We are pleased to bring you a guest post from C.C. Chapman, best-selling author, speaker, and entrepreneur extraordinaire.
By C.C. Chapman
Reports show that three out of four small businesses plan to increase their content marketing initiatives in the coming year.
First impressions have never been more important. Today, having a cookie cutter website that shows your hours of operations and perhaps a little bit of information about your business is better than nothing, but it’s not enough.
Search engines crave the addition of new and relevant content to your site on a regular basis before your company will show up high in search results. Jamming your domain full of keyword rich pages without adding any value to them no longer is a tactic that will work on it's own.
There is also a trend starting to emerge where companies are paying more attention to their Facebook, Twitter and Google+ accounts than their own websites.
While I firmly believe that using these other platforms is a crucial part of today's marketing mix, neglecting your domain name - that you own and that isn't rented land from another company - is a dangerous decision to make. Establishing your own website and driving traffic to it whenever appropriate is the best decision always. Yes, you'll share the content you create across the social media sea, but be sure that whenever possible, your potential customers are consuming your content on your own website.
The key for any business to be found online is to establish an online presence with a website. But that’s not all it takes. Many well-meaning businesses operate on an “if you build it they will come” philosophy when it comes to their website, but it takes much more than a snazzy website to get customers interested in your business. Luckily, there are a few simple techniques that can help your website rise to the top of search rankings and give your small business a significant competitive advantage if done properly. Below are five of the most important ways to help customers find your small business. If you don't yet have a website, the first step to getting one is to search for and register a domain name. We've made it easy for you on our website here.
1. Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is one of the most important things you can do to help increase traffic to your website. SEO is the practice of strategically using keywords in your website content to help make sure your website can be found by people trying searching for things through Google, Bing and other search engines. Keywords are the descriptions, words and phrases people type into search engines to find what they are looking for. It is important for your site to include the right keywords and phrases so search engines can identify your site as a destination for people interested in what your brand is about. For example, if you own a pizza shop in Boise, ID, it would be wise to include phrases such as “best pizza in Boise” on your home page as that is a commonly searched for phrase by Boise locals who want to know where to get the best pizza. It is also important, however, that these keywords not be overused or underused. It may sound complex, but implementing even a basic SEO program can greatly increase your chances of finding new customers online.
2. Mobile Optimization
According to a recent survey conducted by SearchEngineLand.com, 85% of consumers used the Internet to find local businesses in the past 12 months and one in six consumers use the Internet every week to find local businesses. The proliferation of smartphones and tablets in the consumer marketplace has made mobile search one of the fastest growing ways people find small businesses like yours. Mobile traffic among consumers is exploding and folks aren’t just using their phones to search, but also to make purchases.
According to Forrester Research, by 2016, mobile commerce will reach $31 billion. If your website isn’t already mobile-friendly, meaning easy to use and navigate by mobile users, you may be missing out on business and losing customers and sales. Another thing to consider is that mobile search, because it is routed through telephone company networks, weighs local results more heavily, making mobile search the 21st century replacement for the old Yellow Pages.
In honor of Verisign's 18th anniversary, we are posting our latest video which highlights what it means to be Powered by Verisign. To learn more about Powered by Verisign visit VeriSignInc.com.
Today, people often turn to the Internet first for information about businesses and products – whether they are shopping online, or simply looking for a business’ address or phone number – making an online presence one of the most important assets for business. No matter the size or the industry, a Web presence is vital for businesses to help ensure customers can access the information they want.
The most important decision a business owner can make when establishing an online identity is choosing the right domain name. In this digital age, domain names are central to all online activity and businesses should take careful consideration when making their choice.
Which Top Level Domains Best Serve Small Businesses?
First, business owners need to ask themselves which Top-Level Domain (TLD) best serves their business. TLDs appear to the right of the dot, like .com, .net, .tv. The domain name industry is a competitive marketplace and there are many TLDs to choose from. When deciding where to build your online identity, a TLD can be as important to your business as your second-level domain (what’s to the left of the dot, i.e., your name, brand or product) for many reasons, including security, credibility and search – which will be how most customers find your site.
For more than two decades, .com and .net have been the TLDs of choice for businesses seeking to establish their online presence because they have global recognition and consistent records of security, availability and stability. They are also the TLDs of choice for many search experts because search engines give more weight to websites on .com and .net, making it easier for them to be found.
I travel a lot in this job; speaking at various conferences and customer events. Everywhere I go, people ask me what they can do at home to keep their computers free of the general nastiness that seems to be everywhere; especially during the holiday season. Alas, nothing will keep you completely safe, but there are a few things you can do that will keep you mostly safe from malicious sites at home while you edge into that online holiday gift-giving spirit.
If you ask me, upgrading your operating system and browser are the two most important things you can do as a home user.
