How to Create a Small Business Website Home Page

By Lanee’ Blunt

A website home page is whereyou will address your customers and prospects and where customers come to learnmore about your small business. This gives you an opportunity to sell to yourprospects. Content is the most important thing about your website. It shouldlook good but it should also help sell your product or service.

“Web developers areconcerned with layout and graphics that serve primarily to make the websitemore readable and not the key drivers. Strip away the bells and whistles thatweb developers design with flash presentation, rich media and there is nosale,” according to Robert Bly in his book The Online Copywriter’s Handbook.

A home page should tell thecustomer about your small business. Know your audience and think in terms ofwhy they are coming to your website, and what are they coming to learn aboutyour small business.

Write a killer headline foryour home page. Your headline is very important and you must give a lot ofthought to it. You must attract attention and interest to your home page.People are always in a hurry and they are not going to read your business talkunless you make it worth their while and let the headline attract theirattention.

Write about the benefits ofusing your product or service. How does your service solve problems? Do yougive a money back guarantee; are you cheaper than the competition?

Reference:

Robert W. Bly; The OnlineCopywriter’s Handbook; McGrall

Claude Hopkins; ScientificAdvertising; Cosimo Classics



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Postcard Marketing Tips

By Lanee’ Blunt

Postcard marketing works ifit is done the right way. Postcard advertising is ideal for the small businessowner on a budget. You have a better chance of getting the postcard readbecause it has no envelope. It is important that you know your market becauseyou can have the best laminated postcard, with graphics design and if yourmailing list is wrong you won’t profit from the campaign.

The Offer

The postcard should have anoffer.  What does your company offer theprospect?  Your response rate will bemuch higher if your small business has an offer.  You might offer free shipping, or a specialbonus offer, or a discount on your service.

The Mailing List

Purchase a mailing list froma list broker or media company to use for a specified length of time, or for acertain number of communications. Know your audience before you order yourmailing list. It is important that you are clear about your best customers and thentry and clone them. The best lists available to you will be your house list.  A house list consists of customers and peoplethat have already responded to your ads and have bought from you in the past.

Expense

The cost is low, here in theUSA;postage for a postcard is about $0.28 opposed to $0.44 for a first classenvelope. You don’t have to send a lot of postcards at one time, and if youhave a new prospect then them a postcard.



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Market your Business by Email

By Lanee’ Blunt

Email marketing can be usedby small business to try and acquire new customers, encourage customer loyalty,and get existing customers to buy from you again. It has the ability to buildbrand awareness and loyalty by providing customers with the information thatinterest them about your product or service. The internet is an effective wayto reach your customers.

Email Letter

An email marketing letter isa good way to market your small business. You don’t want to send spam, but asales letter that will be effective.  Writea marketing letter that will get your foot in the door and get your productsold.  Email marketing letters aresuccessful if handled properly.

Newsletter

Give your prospect a lot ofuseful information. Offer the customer detailed information about yourbusiness.  Write helpful articles aboutyour line of business, or interview some of your employees. You can get a lotof information into your newsletter, far more than you can a brochure.

Create an incentive forsigning up for your email newsletter. Give them some benefits for receiving an email newsletter, for example,by stressing the great information they will be receiving from it.

Advertise in Newsletters

Not interested in sendingout your own email newsletter. You can find newsletters that are published byothers and pay for advertising in their newsletter that they email and send tosubscribers. Some newsletters are created just for the purpose of sellingadvertising space to other firms.

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