Over the past year that Mystic Liquid has be open to the Northeast Pennsylvania, we have come to realize that there are two types of business owners out there. There are the ones that have lots of money for marketing their business and then there are those that are running on fumes. Most of the small business owners that we talk with are the latter. That is not to say that is good or bad, but in these troubling economic times it is what it is in the business world. One thing is for certain though, PA small business owners are looking to make money and they are just not seeing the return on investment with offline marketing as they did a couple of years ago. So internet marketing for the small business owner has become the new rage in the marketing arena. As a small business owner in Pennsylvania or anywhere really, how can you get in on the action and make a profit online?

The biggest benefit that online marketing can give a small business is reach. What I mean by that is with traditional offline marketing efforts you might reach a regional audience or if you have the money then you can go with TV advertising and reach a bigger audience. Online marketing can reach around the world. You incorporate that reach with proper shipping lines and you have yourself the makings of a very profitable business. Granted it is not that easy, but that is the theory around online marketing for a small business. Then again if you are just looking to stay local or if you are an establishment of sorts then maybe global is not your goal. That’s ok, the internet can still bring the right customers to your doorstep through local search. There is just more flexibility with small business online marketing.

The main difference between offline and online marketing is the ease at which you can attract qualified clients to your business. Before it was a shot in the dark with census reports and such that the radio sales people use to get your small business advertising dollar. The Internet helps a small business owner have any size budget and gain qualified clients with little effort.

The main difference this time around is the fact that the internet is a big player in the business world now. Back in the eighties the internet was merely an idea and was pretty much nonexistent. Online marketing was not even invented and search engine marketing was a thing of imagination. Most small business owners underestimate the power of internet which is probably the last thing on their mind when the bills are piling up at home and in the business mail slot. Here is an example that might help illustrate my point.

Let’s say there is a Pennsylvania small business owner that sells exquisite deer antler lamps, but has seen his business decline over the past couple of months. He does not have a website and only advertises in the local to regional area. Now most marketing execs would say well he needs to expand his advertising outlets and possibly area. The problem is that both of those could cost a lot of money which as we all know is very tight during a recession. Now let’s say there is a woman who lives in Wyoming that is looking for an exquisite deer antler lamp for her husband’s Christmas gift. Following the traditional line of thinking the marketing execs had would never help produce a lead for the PA small business owner. The question this example raises is how do you as a small business owner reach the clients that are looking to spend money with you?

The answer is by having a website for your small business with either a shopping cart or just a way for customers to contact you could help achieve new lines of income. If you then incorporate a small business web design with a small business SEO plan this could further help you reach clients that you would normally be missing and in turn reach those that need your products and services. That is the solution to overcoming this recession and the key to keeping your small business thriving for years to come.

There are two choices when you are doing small business SEO, do you want traffic or you want rankings? Most small business owners want both, but in reality websites that are just starting with no links need a strong link base and the rankings. So in that case a PA small business owner should look to building links on relevant sites with high traffic keywords. By following this practice your site will begin to see some traffic as well as help with organic SEO rankings.

Now if you want sheer traffic then there is another route to go. Usually a Scranton small business owner will request traffic when they have a solid diversified link profile and have had some history built up in analytics. You can think of it as giving your car a shot of jet fuel. This can be done through various social media sites like Myspace and Facebook as well as submitting your site to various social bookmaking sites. Never underestimate the power of the social media sites. You can even go after the media side of the internet with sites like YouTube. Developing video shorts about your products or your company could bring you a lot of traffic.

The bottom line before developing seo for small business website is to make sure you know the life stage that your website is in. If you site is just starting out then you need to develop its link profile through link building. If you site has been around for awhile then you might need to look into developing lines of traffic through social sites and video sites.

Over the past couple of months I have met several small business owners in the Scranton, PA area who have had the same questions about web design and search engine marketing, so I figured I would take a moment to share them with you. I will also provide the answers so you can become a little more knowledgeable in small business web design and online marketing.

Question #1: How come there are no sales happening at my online store?

Well that is a common myth that if you build it they will come mentality does not work in the online e-commerce world. You have to make sure your small business website is optimized with proper meta-tags and then you have to market your site online through paid and organic efforts among others.

Question #2: What is Web 2.0 and do I need it?

Web 2.0 is a term that was created to explain the next evolution or step in how we as a society use the World Wide Web. This current phase can help Scranton web designers as well as online marketers bring new customers to their clients by using social media networks and video. So yes embracing web 2.0 into your marketing plan is essential for small business online marketing success.

Question #4: What is the difference between paid and organic search?

