10 Steps to Growing Strong Web Marketing for Small Business

Perhaps you have heard that it is a must to have a presence on the internet. In most, if not ALL instances, it is true. It’s a growth thing, you see. Before you start building a website or starting a blog, consider these 10 steps to growing strong web marketing for small business. I am often asked why it is so important for a small business to have a website and online listings. with a blog and this and that. Well, you don’t HAVE to. It is just a fact that most small business owners who have MADE time to market their businesses on the internet HAVE reaped the rewards or given their business a better chance of success by creating a web presence and growing it.

10 Steps to growing strong web marketing for small business

Okay, you can almost hear the clutter in your mind. The only way to remove it is by selecting one thing to do (usually in order of importance) and actually doing it. Flush your mind and create the space in which you think of nothing but what it is your business does:

1. Write a short profile of or introduction to your business.
2. Make a list of services your business provides with a short description of each service.
3. What products does your business stock, use or sell? – Make a list.
4. Which locations does your business service or cater to? Make a list of those areas.
5. What images best represent your business? Take photo’s or get images from a supplier, but try and get around 10 images which best represent your business or the services or products you deal in.
6. Register a domain
7. Host your domain
8. Build your website
9. Submit your website to both free and paid directories
10. Take a couple of hours a week or month to keep your marketing up to date, write quality content for your blog and/or comment on blogs which provide link backs etc.

Make time for creative thinking – Marketing is a creative exercise

Even if you are a corner convenience store with a very small area to which you provide a service, there is always someone new in the area, or simply someone who is passing through who may need a cold drink. Take the time to create a profile on the internet for your business. Having a web presence is important and a sure way of growing your client base over time. People passing through your town will remember you next time … if they found you the first time. It’s possible that your store becomes a landmark when giving directions or a meeting place. There are so many scenarios. There is also a huge variety of small businesses out there and while they differ in nature, the basics of marketing online remain the same as marketing a huge organisation. Stick to the basics. Take the time to do the basics well. The rest will follow.

Don’t waste your time with bad quality content

There are those entrepreneurial spirits who my heart goes out to and quite often I find myself providing my services free of charge in order to assist where I see business owners making an effort, but not quite getting it right. In the 11 years I have been writing content for websites, blogs, directories etc, I have learned a lot of what does and doesn’t work. Search engines can no longer be manipulated the way they used to be and bad quality content or content which is copied from elsewhere on the internet can serve a purpose or simply get you booted out of search. There is a time and a place for everything.

To start with, follow the 10 steps above and keep track of where and what directories and links you have out on the internet. KEEP THEM UPDATED. I’ll be writing more on growing your web presence over the weeks and months ahead. Check back from time to time for updated content. There are numerous tools out there which you can use to market your business. Don’t waste your time submitting your email address and a link to your website on directories, take the time to submit as much relevant information as you can and don’t try and overstuff your content with what you think are key words and phrases. Sometimes less is more and a good directory will be or will become naturally optimized for your areas of operation as it grows.