Why do you, as a local small business owner need help with your local marketing? Because you want some cars to pull up in front of your business. That’s why.

Because as of last April, 63% of all American consumers across all demographics, looked on-line before making a brick and mortar buying decision. (via USA Today/Neilson poll, April 2009). The same data showed that while America was shopping or making decisions WHERE to shop online, less than 80% of American small business owners were spending less than 10% of their marketing budgets online.

Here we are 18 months later, and Citibank has released data. The statistics show there’s still plenty of room for improvement when it comes to local business marketing:

• 40% of small businesses don’t have a web site
• 81% of entrepreneurs still don’t take advantage of social media
• 47% don’t think that Facebook, Twitter or even LinkedIn are beneficial to their business
• 84% don’t provide for e-commerce
• 62% don’t use email marketing

Local customers are online doing research and making buying decisions. If you aren’t there – or aren’t there to your full potential – you are leaving money on the table. Period.

For those of you that are defying the odds and actually spending on-line, how do you know that you’re doing it best? Or even good enough? I wonder how you can be an expert at all things about your business, your inventory, your payroll, your employee policies, your customer care, your brick and mortar store maintenance, insurance, and payments while making sure you comply with IRS policies and paying your other bills and making sure your windows and every other aspect of your brick and mortar customer experience is great……… all while being a marketing expert in a world where marketing has changed so fast that even the heads of the brightest experts are spinning and it takes the lion’s share of an expert’s professional life just to read and experiment enough to keep up with the pace so when we recommend something – it works and it works well? Can you know confidently that what you know about the world of web-based marketing is even “good enough” to not be leaving the money on the table that would send your child to college or pay off your mortgage five years early? What is “good enough” for you?

As for me, I don’t try to do everything in my business – I pay the bookkeeper and CPA to do their thing that they do well and a WordPress expert to do her thing and a graphic artist to do her thing. I can’t do it all in my business – and if I tried, my business would be mediocre at best – close at worst. But I do know social media and on-line marketing. And I know that your customers are there, and they’re asking for your stuff – where are you? Maybe we can help each other out.

Is this an eye opener for you? What’s your next move?

Photo Credit: dave_mcmt

Want to get more traffic to your web site, so that you in turn get more sales? Make sure that folks who are typing in search phrases can FIND your web site.People type searches in common vernacular, so write your web site content in everyday language. But do make sure you include the words that your potential customers might use – not just the ones on the top of your mind.

Here is a quick checklist to help you remember which words to include when writing the content for your mall business web site.

1. Business name and slogan
2. Street address and mailing address with these labels noted.
3. Geographical references including regional and local landmarks, names of other important local businesses, regional names (for example, Central Tennessee AND Middle Tennessee), etc.
4. City & state. Use state abbreviations in every form and the state name spelled in full.
5. ZIP code.
6. Main telephone number.
7. Secondary telephone(s).
8. Fax number.
9. General descriptive keywords. Use a thesaurus to help you think about synonymous words. For example if you are a toy store that sells antique replica children’s toys, you must remember to use that plus “old toys” and “vintage toys” and “used toys” and “antique toys” and “kids toys” and many more variations on this same term. See what I mean?
10. Lists of your Services, products, & brand names (not just logos – search engines can’t read images).
11. Descriptions of your specialties.
12. Your email address and the words “e-mail address”
13. Areas served including subdivisions, districts within the city, rural areas or communities, county names, etc.
14. Certification names, titles, awards, recognition, press mentions.

What did I leave off? What else could be on this list? Post in the comments section, please and help out our community of small, locally owned and operated businesses! Thanks.

This week, I spoke to a lot of downtown redevelopment types at the National Main Streets Conference in Oklahoma City. We talked about how to tell your story in this modern world (whether community, business district or small business). Social media plays a big part in that. But it’s not the central element…

In my presentation, I pointed out that to tell your story well, you must play by four basic rules. Without repeating my speech here, I do want to share the first rule and most important rule with you, because strategically, everything else will crumble if this rule isn’t followed:

Rule #1: You Must Have a Strong Home Base for Your Business or Community

That home base should most likely be your web site. In nearly all marketing models, it works for the web site to be the epicenter of the marketing universe. (It doesn’t HAVE to be that way, and I’m more than open to creative thinking on this subject depending on goals and budgets. But in most cases, it works for it to be the web site.)

Is your web site working as the epicenter? Are all roads leading back to your domain name…to your web site?

How can you make your HOMEBASE stronger?

1. Make sure it’s easy and quick to update. If you can’t update your own web site, you’ve got a big problem in today’s fast paced world. We love the WordPress platform because it takes me moments to make major updates to my own web site. It’s as simple as sending an e-mail.

2. If it’s easy to update…are you updating it? Are you adding new and interesting photos, educational content, employee and owner profiles, product and vendor information, demonstration videos and how-to lists… Are you making your web site and interesting and valuable resource for your customers and prospects?

3. Is your domain name appearing everywhere, even if your logo can’t? This includes audio communications (like radio, word of mouth, etc.), store signage (yes, including the front door and front window of your store), shopping bags (you never can tell where those bags will go), t-shirts, postcards, advertisements of every sort and at every opportunity.

4. Are you actively seeking to create traffic TO your web site through interesting posts on social media, links from vendor or organizational web sites, etc.? Remember that valuable content you created? Now it’s time to tell folks about it through Facebook wall posts, encouraging folks to share that information on Facebook, Facebook advertising, Twitter posts, LinkedIn posts, e-mail marketing and many more new media traffic drivers.

5. How does your site appear on search engine results? Does it even appear at all? Keep an eye on this, and ask your web guy for help if necessary.