The main difference is time. With paid search you can pay to be on the top of the search engine results by way of ads and it would be a matter of hours before you see your ads running along your competition. With organic, it might take several months to see results of link building efforts with in your small business SEO service. Either way time is what you need to be aware of when considering the right route to go.

Question #5: How big of a website do I need and do I need all that flashy intro stuff?

Google and the other search engines do take into account the size of your site when calculating rankings, but size is not everything. A well optimized small business website with only a couple of page could out rank a larger site if it had a solid number of backlinks. Being a Scranton web designer and a small business SEO professional, having a fancy intro is not great for rankings. Sure it makes the site exciting, but it all depends on the type of computer the visitor has on whether the movie plays right or hangs up the browser. You are better of with a site full of embedded videos and pictures then a flash intro.

I have to say that Scranton small business owners have come along way in understanding the internet and how it can benefit them and their business. These are only a few of the questions that I get asked on a daily basis. If you have any questions feel free to contact me through the contact form and I will be happy to help.

What is Local Search?

Besides the usual optimized small business web design package, you have to get the word out about your great new website.  Offline marketing of your new small business website can only take you so far online that is where local search marketing. Google has come up a great marketing approach for small business owners to reach targeted customers when they search for related terms using the Google search engine. By incorporating Google Maps they have brought visually the location of your small business as well as all the vital details. This service is called Google Local Search.

What can Local Search Do for my business?

If you type in to the Google search bar “Scranton Web Designers” and you will see a map from Google Maps show up in the results. On the side of the map you will see a list of the companies that have created an account in Google for local search. Now you may be asking yourself, how do I get my small business on there? Well you go to the Google Local Business Center and sign your business up. There are a lot options in the making of a profile so make sure to fill out as much as you can. Once there the next step is to work on local search engine optimization to get in the list with your competition. The best and easiest way is to get your customers to write reviews of your business using your Google local search listing. This will help your listing to rise above the competition and help potential customers get a better idea of your products and services.

Mystic Liquid specializes in helping small business in reach customers through local business search and many other online marketing options. Drop us a line on our contact form and we can help you with your local search advertising efforts.

Well, calm your fears and worries because a website properly optimized for Web 2.0 can and will make money. The concept behind Web 2.0 is simple enough. The internet is entering a period of increased interactivity. Small business website design is now built and optimized around users taking an active role in building, defining, and even moderating the content and direction of the site.

The short, short version is basically this: All of those people who visit the internet everyday now add their own feedback, content, and videos to the majority of the most popular sites online.

Taking a step back for a second, you realize that this isn’t exactly a ground breaking idea. After all, blogs, forums, and networking sites have been around since the beginning of the internet and their reputation of interaction and user contribution has long been known.

What makes Web 2.0 different now than before is the shift in focus rather than in actual technology. Popular websites like MySpace and Facebook brought this concept of social Web interactivity to forefront of daily internet users, instead of just dating sites and focused discussion groups, no offense WOW fans. The average user now has their very own voice and face, hence the idea of a new focus in website design and small business search engine marketing.

So the last thing you, as a savvy small business owner looking to get involved in ecommerce, should do is allow yourself to be intimidated by all the hype of Web 2.0. It doesn’t take any expensive new software or programs. Nor do you need to completely overhaul your marketing mentality to find success in the midst of this new social media optimization movement.

What you need to go is jump in and get involved. Your customers, the ones you communicate and do business with over the internet, expect greater access to your business and increased input in how your marketing plan is run, so it’s only natural that your business incorporates this Web 2.0 interactivity into its daily activities.

The real results of Web 2.0 hype is improved customer relations, readily available market data, and new and exciting ways to promote your business’s products and services. This new era represents a leap in the human consciousness more than it does an advance in Internet technology and Mystic Liquid wants to be there to help you make that jump.

Contact us to get started with your very own small business search engine optimization and social media optimization campaign today.

]]> http://www.mysticliquid.com/seo/the-progress-of-web-20-and-your-business/feed/ 0 http://www.mysticliquid.com/website-design/advantages-of-a-smart-small-business-website-design/ http://www.mysticliquid.com/website-design/advantages-of-a-smart-small-business-website-design/#comments Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:47:33 +0000 admin http://www.mysticliquid.com/blog/?p=58 Are you in the process of drawing up plans for the design and development of your very own small business website? You should spend an extra amount of time on a valuable question far too many Scranton website design companies overlook – Are looks more important than design and usability?

A small business ecommerce website says a great deal about you and your business. Often times, either the look of it or its ease of use are the difference between making a sale and the customer leaving to shop with another website. That’s money coming out of your pockets!

