If you build it, it being a website, using the “Field of Dreams” mantra, then they will come. Alas, if only it were that easy. The national brands have unlimited budgets for seemingly endless stream of Google and Facebook and Twitter ads. Chances are if you’ve clicked my article for advice, you’re not among that subset of the business marketing population.
So, how do you, Small Business Owner, compete against the monolith megaretailers for whom money is no object?
The short answer: You don’t. Sorry, thanks for reading. Slog through it until you close up shop and go to work for them.
Ahem. That’s called a reality check. Of course you can compete against the big boys. You just have to be smarter.
Here are a few quick tips as to how you can compete and compete well.
- Content. Make sure to update content on your small-business website on a regular basis. That isn’t necessarily several times a day, every day, every week, whatever. It’s what works best for you. Our recommendation is to include a Blog or News section among your menu options, and to feature recent highlights from this section in a box on your front page. Not only will fresh content make your site look like it’s actually active, but the content itself will give search engines more reasons to send people to your page.
- Use social media. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are free to use, but you’ve got to use them to get any value from them. Our advice is to make sure that every single post that you make to your social-media pages links back to a page on your business website that can bring in e-commerce.
- Use it, in general. We hear frequently from small-business owners who are afraid to use their websites, Facebook and email lists to talk to customers, fearful of offending them by looking too aggressive. The big boys don’t have that same fear. How many times have you gotten a text message from a big retailer thanking you for shopping and offering a discount on your next purchase before you’ve even left the store? The Hall of Fame baseball manager Leo Durocher said it best: “Nice guys finish last.” You can push without being pushy.
- If it’s broke, fix it. Too often, we hear from small-business owners who say something to the effect that, Well, we knew that what we were doing wasn’t working, but we’d just paid for this new website six months ago, and … Wrong answer. If it’s not working, you need to get it working, same as in any other part of your business.
Chris Graham is the president and CEO of Augusta Free Press LLC, a full-service, web, graphic design and marketing company based in Waynesboro, Va. For more information on what AFP can do to get your business in front of more customers, go online to www.AFPBusiness.com, email [email protected] or call 540-949-6574.
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