Welcome to the December issue of Biz Talk! This publication is a free, subscription-based resource from Five Sparrows, LLC, which specializes in new web site development, web site re-designs, and complete online marketing services for small businesses.

We welcome your questions, comments, or inquiries at editor@fivesparrows.com. Enjoy!

How'd They Do That?

Ever wonder how your competitors get such good rankings in Google and other search engines, or why they always seem to come up ahead of your company for common search terms? Or worse yet, how do they get listed in the search results when your company doesn’t get listed at all?

Page One
This can be very frustrating for small businesses, especially those that want to improve their search engine rankings or pull ahead of the competition.  Most small businesses know that being listed on the first page of the search results can mean more web site traffic, better name recognition and visibility, and most importantly – big increases in qualified leads and sales! 

The Year In Review
This is the perfect time of year to do a quick check-up on the competition, to see what they have been up to over the past year and where they stand now, especially when compared with your company.  For instance, you may want to know:

• Where do they currently rank in the major search engines for certain keywords?
• How many inbound links do they have that “point” to their web site?
• Where are the inbound links coming from? (so you can also get inbound links from these sites)
• What types of meta data are they using on their web pages, and what keywords are they targeting?
• How many of their web pages are currently indexed in the major search engines?

This type of information can help you define a strategy to improve your own search engine rankings based on what the competition is already doing and what is working for them.  It can also show you how far you have to go to catch up or surpass them in the search engine rankings.

More Links = Better Rankings
Other information that may be helpful to know is if your competitors have been sending out press releases during the year, if they have published any articles or white papers, or if they are regularly posting to a company blog. All of these marketing activities are great ways to produce inbound links, which in turn can improve a web site’s rankings in the search engines.

By reviewing the competition, you can also gain valuable insight into new industry shifts or trends, major customer wins and losses, new competing products, and even the online reputation of your competitors. 

Check 'Em Out!
Of course, you must always stay within legal and ethical bounds when looking at competitor information, but there’s nothing wrong with checking out the competing information that your customers see in the marketplace everyday.  After all, just as you are checking out your competitors, they are probably checking out what you’ve been up to this year, too!

The Personal Touch

Good marketing is built on good relationships, which often means marketing that goes beyond the usual print ads, direct mail initiatives, or business directory listings.  Good relationships are built with consistent, credible marketing activities that also include some level of personal involvement.  Whether it’s the message of your marketing or scheduling face-to-face meetings with leads and potential clients, “the personal touch” can be instrumental in building a good marketing relationship with your customers.

One of the most effective “personal touch” methods, of course, is networking.  But are you doing everything you can to make sure your networking efforts are working for you?  Here are some easy networking strategies you can use today to help improve referrals, create new introductions, and generate more business!

1. Make sure your business associates, customers, and colleagues all have a really good understanding of what you do.  If these people clearly understand what you have to offer, it will be easy for them to recommend your products and services to others.  Take advantage of this “mini sales force” and equip them to work effectively for you!

2. Get some “face time” with new prospects.  When you receive a new lead from someone you know, ask if he or she would like to have lunch and invite the new lead to join you.  This way, you get an in-person introduction to your new lead, and can also show your appreciation to the person who passed along the lead to you.

3. Be intentional about referrals.  Let others know that your goal is to grow your business, and that “word of mouth” referrals are a key part of achieving that goal.  Be sure to be a good referral partner for others too, and ask how you can best refer business to them as well.

4. Consider joining a networking group. There are many business networking groups for you to choose from, so be sure to select one where the primary objective is to refer business to each other.

5. Attend networking events. This seems like a no-brainer, but it bears repeating.  Make the time to attend business functions, Chamber of Commerce events, and community events as part of your regular marketing efforts.  It will help you gain visibility for your company as well as build credibility in the community. Plus, you never know who you might meet that could be a great referral partner or your next big client!

A long time ago, (okay, maybe the ‘90s) small businesses that had web sites were mostly thought of as being cutting-edge and technically savvy.  Remember those days? Merely having a web site sent the message that the company was competent, professional, and innovative.

Helping, or Hurting?
Now, however, having a web site is basically an expectation, something that is essential to most small businesses today.  But having the “wrong” kind of web site can actually be worse for your business than having no web site at all.  Here are some tell-tale signs that your web site may actually be hurting your business rather than helping it:

• The site hasn't been updated in years
• The site commits web “sins” such as frames-based design, Flash intros, doorway pages, blinky-flashy images, or image-based pages
• Confusing or inconsistent navigation among web pages
• Visitor counters
• Busy, repeating backgrounds that hurt readability
• Horizontal scrolling
• Pop-up ads
• Not enough quality content
• No strong call to action
• Uses a “pre-canned” template design that is not consistent with branding
• Cannot be correctly read by search engine spiders

(Of course there are many others, but those are the biggies…)

Sending a Message
Most small businesses would love to be perceived as competent, professional and innovative, but the wrong kind of web site sends the opposite message about your business.  So ask yourself – does your web site help or hurt your business?  Does it give visitors a great first impression, or does it send some other, less positive message about your company? If you aren’t sure of the answer, then it’s probably time for an upgrade!

NEW! Competition Reports from Five Sparrows

Biz Talk is a Free Publication of Five Sparrows, LLC

Five Sparrows offers a complete line of web site and marketing services designed especially for small businesses, including web site development and re-design, online shopping, search engine optimization, e-newsletters, email marketing, search engine reporting & monitoring, and more.

Because Five Sparrows specializes in working with small businesses, we understand their specific needs and challenges.  We offer a full range of products and services at a fraction of the cost of what traditional marketing and web site firms charge, all designed to help small businesses get a big-company presence on a small company budget.

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