Small Business Survival: Going Online

The small business sector is extremely competitive and anything you can do to add presence is a great way to boost sales and expand your customer base. If you an entrepreneur and want to transform your business, increase your profit margin and introduce your goods or services to markets beyond what you could otherwise reach, an online store could be just what your business needs.

Going Online: What it Takes

Going online does not need to be an overwhelming or difficult process. If you break it down to small manageable steps, you will have your e-commerce site ready for business in no time at all. To begin the process of starting an e-commerce business, a business owner should consider three important elements.

The first one is the planning stage, write up a business plan just as you did with your brick and mortar store. This can serve as your guidelines and blueprint as you tackle the rest. It is also important to analyze your competition to see what they are doing as well.

The second element is to develop a good, solid and effective marketing strategy. Consider who your target audience would be and which type of customer would be most attracted to your goods or services. You should determine not only how to get word out you are in business, but a way to maintain a satisfying relationship with your customers.

The last element is knowing the tools of the trade. Many people are intimidated by computers and the thought of running their own online store, but if you take the time to learn the industry, you can make it all happen easily and efficiently. There are many online tutorials and videos that can teach you everything you need to know about opening your own online store.

Going Online in Five Easy Steps

You can have the basics of your e-commerce site set up in five easy steps.

Step one is find a web host and decide on a domain name. There are countless web hosting sites available online, look for one with excellent technical support, especially if you are unfamiliar with this process and one that charges a fair market fee.

Step two is selecting a shopping cart. Shopping cart software can range from free to a couple thousand dollars. There are many suitable free shopping cart programs, however you will want to find one that is easy for you to use and easy for your customer to navigate.

Step three would be to obtain a merchant account and payment gateway if you do not have one already. A merchant account allows you to accept credit or debit cards as payment. A payment gateway processes the payment in real time and acts as a facilitator between your merchant account and the payment method account. You can also get an account that would allow you to accept and process mobile money as well.

Step four can be as fun as you make it. The next step is to design your online store. The default option of your shopping cart software is plain and boring. If you are tech savvy enough with HTML and CSS, you can design your own template from scratch or you can choose one of the already made templates and install it in a few easy steps.

Step five is adding your inventory. If you are selling goods, make sure to include high quality pictures and detailed descriptions to tempt your customers. Make sure your site is easy to navigate and all your products are easy to find.

Your business has the chance to expand its reach far beyond a brick and mortar store by going online, the Internet has no boundaries.

The simplest and easiest way to get prospective customers to call you, beyond word of mouth, is a properly completed Google Place's Page. They are free, powerful and easy to maintain, once you have them set up properly. I share tips on this blog from time to time on this blog about how best to do so. I also have been known to hire myself out on occasion to help others get it done for them. If you would like to get your Google Places Page properly set up send me an email at enetwal@gmail.com and put "Free Initial Evaluation" or something similar in the subject line. Be sure to include your current web site and contact info.

Do you use LinkedIn?

If not you should. It’s free to set up a profile and a great way to network with key people in your community. Unlike Facebook where most people are interested in socializing and sharing photos, Linked in is about business.

And being in business, that’s just where you want to be.

The typical Linked In member is older and more affluent than the Facebook friend as a result far more likely to appreciate your home staging services. More importantly, they are far more likely to be used to the idea of paying for professional services.

LinkedIn is also a great way for you to network with other allied business professionals and build your referral resources.

I have just created a five part crash course highlighting the key things you need to know to put LinkedIn to work for your business.

Linked IN Crash Course

Technorati Tags: LinkedIn, linked in, internet marketing, crash course, linked in crash course

The simplest and easiest way to get prospective customers to call you, beyond word of mouth, is a properly completed Google Place's Page. They are free, powerful and easy to maintain, once you have them set up properly. I share tips on this blog from time to time on this blog about how best to do so. I also have been known to hire myself out on occasion to help others get it done for them. If you would like to get your Google Places Page properly set up send me an email at enetwal@gmail.com and put "Free Initial Evaluation" or something similar in the subject line. Be sure to include your current web site and contact info.

Technorati Tags: crash course, Internet marketing, linked in, linked in crash course, linkedin

What ever business you are in, it helps to have a crystal clear conception of your marketing purpose. For me, that has required a bit of reconsideration of late.

