One of the biggest mistakes that small businesses do, is that they do not advertise enough. In the article “All my business is referred” by Local Search Hound over at ConvertOffline he says:
“I understand that referred business is the best and I don’t mean to come across like search is the only answer… could be yellow pages, direct mail etc. I’m just saying not to limit yourself. And when ALL the business is word of mouth it says as much about your lack of advertising as it does your wonderfulness… so don’t make it an ego thing… you will only hurt yourself.”
He makes a good point.
With the Internet and its many opportunities to advertise on-line, there is no excuse for a small business NOT to invest some time and money into the World Wide Web.
Some of the things a small business should consider:
- website
- search engine submission
- submission of business data to local directories
- building links
- pay per click advertising
- participating in on-line communities
The best way to advertise on-line (as with any form of advertising) is to set some goals, determine how much time/money to be spent, and if you want to hire someone or do it yourself. There are many things a small business owner can do for himself while others need some technical assistance. There are plenty of “self-help” sites out there (simply type out what you are looking for in Google and bet you find a ton of site) or you can email questions here.
“If you build it, they will come” simply does not work. You have to be proactive in getting your name out there on-line. The biggest issue I see from the small business owner is that they “write off” the Internet before they ever look into it. If you fit into that category, take a few minutes and look on-line and see what is out there. Is your competitor on-line yet? Odds are he is or will be very soon.
ShowMeLocal.com 
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