Featured Website: ShreveportPT.com
Our featured website is Shreveport-Bossier Personal Training. It is a great example of a small business website that is not only visually appealing but also ranks at the top of Google searches. We have only been working on the targeted Google search engine optimization for about a week, but the site already is ranked at #2 for our primary targeted Google search, “Shreveport Personal Trainer.” If you are in the Shreveport or Bossier area and are interested in affordable, effective web design, please contact me.
5 Reasons Every Small Business Needs a Website
Why does a typical brick and mortar, word-of-mouth small business need a website?
Many business owners ask themselves that exact question. After all, they have worked hard to please their customers and have developed an exemplary reputation. They may not even need to do a whole lot of traditional advertising or marketing since most of their new customers are referred by existing or previous clients. This speaks volumes about the quality of their work and their customer service.
I have worked for several companies that operated with a similar business model. We did excellent work and treated our clients well. As such, we did not have to do much advertising and we kept a fairly steady stream of new clients coming, and our old clients kept coming back. However, I have learned that virtually every small business has someting to gain from developing and online presence.
- Internet Search Engines are now the number one resource that consumers use to find local business information (WebVisible and Nielsen survey). That means that when someone is looking for relevant local businesses, trying to find your phone number, trying to find you address etc, they are using Internet search engines! In fact, 74% of users preferred using search engines over other methods such as traditional yellow pages, white pages, etc. In addition, 67% of those surveyed said they would rather use Internet yellow pages over the traditional printed yellow pages.
- Online Searches drive off-line word-of-mouth recommendations. You know those word-of-mouth clients who are so loyal to you? Well you will get even more of them by utilizing the internet. The survey showed that 54% of respondents referred a friend to a local business within 90 days of finding it online. Of those who recommended a business to a friend after finding it on a Google search, 59% of them verbally recommended the business, 38% of them emailed a link to their friend, and 3% wrote a favorable review on a website.
- A TON of people shop online. In fact, 72 million customers shopped online in 2007, up from 60.7 million the previous year. 11% of those customers will do 75% or more of their shopping online. So if you own a retail business or sell any kind of products, you are missing out in a huge potential customer population if you don’t have an online storefront.
- An online presence will improve the perception of your business. Customers view a business with an effective web presence favorably and assume that the business is keeping up with technology and current trends. We all know that perception is reality when it comes to marketing.
- Business websites offer an excellent cost-to-value ratio. The costs of developing and maintaining a website for your business are relatively low compared to other forms of advertising. The amount of information that can be provided online and accessed 24 hours a day is limitless and can provide a great service for your customers at a relatively low cost to you.
I think the following excerpt from the Carolina Chamber of Commerce sums it up best:
The bottom line for a local business is that their potential customers are increasingly going online to search for the same goods and services they offer, while they continue to spend their ad dollars on traditional, non-measurable, less effective media. Right now it’s a missed opportunity, with a decidedly attractive cost-benefit ratio for those willing to embrace it as a core component of their marketing strategy. And by harnessing the expertise of a professional who understands how to build an effective website and navigate their way through the constantly evolving world of search marketing, a real competitive advantage is there for the taking.
If you are interested in an effective website design and web presence, even if you are not in Shreveport or Bossier, please contact me. We can provide you with an affordable yet effective marketing tool through a customized business website.
Bluestreak Technology, Competitor of Adobe Flash in the Embedded Device Market, Embraces the “Open Screen Project”
MONTREAL, May 2 /PRNewswire/ - Bluestreak Technology (Montreal, Paris,
Seoul) is excited to see Adobe’s initiative to open the Flash format.
Bluestreak’s own MachBlue Player runs Flash files as Rich Media
applications, such as Mobile TV, and Man-Machine Interfaces (MMI), such as
Homescreens.
“Adobe’s decision comes at the right time to take the lead for
interactive applications over Java and specialized HTML. It will propel the
development of Flash content for mobile devices, set-top boxes and consumer
electronics,” says Paul Forostowsky, CEO of Bluestreak Technology, Inc.,
“Existing Bluestreak customers stand to benefit from a growing range of
applications.”
The MachBlue Player currently runs Flash files on multiple embedded
devices, over 220 mobile handsets and over 75 set-top boxes to date, using
multiple platforms including Windows Mobile, Symbian, Linux, Java, as well
as many proprietary operating systems. Many wireless network and digital
television operators power their services with MachBlue, which is used
daily by millions of subscribers worldwide.
Flash(R) is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc. in the United
States and other countries.