6. Do you have Google Analytics and other robust web site analytics packages installed on your web site that are set to send you daily or weekly reports? Are those reports summarizing how much web traffic you are getting and from where (both geographically and by keyword topics)? Do you know who and why your customers are visiting your web site (keywords, inbound links, etc.)? Are they finding what they’re looking for – and so much more (bounce rate, number of actions per visit, time per visit). You might be surprised at what you learn, but you certainly need to know. And you need to correct course with the web site if it’s not delivering the desired results.

P.S. Interestingly enough, on my trip home, I was catching up on some reading and found that Chris Brogan had an interesting post on this same subject. His post has cool screen shots demonstrating how confusing it can be to customers if you do NOT have a strong home base. I hope you’ll enjoy his post as well.

Also, if you’re also just home from the National Main Streets Conference, you might enjoy our conference wrap-up of conference tweeters to follow and other good resources.

What say you? What results is your home base providing for your business?

Interview with Serial Entrepreneur & Publisher, Jack Criss

Jack Criss chatting with ResultsRevTV hostess, Marianna Hayes Chapman.

Yesterday, I interviewed 20-year publishing industry veteran and serial entrepreneur, Jack Criss. Criss is currently publisher of locally-owned and operated Greater Jackson Business magazine. Here are some of the questions we discussed and my paraphrases to his answers. For precise quotes, please watch the full interview on ResultsRevTV here (30 minute video).

Marianna: As a news insider, explain how small businesses can get their business covered in the media? What approach would you recommend?

Jack: Realize that the media love to be contacted and love to have their ego stroked. Recognize their work. For example, “Dear Jack, I read the article you wrote about the Two Lakes project – incredibly well written piece! I love what you’re doing with the new magazine… I have a story idea I think would fit well…” Address press releases or story ideas to specific people. Find their real name and correct spelling and send a personalized e-mail directly to that person’s e-mail address.  Be personal and find ways to connect with them unrelated to the need. Don’t mass send information to 50 journalists and address it to “Dear Sir/Madam” – those messages get trashed immediately.  If you don’t personalize a press release at least make sure it’s well written and correct and keep the information to one page as much as possible.

Marianna: How has technology played into having a successful business?

Jack: The demographic that the magazine is geared towards calls for a print magazine in addition to the website.  Jackson isn’t ready for a 100% online magazine yet, in my opinion. However, corrections can be made online within hours instead of waiting for the next edition to be printed.  We can supplement the print magazine stories, post video and photos not in the magazine and much more. Also, GJB is really a multi-media effort with the print magazine as the cornerstone providing readers and advertisers with a valuable and interesting long shelf life. But we supplement that with Facebook, a weekly radio show and vide on the web site.

Marianna: How have you overcome your fear of technology to keep up with the speed of news?

Jack: Facebook is often primarily used to communicate, network and make deals, in many cases more than e-mail. You have to get over your fear and get on Facebook.  Your competitors are on and you have to be too.

Marianna: How do you use Facebook to network while balancing your personal and professional life?

Jack: I’ve used it in incorporating my business and personal life. I’m just an ordinary guy who likes to run and has two daughters. I love being a father and a runner and a member of the community. I think being who I really am on Facebook helps me connect with others who share my interests and builds deeper relationships.

Marianna: How do you make time to do it all? Facebook, web site updates, sales, writing, events, networking and Twitter, too?

Jack: One way is that I’m leveraging the technology so that some things just happen automatically without me spending any time at all. For example, whenever a news article is posted to the web site, Facebook and Twitter are automatically updated with that information. You can leverage technology to make time to do it all without a big staff.   Facebook and Twitter all point to the magazine and help promote it.

Marianna: What do you do in your business to give back, even when cash is tight?

Jack: I can’t always give cash, but I can always give space in the magazine. Of course, certain “restrictions apply,” but non-profits that need advertising get free advertising in Greater Jackson Business – always. You’ve talked a lot about generosity in recent weeks, and this is how we do it at Greater Jackson Business – it’s important.

Marianna: What have you learned from failure?

Jack: Learn from your failures and be humble. You have to appreciate your customers more than ever.  Make friends with them and take time to develop a friendship. See them face to face on a daily or weekly basis as much as possible. Also, know when to say no and know when not to expand.

Jack talks much more on each point in the 30 minute ResultsRevTV broadcast…watch it now.

When my mom got on Facebook a couple of months ago, I got a note from my younger sister who said, tongue in cheek, “Thanks to whoever introduced mom to Facebook.” Well, I thanked Andy shortly thereafter when mom proudly made her debut into the instant messaging world of Facebook chat!

Certainly, my mother is far from being in the top tier of age demographics, yet it is fair to say that when my mom “chats” with many of her high school compadres on Facebook, on-line demographics aren’t changing – they’ve changed.

The Internet Is Getting Gray – eMarketer.

56% of those aged 65-69 are active Internet users. 45% of those aged 70-74 use the Internet. They shop, seek health information, and much more. They send e-mails, search on-line and purchase travel reservations at the same rate as the much younger Gen Yers.

Don’t think you should be marketing on-line? I hear the excuse “my customers aren’t on-line” far too often. In times such as these, small business owner can not afford to ignore the reality of on-line success any longer. Your customers are on-line and on-line marketing opportunities are more affordable than any other form of marketing. By NOT marketing on-line, you are giving your competition an advantage because your cost of doing business is higher for less return due to higher costs of traditional marketing without the benefits of higher returns on investment that savvy on-line marketers receive.

Don’t go it alone – our team has years of experience using technology for strategic marketing purposes to make cash registers ring for small businesses. We can partner with you to make your venture into the on-line world as successful and profitable as possible.