In reality, when it comes to website design and development, both elements of looks and usability are of crucial importance. If you think your business would be best suited with all of the elements of creativity, design and development, a smart website design company can create the perfect blend of both looks and usability. It’s the final goal of Mystic Liquid’s small business website design and development.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen far too many websites that are either all of one side of the argument or the other. Sure a great looking website does just that – it looks great. Now try to implement an ecommerce shopping cart to a website built totally in Flash. That’s a project I wouldn’t to be assigned. The same is true for a great functioning and easy flowing website that looks too cold for a customer to feel comfortable with. Customers shopping online are going to stop and pay closer attention to your website when it not only looks nice and attractive but also is designed in a pleasing and simple manner.

Once you’ve get the attention of a prospective customer by designing and developing a great looking website, you better keep them there. A website difficult to use will frustrate that shopper causing them to bounce off somewhere else. You only have a small window open to grab their attention and then keep it. It is imperative to your website design and development that you want a completely user friendly final product.

Hopefully, some of these suggestions make sense to you. We’d love to get them into action for you and your small business. Mystic Liquid’s ultimate goal with website design and development is to help Scranton small businesses find a web presence. An attractive and user friendly website is the perfect place for us to start.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions about how Mystic Liquid can help you.

Let me show you just a few of the reasons you may want to think about coming to us for a complete website redesign.

Making Your Website Look More Attractive – Does your small business have a website just for the sake of having a website? Is it just a small one that covers just the basics with no bells or whistles since you had no experience in website design? If either of these questions sounds familiar, then chances are you should redesign your website. As a business owner, you want the best results. A major key to seeing success comes from how appealing your website looks.

Organization Can Make All The Difference – Another main reason to get a site redesign is because right now your website is terribly unorganized. Older small business websites contain information scattered throughout the entire site, without any rhyme or reason. Chances are visitors may not find the information they are looking for or get confused by the flow of it and leave. Say goodbye to that potential sale then.

Develop the Right Style For Your Website – Every site designer I know all agree that style is one of the most important aspects of a small business website. We all have those certain things which we would love to see on our websites, but there is also other “stuff” you need to take into consideration when designing a website, for example, what is most suitable for your business, and what would a visitor be most interested in seeing. With a website redesign should could one developed for the style which you are looking for and deserving.

Promote Your Website – One of the main keys to a company’s ecommerce success is the extent of their website promotion. There are a number of different ways to increase your site’s visibility. Some of these are search engine optimization, email campaigns, social media campaigns, PPC campaigns and other forms of internet marketing.

Stay tuned later this week for part two of why a small business should consider redesigning their website.

We have all heard about the many viral marketing campaigns that Snow Patrol and other unsigned bands used to create buzz using the internet, but what if you are just starting out and want to make a splash in the scene? I took on the project and begin to find some great resources for links and many social networking sites that could be very useful to spread the word about this new site.

The question comes down to what are some major components that need to be a part of an effective band or music site? I would have to think that a bio, contact, and a song page are the most important. After that you could go after pictures or even the video side of the industry. This can be accomplished through Youtube and some other social video sites. After that you can use the integration of a media player to play some songs while protecting them from scrapers.

Once you have the fans it comes down to keeping them. This can be done in variety of ways in today’s web 2.0 world. Mobile updates, Skype, RSS feeds from blog and even the old standby of emailing can be used to update your fans and visitors to your site of upcoming events and gigs.

The number one rule that we found while developing this band website was that the user must come first. That means that the experience and usability is key to developing a loyal fan base for years to come. Make sure you check your website in all the major browsers. This will ensure that the overall experience is the same for all that come to your site. Once the site is ready to go now is the time to spread the word.

This can be done on many of the social sites like Myspace and Facebook, but make sure that your website has a bookmark feature so that people can link to your site which will help in the SEO of the site. Also try and get links on the websites of the bars and clubs that you play. This will help with a better overall link structure. By interacting with your fans through the social sites and building traffic you can then use your analytics to judge if you need to optimize some other pages on the site. This brings us to the last point which is how to monetize your band website.

Traditionally this is done through merchandise sales. Not to worry if you do not have the coin to buy hundreds of t-shirts and merchandise with your logo on it. There is a website that will allow you to offer merchandise while keeping your overhead low. One such site is CafePress.com. There are many more site like them on the net with different deals and such, so spend the time and do the research. Once you have the merchandise next is the shopping cart. Find a reliable and integrated platform with unique landing pages. This will help in the online marketing of your band and products.

After several weeks of learning the ins and outs of the band and music website industry, we are proud to say that our friend’s website is starting to gain some fans and even seeing some sales.