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.

The following questions are some critical questions that you, as small business web site owner should ask your web development guy.

If you do NOT have some of these items, they are easy, but necessary, fixes to your business web site. These are the basic building blocks upon which search engine optimization occurs (in other words – the basic building blocks that will help potential customers find YOUR web site when they search the Web – and they WILL search the Web first).

• Do I have unique, keyword rich page titles on each and every page? (View example)
• Do I have unique page descriptions written in common vernacular and keyword rich on each page? (View example)
• Do I have unique, relevant keywords and keyword phrases (meta tags) in the HTML code for each page? (View example)
• Do I have an XML site map? (View example)

If you don’t have these bases covered and your web guy argues with you about them, I’d say it’s time to move on.

This isn’t a post about what to do with the traffic once it gets there. Nor is it an advanced tutorial on Search Engine Optimization – that will be left to someone far smarter than myself, like maybe our friend Will Scott down in New Orleans, who specializes in local search optimization or another friend Ryan Kelly out in San Antonio that is behind one of the smartest, most user-friendly SEO tools I’ve seen in a long time.

For now, I just want to remind you that your small business web site needs attention in order to bring you a return on investment. Andy often says it this way: “A web site truly begins when it’s finished.”

Here are a few basics that you absolutely must address with your small business web site, no matter how local or “mom and pop” you are.

1. Update your site often. Often equals no less than once per week. If you do not have a web site that you can easily and quickly update yourself or train a teenager to update without need for any additional software, you might want to get a site update done. In 2010, there is no reason that a complete novice can’t update his/her own web site in a basic way in about ten minutes. Updates mean a lot to the search engines and to your customers. Regular updates mean there is a REASON for me to visit your web site repeatedly – and visiting reminds me to buy.
2. Create a strong collection of inbound links. Inbound links are simply links on the web that point to a page on your web site. It is much more complicated than this, but when boiled down you simply must have an increasing number of inbound links pointing to various pages of your web site. How do you get inbound links? Here are a few ideas:If you’re a locally owned and operated, independently owned small business, take advantage of the free listing in our Shop Main Street Business Directory. It provides you with an inbound link to your web site and your blog (as well as your social media if you use those). Both huge wins for you in this department.

• Make a list of all of the major brands that you carry in your store. Contact your rep and ask to be listed as a dealer on their web site along with a link to your web site.
• Contact every organization of which you are a member. This includes Chambers of Commerce, civic clubs, etc. Ask them to post a membership directory with links to business owners’ web sites. Make sure you are there with a link back to your web site.
• Submit press releases to the local newspaper when you have events or announcements, including new hires, new product lines, new or altered services, etc. Make sure they post on their web site with a link back to your business. Most will accommodate this request gladly if you write the article for them.
• Offer to write guest blog posts for related web sites and get links back to your web site through the attribution of these posts. This is a double whammy because it lets you show off your expertise, has relevant keywords that match your web site (hopefully) and gets you the inbound link(s). We love guest bloggers here… just ask me.
• Post articles in article directories.

3. Drive traffic to your web site. Inbound links certainly help with that. However, you can do a lot OFF-line and through online marketing that can increase traffic.
4. Traffic tends to beget traffic. Simply put, search engines often follow the crowd, so the more traffic you drive to your web site, the more traffic you will get through search. Here are some additional ideas for driving traffic to your web site.

• Send out regular e-mail messages with multiple links back to specific pages of interest on your web site.
• Include your URL on all store signage, advertising and other outreach efforts.
• Create a bag stuffer or bag tag that gives your customer a new reason to buy or increase their shopping frequency. Point them to the web site to learn more.
• Create on-line exclusives, coupons, and contests that can only be accessed at your web site. Promote these offers off-line.