For a long time I have and continue to refer to myself as the Micro Business Specialist. This was fine as far as it went, however, what is it that I actually specialize in?

On one of my recent walks, (I have become an avid walker this past year – which has helped me lose 70+ pounds) I finally was able to crystalize just what it is I do.

I develop Online Media Customer Acquisition Strategies for both online and offline businesses.

The internet has blossomed and warped into dozens of key media that go well beyond the original web site that used to be the primary vehicle for home stagers and others to get found by their prospects.

Today, social media from Twitter, to Linked In, to Facebook and several dozen other venues are demanding attention.

Not all are equally valuable for every business. And all require more know-how than the typical business person is able to devote.  Heck, it’s hard enough for those of us who work in in the field 40-80 hours a week to keep up.

So that is what I do. I work with businesses to identify where they should strategically place their emphasis, to maximize their ability to attract customers.

Now there are some basics, that continue to start with your main web site. Most small business web sites still stink as my first eBook from several years ago stated.  But the fix, is usually not that difficult to accomplish.

What I am seeing today that is front and center and still not effectively implemented by most homestagers is their listings on Google Places Pages, and the appearance of their sites on mobile devices such as smart phones, ipods, and other such tablet devices.  Both of these are important today and increasingly important as each day passes.

Like most business people, I note that most home stagers are far more expert in their main business and tend to not pay much attention to their online marketing. Unfortunately, this is costing you potential business in your market, IF you are in a competitive one.

If you are the only homestager in 50 miles it doesn’t matter.  If on the other hand you have two or three or more friendly rivals it matters a lot.

Let me suggest that you need to focus on what your key business mantra is, and if you need more customers consider hiring me or someone like me to be your online marketing assistant. That way you can do what you do best, and I or someone like me can focus on devising effective strategies that will help keep you busy doing it.

Currently I am offering a $150 marketing review of your site, and a look see at your competition in your specific market and a proposed course of action.  If you decide to hire me to implement a particular  set of strategies I will credit the $150 toward the cost of implementation.

I also offer a 100% money back guarantee on the marketing review. If you are unhappy with what I have to offer for any reason, I will immediately refund your $150 and we will part company with no hard will whatsoever. So there is virtually no risk on your part.

To take advantage of this limited time offer, email me at enetwal@gmail.com or call me at 612-724-4392 to discuss details and timing.

The simplest and easiest way to get prospective customers to call you, beyond word of mouth, is a properly completed Google Place's Page. They are free, powerful and easy to maintain, once you have them set up properly. I share tips on this blog from time to time on this blog about how best to do so. I also have been known to hire myself out on occasion to help others get it done for them. If you would like to get your Google Places Page properly set up send me an email at enetwal@gmail.com and put "Free Initial Evaluation" or something similar in the subject line. Be sure to include your current web site and contact info.

Blatant commercial here for a new lens I produced using Squidoo on Top 10 Women’s Halloween costumes for 2011. Thought it might be of interest to you.

In the process I have created a backlink to the site from this blog. That will assist the site with both traffic from this site (if you go to see it) and a better ranking in Google when the google bots come around because they will go and see that the site is about Women’s Halloween costumes. It will remember that and give that site a bit of a boost because of the anchor text in the first paragraph saying so.

Thus I’ve turned this purely self promotional post into a mini lesson on anchor text, and backlinking. Hope you enjoyed it.

Technorati Tags: anchor text, backlinking, seo

The simplest and easiest way to get prospective customers to call you, beyond word of mouth, is a properly completed Google Place's Page. They are free, powerful and easy to maintain, once you have them set up properly. I share tips on this blog from time to time on this blog about how best to do so. I also have been known to hire myself out on occasion to help others get it done for them. If you would like to get your Google Places Page properly set up send me an email at enetwal@gmail.com and put "Free Initial Evaluation" or something similar in the subject line. Be sure to include your current web site and contact info.

Technorati Tags: anchor text, backlinking, SEO

Here’s a nice post put together by Signature Furniture rental. They asked me to post it and may well be willing to let you post in in your blogs as well. Great way to point out the benefits of home staging.

