Internet is important for Small Business

Every day lots of business announces more layoffs, plant closings, reorganization, or all of the above. Lost somewhere in the headlines are the hardships small business owners are facing. Businesses are seeing a dramatic drop in sales and have to lower profit margins to stay competitive. Most large businesses have the resources and revenue to withstand the current economy, where as many small businesses have been forced to shut down. 

Todays economic conditions, it has never been more important for small businesses to have a presence on the internet. Whether you join an advertising network, create a website, or promote your product(s) on social media sites; an internet presence is a must. When your local and regional sales are down, your internet revenue can keep your business alive. 

As everyone knows, advertising can be very expensive depending on what your trying to sell. Social media sites, blogs, and forums can be an effective and inexpensive way to get what your offering in front of a lot of people. However, it's a very tedious and time consuming task. Realistically, none of those methods can reach their full potential if you don't have a website for your potential customers to go to and get more information about your business and product(s). 

The first step in getting your business online is to get your website up and running. The amounts of options you have are staggering. So the question is - Where do you start? The answer to that question depends on you and your product(s). There are 3 basic options for website creation. 

Firstly: If you have a large product base and/or do not have a lot of internet knowledge, it's probably worth investing in a professional website design service. This can give you the exact look and feel you want, but come at a much greater expense. 

Secondly: If you have only a few products and/or have some basic computer knowledge, a quality web hosting company could be a better way to go. They are relatively inexpensive, have very easy to use templates, and have many extras included or available. 

Thirdly: A pre-designed web store is quite possibly the fastest, easiest, and most economical way to go. These are ready to go, customizable, complete with shopping cart websites you could have up and running in a few hours. If you are just starting out or don't want to deal with the hassles and expense of the options above, this is probably the best way to go. 

How ever you choose to promote your small business on the internet, you must keep a few things in mind. 

1. Are you internet literate? Are you willing to learn? 

2. How much are you willing to spend to get your small business on the internet? 

3. Once you have your business on the internet, what are your goals? 

There are already millions upon millions of websites for people to browse. What kind of plan do you have for yours? Getting your small business online is only the first 1% of your journey. The other 99% is finding a way to stand out from the rest.

Common Mistakes Made by Small Businesses

In Small businesses, often have a harder time than larger companies when it comes to getting noticed by the broad public. While they can offer goods and services that are unique in quality and variety, the simple process of becoming established enough to garner sufficient profit to stay afloat can be so challenging that many small companies die out before they get a chance at real success. There are a few common mistakes made by businesses that falter, but with some solid savvy, these mistakes can be overcome.

The first key is not to market a company beyond what it can handle. While advertising is crucial to the success of any establishment, it brings with it a higher level of scrutiny and judgment from consumers. If you are not ready for that influx of people, you are better off limiting all advertising campaigns until the business is ready. 

 There are a few basic materials that every company should have before considering a major marketing campaign. Business cards, brochures, personalized stationary and a good website are extremely essential tools for success. Having a quality, unique business card is crucial. It could be potentially harmful to your business to have a customer notice your ad in a paper, see you out on the street, ask about your company, and be left disappointed because you cannot give them a hard copy of your basic information. Proper marketing will draw people to you and your company. Before you advertise, make sure that you have business cards to give those people who are newly drawn to your services. Brochures and letterheads have a different effect on customers than business cards. These items serve to make your company look like it belongs, and can keep up, with the larger organizations in your field. It is important to have custom items to make your business appear professional and well-established. A potential customer will likely go someplace else, no matter how good your services are, if you can not convey the professionalism they are looking for in a company. Consumers are always on the look out for a company that is reliable and trustworthy. Items such as brochures and custom stationary will make your business exude professionalism, and make your customers feel safe in using your services. 

 

A good website is another major key in preparing for a successful marketing campaign. One of the most accessible places for any potential customer to find information on your company is the internet. If you begin to advertise at all, people will start trying to find information about your services. In most cases, these people will turn to the internet first for initial information. It is important to try to provide enough basic background information that the customer will clearly know what your company does, but not so much information that the site gets cluttered or confusing. Therefore, limit yourself to only a few pages, and make sure that you organize and link them all very well to the home page. Your home page should be crisp looking and representative of your business in every way possible. Make sure to use a unified color scheme throughout your site as well. When business cards, brochures, custom stationary, and a good website have been accomplished, then you are ready to begin marketing. Getting started on advertisement too soon is a major reason why small businesses struggle to stay afloat.

 Another mistake made by small businesses in their start up stages, is choosing a poor location for their offices. It is often tempting to just settle your company in the town