| Who: If you need, clients you need to have a web presence in the form of a website and or a blog. When: A. S. A. P. What: A website gives potential clients a non threatening way to learn more about your business. This is where you get a chance to show them what you're made of. If you have a blog it's easier for you to give regular updates to keep your potential clients informed. Where: You will need to find a reliable host and a very fitting domain name and GoDaddy.com provides both a a very reasonable cost. But if you chose to have a Blog I have found Google's Blogger to be quite sufficient and up to date. It's FREE, feature filled and you can attach your domain name to it for that professional look and they can help you get a domain name for your blog as well. For a simple do it yourself point and click website you can try Weebly.com they have an easy to use GUI setup and they can help you get a domain name for your website as well (it's a little pricier but it's so much easier than the others to set up). You could have a very simple website or blog up and live within a few hours. I have links to everything you need on the side of this post. Why: There are several reason a business would need a web presence. Clients have lots of questions that they would like the answer to and a web presence for any business gives them an easy way to get the answers they desire. How: First you need to decide what the main function of your website will be... To impart information only. To house your Newsletter. To sell items. Then you need to come up with 5 or so domain names (usually your first few choices will not be available so you need a few back up ones). Then you need to compile all the information you will need to put on the website.
Then simply type up all the text in Microsoft Word or your favorite word processor.
You will need to have your mailing list sign- up form HTML snippet to embed into your new website. You can get t his from NPN. You can jazz up your site with pictures of your establishment. You can add audio and video too. You can get your local graphic designer to recreate your logo from your letter head or business card for less than $100 and include it in your site if you desire. 
AIM: You want to be transparent, warm, friendly, and knowledgeable to all who visit your website... you can also be informative and add information about your industry, or the hottest trends quite easily with Google Apps.
You also want to pre-sell any potential client who visit your website, and even persuade them to visit your place of business and encourage them to do business with you with discount coupons. You need to also include information as to why you are better than your competition, list all the benefits they will get if they do business with you and so on.
PROS: A web presence of even a basic kind (less than $20) can do wonders for any and every business. All it takes is 2 - 5 hours of your time to put it up and type up the text. If you have a blog it's even easier to update. And it can act as a central place to collect your client contact information: - You can put sales and Discount coupons on your website. - Announcements. - Your Monthly/Weekly Newsletter. - You can have surveys.
CONS: Your web presence will need to be updated regularly... even if it's a static website. It depends on the kind of website you have,
In the olden days of the 1990's people needed to pay a webmaster to help you with this. This was the trouble in the past as to why so many people had so many defunct and ineffective websites... but that's all a thing of the past if you follow my instructions... You'll have a simple to edit and update website where pretty much anyone can keep it up to date... yet it will look very professional.
| Top Reasons to Get a Blog or Website: - Put your company hours of operation. - Put Sales and Discount Coupons on your website. - Put announcements and updates. - Put your Monthly/Weekly Newsletter. - Put surveys, questionnaires, opinion polls. - Pre-sell potential clients. - Put your company's story. - Put key staff member's bios. - Sell Gift Certificates. - Sell your Products or Services. - Collect your clients contact information with a form . - Ask your clients to refer others to you with a form. | "Did You Know? More people use the web over the Yellow Pages to shop locally these days!" Top 15 Resources to Help You Get a Blog or Website: DIY = Blogger, Weebly, GoDaddy, GDI, Packaged Features = NPN, FireReply, Marketing = IneedHits, Adwords, Local Leads, Sell Online = PayPal, Amazon, Ebay, Google Checkout, Yahoo, ClickBank. | "Did You Know? You can get various types of local leads for any type of business online!" YOUR NEXT STEPS ACTION LIST: - Brainstorm a Domain Name, - Get your Blog or Website up, - Add superb content, - Add features, - Market your Blog/Website online, - Market your Blog/Website offline. | |
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