If  interested you may want to contact

Created by Signature Furniture Rental

The simplest and easiest way to get prospective customers to call you, beyond word of mouth, is a properly completed Google Place's Page. They are free, powerful and easy to maintain, once you have them set up properly. I share tips on this blog from time to time on this blog about how best to do so. I also have been known to hire myself out on occasion to help others get it done for them. If you would like to get your Google Places Page properly set up send me an email at enetwal@gmail.com and put "Free Initial Evaluation" or something similar in the subject line. Be sure to include your current web site and contact info.

I have on many occasions stressed here how important it is for Home Stagers and frankly any locally based business to learn how to get on Google Maps.

It’s actually easy, if you know what you are doing.

I am pleased to announce that my newest eBook, How to Get On Google Maps has been accepted for sale as a Kindle eBook by Amazon.

I am thrilled to have Amazon as a marketing partner. In addition to my work being available there for use by Kindle, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Android devices, PC, and Mac users.

In addition you can buy and download a pdf copy directly from How to Get On Google Maps.

Product Description
Every Business Needs New Customers.

This Kindle book describes the easiest and most effective way to get new customers for main street businesses serving a local area or region. The tools and insights provided are applicable to single establishments and chains with multiple locations.

In this book you will learn how to get your business “Found” by prospective customers by ranking high on the Google Places Pages, which are today’s answer to the now obsolete yellow pages of the last century.

Not only will you learn how to claim and set up your Google Places pages properly, you will gain insights into some of the best online marketing tactics of the day.

You will learn how to do effective keyword search using free tools. Tools that will not only allow you to better understand your own customer demands, but also to spy on your competitors and discover their secrets.

You will understand the three main ways to get of top of the search results on Google.

The specific step by step instructions to make sure your Google Places Information is complete, and what is important and what isn’t so that you show up on the favored 7 pack that Google Displays on its Map.

You will discover why you need to and how to create videos and learn about a free service you can use to create animated videos with special effects that will wow your viewers.

You will discover which other directories in addition to Google Places you want to get listed in, including Bing and Yahoo and nine others.

You will also learn of an inexpensive short cut you can take to minimize the time and effort required to complete these listings and gain valuable “citation” support for your listing.

As importantly, you will learn what not to buy.

You will also learn about a free Google service you can use to monitor your own reputation and to keep an eye on your competitors so you know what they are up to.

And finally, you will get a quick glimpse at the significant change that will render many of your competitors web pages obsolete. This same change will work to your advantage when you apply the lessons of this powerful “how to” book.

Technorati Tags: how to get on google maps, google places page, how to get found online, home staging, mareting home staging businesses, How to attract customers

The simplest and easiest way to get prospective customers to call you, beyond word of mouth, is a properly completed Google Place's Page. They are free, powerful and easy to maintain, once you have them set up properly. I share tips on this blog from time to time on this blog about how best to do so. I also have been known to hire myself out on occasion to help others get it done for them. If you would like to get your Google Places Page properly set up send me an email at enetwal@gmail.com and put "Free Initial Evaluation" or something similar in the subject line. Be sure to include your current web site and contact info.

Technorati Tags: google places page, Home Staging, How to attract customers, how to get found online, how to get on google maps, mareting home staging businesses

Today I have a guest blog post by Douglas Elliman Realty.  He is active in the New York City Condo market, which features a large number of vacant condos.  He uses Virtual Staging to assist in his efforts. Below he discusses the merits of virtual staging.

If you are interested in posting a guest blog post on this site, email me at enetwal@gmail.com and I will try to accommodate you.  If nothing else, you can get some back links to your web site that will help its ranking in the search engines.

 Virtually Staging a Home

Staging a home can be difficult, especially for those properties that are already vacant. Let’s face it; a vacant condo can appear quite atrocious if there’s nobody to maintain it. Similarly, the fact that it’s empty doesn’t help the clientele envision what it could look like, or the possibilities of redesign.

Ultimately, staging a home through a virtual service provider may be the way to go, particularly for large New York City Apartments or Condos, where there’s a ton of space, but nothing but bare walls and floors.

Here are some of the advantages to staging a home online:

• Computer generated furnishings make the home look elegant and filling.

• CGF (Computer generated furnishings) prepare the home flawlessly, leaving no room for mistake or mishap.

