| With small business marketing and the internet the first | | | | marketing plan that, number one fits a budget and is |
| thing a business will need is a well optimized website. | | | | workable. A search marketing campaign follows a plan |
| Internet marketing for small business relies on a | | | | and the plan should have a way to measure the |
| marketing plan and the website is the foundation of the | | | | results. The technical function of building a site should |
| plan. The website must be optimized for related | | | | come only after a solid course of action has been |
| keywords or phrases someone would use to find a | | | | determined. The marketing plan can be put together in |
| business with. For some businesses a new website | | | | a few days after an initial meeting with a SEM |
| may be needed or an existing website will need to be | | | | specialist. |
| tweaked. | | | | The SEM marketer needs to research your business |
| If a website is more than a few years old it will | | | | to find a list of keywords that your best customer |
| definitely need some updating. With today's web | | | | would use to find you on the internet. After a |
| savvy population an outdated site will stand out for all | | | | discussion with you and a review of the potential of |
| the wrong reasons. With small business marketing the | | | | the keywords, is when the website would be looked |
| website is the first point of contact. The website or | | | | at. The Website should have one goal only and that is |
| technically the web page, has to have a compelling | | | | to compel visitors to take an action. The action can be |
| message to grab the attention of the visitor. A website | | | | as simple as to leave an e-mail address while |
| will have a half a second or less to say "HEY, LOOK | | | | requesting more information, make a purchase, book |
| HERE" (shouting intended). | | | | an appointment or call the business direct. Any one of |
| Internet marketing for small business if done well can | | | | these actions is called a conversion. Conversions are |
| reward the business owner with an almost unlimited | | | | the goal. |
| supply of new customers. If the search engines find a | | | | When looking for someone or a company to work |
| webpage with relevant content for a search term then | | | | with on SEM for your business you will also hear about |
| the website that that page is on can gain first page | | | | SEO which stands for Search Engine Optimization. If |
| placement in the search engine. The first page can | | | | you look up SEO or SEM at Wikipedia you'll get similar |
| receive over 90% of the search traffic for a term or | | | | definitions. Suffice to say Search Engine Marketing and |
| keyword. We'll talk about keywords more in a minute. | | | | Search Engine Optimization go hand in hand. In this |
| The thing is, a website can dominate one page with | | | | article I'm addressing natural or organic traffic, there is |
| more than one listing while showing up for multiple | | | | a lot more that the SEO/SEM specialist will take into |
| phrases on multiple pages. Depending on the term or | | | | consideration when organizing a plan for a business. |
| keyword, there can be hundreds if not thousands of | | | | SEM and SEO best practices overlap. |
| inquires for the term or phrase. | | | | To get started marketing your business on the internet |
| If you are a small business owner and you are not | | | | get a hold of a SEM/SEO specialist. And I also want to |
| sure about your site talk to a SEM (search engine | | | | mention that you shouldn't get too hung up about |
| marketing) specialist not a website designer and here | | | | speaking to someone that says they are a specialist |
| is why. Building a website is a technical function and a | | | | for your industry. Smart businesses look outside their |
| skilled designer can knock out a site pretty quick these | | | | industry for ideas and inspiration all the time. With SEO |
| days. Designers are now hiring SEM specialists to | | | | and SEM you are looking for someone that |
| enhance their client's web marketing needs. This is not | | | | understands what it takes to get a website to the top |
| to say that all designers don't understand marketing or | | | | of the search engines. Looking at a specialist that only |
| optimizing a website. You just want to make sure of | | | | works within one industry may result in a myopic |
| the direction of YOUR marketing before designing the | | | | solution. The search engines reward uniqueness, this is |
| site | | | | one time when doing what everyone else in your |
| The SEM specialist will take the time to learn about | | | | industry is doing may not be the right thing for your |
| you and your business in order to come up with a | | | | business future. |