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7 Steps to Getting Publicity for Your Small Business
By Marcia Passos Duffy
Part 5: You Have a Website. Now What?
Your website is up and running. So, now what? How do you get people buy your
products and services?
First, imagine how you surf the web.
Are you surfing to buy something? Rarely.
You use the web to look for information, scan text. Occasionally you’ll buy something if
you are absolutely certain you can trust the vendor.
This is very different from reading a newspaper, magazine or brochure. It’s also different
from walking into a store.
Think about how you end up buying a product on the web. For example, you are
looking for information about how to cane a chair. You’d like to do it yourself, but you’
re not sure what you’ll need or how difficult it will be. You Google “how to cane a
chair.” You quickly go to each listing, looking for a website that gives you that
information. You skip past the companies with a mile-long listing of their products on
the homepage.
You finally find a website that tells you step-by-step what you need.
It has a toll-free number to call for information on any questions about the text. Then it
has a free newsletter for you to sign up to learn more about caning chairs. It suggests
great books to get more in-depth information. You read about the founders of the
company and how they became experts in chair caning. Oh, and by the way, they also
sell all materials for caning chairs. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of caning a
chair yourself, they will do it for you. Buying from them is easy and it’s secure.
Can you trust this company? Probably. Will you buy from them if you needed materials
for caning your chair? There’s a good chance you might.
Try this with anything you’re looking for on the web. And take notes on the sites you
stay on for more than a second. These are the websites you want to emulate for your own
business. These websites generally have these things in common:
1. They are easy to navigate
2. They are relaxing to the eye -- no flashing tacky neon letters.
3. They are written in a friendly easy-to-read style.
4. And, most importantly, these sites provide useful information.
Next up: We'll talk about how to use visitors to your website to get -- and keep -- loyal
customers.
Next: Part 6-The e-Newsletter
About the author: Marcia Passos Duffy is an independent writer and publicity consultant.
Learn more about how she can help your small business get recognized!
By Marcia Passos Duffy
Part 5: You Have a Website. Now What?
Your website is up and running. So, now what? How do you get people buy your
products and services?
First, imagine how you surf the web.
Are you surfing to buy something? Rarely.
You use the web to look for information, scan text. Occasionally you’ll buy something if
you are absolutely certain you can trust the vendor.
This is very different from reading a newspaper, magazine or brochure. It’s also different
from walking into a store.
Think about how you end up buying a product on the web. For example, you are
looking for information about how to cane a chair. You’d like to do it yourself, but you’
re not sure what you’ll need or how difficult it will be. You Google “how to cane a
chair.” You quickly go to each listing, looking for a website that gives you that
information. You skip past the companies with a mile-long listing of their products on
the homepage.
You finally find a website that tells you step-by-step what you need.
It has a toll-free number to call for information on any questions about the text. Then it
has a free newsletter for you to sign up to learn more about caning chairs. It suggests
great books to get more in-depth information. You read about the founders of the
company and how they became experts in chair caning. Oh, and by the way, they also
sell all materials for caning chairs. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of caning a
chair yourself, they will do it for you. Buying from them is easy and it’s secure.
Can you trust this company? Probably. Will you buy from them if you needed materials
for caning your chair? There’s a good chance you might.
Try this with anything you’re looking for on the web. And take notes on the sites you
stay on for more than a second. These are the websites you want to emulate for your own
business. These websites generally have these things in common:
1. They are easy to navigate
2. They are relaxing to the eye -- no flashing tacky neon letters.
3. They are written in a friendly easy-to-read style.
4. And, most importantly, these sites provide useful information.
Next up: We'll talk about how to use visitors to your website to get -- and keep -- loyal
customers.
Next: Part 6-The e-Newsletter
About the author: Marcia Passos Duffy is an independent writer and publicity consultant.
Learn more about how she can help your small business get recognized!
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