SOURCE Bluestreak Technology
News Article: Public Relations/Website a MUST for Business of ALL Sizes
Public Relations is a MUST for Businesses of All Sizes
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Ask most business people about their Public Relations Plan and you’ll most likely receive a look of confusion and often dismay. After all, PR is a business service reserved for large corporations with lots of cash right? Wrong! PR is something even the smallest businesses should be doing every single day.
What exactly is PR? It is any activity you do to create a favorable relationship between you and potential or existing customers. Focused on educating the public about your business, products, services, and staff, it is also the most inexpensive and effective way to get the word out to your target market that you have something they need and want. Open any newspaper or magazine, listen to any TV or radio show, and you’ll find business stories about companies large and small. Guaranteed, they are all a result of good PR.
Getting your company in the media or print requires several things; a good strategy, effective PR tools, and a commitment of time and energy. So here’s a few things to consider, and do, when pushing out your own Public Relations efforts.
1. Have a comprehensive and well-written Web site. It must be easy to navigate, contain real information versus a lot of marketing jargon. For the media, your Web site is a valuable tool in determining whether you are newsworthy or not. Skip the hype and focus on the benefits of what product or service you provide.
2. Formulate a good story pitch. A good story pitch should be about something interesting or unique about your business, you, your product, service or customer. A word of advice? Keep your email pitch to a paragraph or two. E-mail it to the appropriate publication and reporter and ask them if you have a story they would be interested in. If you don’t get a hit, try rewriting it with a little different slant
3. Send out press releases on a regular basis. Like your story pitch, press releases should be interesting enough to peak a reporters attention. They should also follow appropriate formatting guidelines and incorporate answers to the traditional what, why, where, when and how? Be sure to Include all contact information, especially a cell phone number. If a reporter can’t reach you quickly, the odds are good they’ve already moved on to someone else.
Read the rest of the article at EastSideBusinessJournal.com
Business Week: Tax Tips for Procrastinators
Business Week Article: Tax Tips for Procrastinators
By: Karen E. Klein
April is right around the corner, which means it’s tax time for individuals and unincorporated small businesses. If you’re one of the many entrepreneurs who has put off thinking about taxes until the last minute, you’re certainly not alone. Smart Answers columnist Karen E. Klein recently asked several tax experts to discuss common issues and offer advice for tax-return procrastinators.
Stop Stalling. Although you’re getting a late start, you’ve still got two weeks to pull your paperwork together, figure out if you’re missing documents, and track them down from your clients, vendors, or lenders. Along with all the practical reasons to get cracking, this year there’s a financial incentive as well, says Kathy Harrison-Suits, a federally licensed, enrolled agent with Summit Capital Advisors in Tacoma, Wash. “In order to qualify for your tax stimulus rebate, you have to file your tax return. There’s one more reason to get it done sooner rather than later,” she says. Tax rebates will range from $300 to $1,500 for most households, but they won’t be mailed until your return is filed with the IRS. So stop beating yourself up, and get to work. “It’s normal to procrastinate, everybody does it,” she notes.
Use Last Year’s Return. When you sit down at that kitchen table with piles of paperwork, it can be overwhelming. Start by letting your 2006 return be a guideline for the documents you should have. “If you had an item of income or expense last year, you’ll probably have the same thing or similar this year,” says Keith Hall, a national tax adviser for the Dallas-based National Association for the Self-Employed. “It’s a good way to check off the documents you need to file and go searching for the ones you’re missing.”
Click here to read the rest of the article…
Entrepeneur.com: Internet Myths Debunked
Entrepeneur.com has a great article relating to small businesses and their need for websites:
11 different myths about the internet–misunderstandings that are “unfortunately perpetuated by the natural tendencies of small business owners,” says Kitch. “They’re cautious and conservative; they’re afraid of technology and change.”
In an effort to educate entrepreneurs, Kitch debunks these 11 myths:
1. This internet thing is going to be a revolution. “Dude, the revolution already happened,” says Kitch, pointing to the more than 150 million Americans who use the internet every day. “Anybody who thinks they can worry about the internet later is completely wrong.”
2. I don’t need a website. “You’re missing a chance to be open 24/7, essentially for free,” explains Kitch. “Why would you not do that?”
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6. My website is only for new customers. “That’s like saying repeat business doesn’t matter,” says Kitch. “Your website may or may not be the reason people come to you, but it’s definitely the reason people come back to you.”
7. My site is just for customers. What about employees, partners or suppliers? Says Kitch, “The ability to interact with these people over the web or from home gives you a huge amount of power and flexibility as you’re growing your business.”
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