, especially for service business owners, to demonstrate your expertise and give prospective customers a taste of what working with you would feel like, what your professional opinions and strengths are, and how your ideas can make them money. The best ways to demonstrate this through your website include:
1. Blogs - your professional opinions, musings, anecdotes, success stories, examples, and theories in action. What do you think? What would you do? What's your advice? Make sure your blog entries are YOU-centric, not ME-centric.
2. Downloadable articles (preferably ones that have been published elsewhere) - these demonstrate that you're more than a legend in your own mind and that someone else values your opinions and advice enough to put them in print.
3. E-courses and online audio or video - truly, the next best thing to being there. People put a name to a voice and/or face, and get a feel for the way you look, sound, and think in 3-D.
I'm a small business owner (and marketing consultant to other small business owners) and I use (and recommend) blogs and value-laden websites to my clients.
It's critical, especially for service business owners, to demonstrate your expertise and give prospective customers a taste of what working with you would feel like, what your professional opinions and strengths are, and how your ideas can make them money. The best ways to demonstrate this through your website include:
1. Blogs - your professional opinions, musings, anecdotes, success stories, examples, and theories in action. What do you think? What would you do? What's your advice? Make sure your blog entries are YOU-centric, not ME-centric.
2. Downloadable articles (preferably ones that have been published elsewhere) - these demonstrate that you're more than a legend in your own mind and that someone else values your opinions and advice enough to put them in print.
3. E-courses and online audio or video - truly, the next best thing to being there. People put a name to a voice and/or face, and get a feel for the way you look, sound, and think in 3-D.
