Small Business

By Pat Smith

Small business refers to a privately-owned company with fewer than 500 employees. Being a small business owner has advantages and disadvantages. While it can be easier to manage fewer employees, it can be more difficult to obtain required funds to maintain daily operations.

Starting a small business can be relatively easy as long as owners become educated about legalities and have sufficient capital funds. Those who choose to fly solo are known as entrepreneurs or sole proprietors. This can be an affordable way to become a business owner, but does require a high level of commitment.

One of the more popular strategies is starting an Internet business. However, people often fail to realize how much work is required to establish a strong foothold in this arena. Opening a small business within your local community can be difficult, but there is not nearly as much competition as within the online world.

Online businesses compete with business owners around the globe. In order to obtain top search engine rankings, Internet business owners should become well-versed in search engine optimization (SEO) techniques and understand how to incorporate a variety of online marketing strategies.

Owning an Internet business can provide unlimited opportunities for selling products, services, and information. Not only can business owners attract local customers, they can also attract global customers.

Many owners who operate a small business from a physical location often develop a website for use as an advertising tool and to provide detailed information about the company. Although there are several options for building a website, it is best to leave this task to professionals.

While premade website templates can make building a website easy, professional webmasters add in many elements that cannot be seen. These include adding meta tags, html coding, headers, footers, and elements that make the website W3C compliant. These elements are crucial in helping websites become indexed in search engines which, in turn, allows customers to locate the website via online searches.

To obtain top rankings via multiple search engines requires developing an online marketing plan. Effective marketing strategies include incorporating social media, online videos, audio podcasts, and article marketing.

Each of these marketing strategies can be used alone. However, combining multiple strategies allows small business owners the opportunity to maximize advertising efforts and improve search engine ranking.

Social media marketing offers an excellent venue for sharing podcasts, videos, and informative articles. Many small business owners utilize Facebook to build customer relationships and share marketing messages. Facebook offers a good selection of online marketing tools ranging from pay-per-click advertising to hosting contests and offering discount coupons to developing interactive polls.

Podcast marketing is an excellent choice to assist small business owners in sharing information about their product line or services. Many people enjoy listening to informative audio podcasts while they are driving or flying, waiting for appointments, and relaxing at home. Business owners who take time to learn what their listening audience prefers can explode their business for minimal advertising costs.

Online video marketing provide a venue that lets business owners build customer relations and brand awareness. Advertising messages can be serious or humorous. Business owners can participate in videos, hire actors, or create ads using a series of product images. Regardless of the format, online videos need to capture and retain viewers' attention and leave them wanting more.

Operating a profitable small business has become more challenging than ever. One of the most effective ways to stay abreast of competitors is to work with an online marketing company, such as Online Marketing DNA.

We are a one-stop-shop for all your marketing needs, regardless of whether you operate a home-based business, brick-and-mortar store, or Internet business. Our proven marketing program can launch your business to the next level; aide in building and maintaining customer relations; boost search engine rankings; and help your website become recognized as an industry-authority.

We invite you to learn more about our products, services, and private business coaching packages. Afterward, contact us to discuss your small business marketing needs and goals. We look forward to hearing from you.