• Not only can the interior be redesigned, but the exterior as well.

• 3d panoramic views.

• The process also allows for items to be removed, if the seller wishes to view the home empty.

• Most importantly, everybody likes visuals, especially those that can constantly be revisited.

• In return for staging your home online through a certified professional, you’re able to sell much quicker than those with simple photographs.

It’s quite clear why virtually staging a home online would benefit the buyer/seller, and most real estate companies have already bought into the practice. In fact, the process of staging a home online through a virtual expert has become common practice, predominantly through luxury real estate brokers.

The photos generated through virtual staging can be used for brochures, cards, websites and much more. In the next few years, real estate professionals in the NYC area will probably be the first to jump at this opportunity to really make their properties shine.

Courtesy of Douglas Elliman Realty, New York Condos.

Technorati Tags: Douglas Elliman, Virtual staging, New York Condos, home staging, staging a home

The simplest and easiest way to get prospective customers to call you, beyond word of mouth, is a properly completed Google Place's Page. They are free, powerful and easy to maintain, once you have them set up properly. I share tips on this blog from time to time on this blog about how best to do so. I also have been known to hire myself out on occasion to help others get it done for them. If you would like to get your Google Places Page properly set up send me an email at enetwal@gmail.com and put "Free Initial Evaluation" or something similar in the subject line. Be sure to include your current web site and contact info.

Technorati Tags: Douglass Elliman, Home Staging, New York Condos, staging a home, virtual staging

As always, things constantly are changing. That has especially been true of the internet which itself has caused so much change in our lives and the way we do business.  While the following free report may not be central to your home staging business, it is a good idea for all of us to stay up to date on the major changes that are happening to the world wide web.  The report below is free although you will need to opt in to get your copy. I highly recommend you do that and then read it.

Like I said, it may not be central to your home staging business today, but you will be better prepared for some of the dramatic changes coming in the next year or two if you read this.

Based on alarming new data, Ryan Deiss is predicting the World Wide Web as we know it, as independent direct marketers, will be dead in 18 to 24 months.

Ryan’s outlined his findings in a shocking new report he’s calling: The “End of The Web?” Report

You can get a complimentary copy right now by clicking the link below:

http://microbusinessspecialist.com/blog/dealthofweb

Inside the report Ryan will reveal…

* The 3 giant companies who are KILLING online “mom and pops”
(like YOU!) using an old Walmart strategy…and how you can PARTNER
with them. (Yep, if you can’t beat ‘em it’s best just to join ‘em…)

* Why cheap, easy traffic (i.e. Google AdWords) has all but dried up, and the “Brute Force” traffic strategy that is more reliable and less expensive than Google…

* The “5 Phases of Technology” and why the transition from Phase 4 to Phase 5 will render most online businesses impotent over the next 12 – 18 months…

* The $200,000 “bet” I make every 30 days, and how you can follow my lead and cash-in on the largest wealth transfer the web has ever known…

* How the most common gadget in the world is killing traditional eCommerce, and why tactics like upsells and continuity may be gone forever. (There is a solution to this mess, but you have to read the report to see what it is…)

and much, much more…

Claim your free copy of his 24 page report NOW before he’s forced to remove it from the web.

Click the link below to claim your free copy now:

http://microbusinessspecialist.com/blog/dealthofweb

Ryan realizes that he’s making some very bold statements that could come back to haunt him, but he’s willing to risk his reputation to make sure that you don’t get blindsided by these massive shifts in the marketplace.

That alone just move this report to the top of my reading list!

Listen, I know this must sound like a very doom and gloom message, but Ryan assures me there is a rainbow, if you know where to look, and pot of gold too.

He believes that he’s figured out a way for few of us to profit from the coming changes. The report outlines the entire process, along with Ryan’s research data and proof points to inside the report.

Go grab your complimentary copy now Click Here =>

http://microbusinessspecialist.com/blog/dealthofweb

I’m sure that some people will say that Ryan’s being over dramatic or that he’s gotten too emotionally attached to his ideas, but I think that you’ll see: the facts back him up 100%.

Grab a copy of the End of the Web report now for FREE:

http://microbusinessspecialist.com/blog/dealthofweb

Technorati Tags: End of the Web, Ryan Deiss, internet marketing, internet marketers, internet guru, Free reports, future internet, internet future, Is the web dying?

The simplest and easiest way to get prospective customers to call you, beyond word of mouth, is a properly completed Google Place's Page. They are free, powerful and easy to maintain, once you have them set up properly. I share tips on this blog from time to time on this blog about how best to do so. I also have been known to hire myself out on occasion to help others get it done for them. If you would like to get your Google Places Page properly set up send me an email at enetwal@gmail.com and put "Free Initial Evaluation" or something similar in the subject line. Be sure to include your current web site and contact info.

Technorati Tags: End of the Web, Free reports, future internet, internet future, internet guru, internet marketers, Internet marketing, Is the web dying?, Ryan Deiss

I wrote about this in a prior post, but there needs to be a clarification and the product I recommended last time has been upgraded so I am posting this again.  It’s important to your business – if you want your prospective customers to find you online.

10-15% of all online searches today are done on cell phones and other smaller screened devices.  Your businesses web page will not show, or if it does, will not be easy to view on most of these devices.

What that means to you is that you are loosing out on potential business when a prospect cannot find you and your home staging services when they do a search unless you take steps to make your sites, “mobile ready.”

There are inexpensive solutions that have recently been brought to market if you are even the least bit tech savvy.  You will need to know how to access your server and upload items to it if you have a web page.  If you have a wordpress blog, which is my top recommendation for most home stagers, you will simply need to acquire, upload and activate a plug in.

Alternatively, if you are dependent on a third person web master you want to have a discussion with them sooner rather than later about making your web or blog site, “Mobile Ready.”

Costs for setting up a site so it is mobile ready will vary by provider. I have heard rates ranging up to $300 and more.  On the other hand, if you are or know someone who is tech savvy you can get one or the other of the following tools for much much less.  One reason why I encourage business people to learn the basics of web management so they can save themselves some of these costs. One tool is for web sites. The other for blogs.

For Web Sites
Mobi Connects for Web Sites

For Blogs:
Mobi Connect Plug In for Blogs

In the coming months and year of two the number of people searching online via their cell phones is going to mushroom. If you are mobile ready, you will have a distinct advantage over your local competitors who are not.

Make the move now, and be ahead of the curve.

The simplest and easiest way to get prospective customers to call you, beyond word of mouth, is a properly completed Google Place's Page. They are free, powerful and easy to maintain, once you have them set up properly. I share tips on this blog from time to time on this blog about how best to do so. I also have been known to hire myself out on occasion to help others get it done for them. If you would like to get your Google Places Page properly set up send me an email at enetwal@gmail.com and put "Free Initial Evaluation" or something similar in the subject line. Be sure to include your current web site and contact info.

Have you tried to look up your website on your cell phone?

Probably not nearly as classy a site as when seen on your laptop is it?

As soon as possible you need to convert your site so it looks good on phones, after all almost half of all searches to Facebook for example are now made by cell phone and most other sites are nearly that high as well.

Things keep changing, don’t they.

Click on the image below and you will be taken to a great new very inexpensive tool that will help you create mobile phone ready sites. Your site will then be visible on iphones, android phones, ipad and widows mobile devices and more.

Look for the video area and watch the four videos.  It really is easy to use, but then I play with this techie stuff all day every day. That said, it’s not very techie at all, and you could double your sites exposure in your market place. And since most other homestagers in your area are probably not mobile ready, you may find yourself one of the few your prospects can even find.

Mobile is growing rapidly, and if you want to capture more than your share of that market, this is you quickest and easiest way to lean the ropes and give yourself an advantage.

Or you can click this link: http://webtrafficdominator.net/links/2732

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The simplest and easiest way to get prospective customers to call you, beyond word of mouth, is a properly completed Google Place's Page. They are free, powerful and easy to maintain, once you have them set up properly. I share tips on this blog from time to time on this blog about how best to do so. I also have been known to hire myself out on occasion to help others get it done for them. If you would like to get your Google Places Page properly set up send me an email at enetwal@gmail.com and put "Free Initial Evaluation" or something similar in the subject line. Be sure to include your current web site and contact info.

Technorati Tags: mobile marketing