46% of small businesses do NOT have a website.

I read about the eMarketer study with that statistic on the Outspoken Media blog today and it grabbed me by surprise.

This means less customers for small business owners without proper online representation.

…and a huge marketing opportunity for hungry entrepreneurs.

Business Owner, Meet Blogger

Business owners get that they need a website. I know this because they tell me themselves. The only thing stopping them is trust — trust that they will get a proper site, that it won’t cost a small fortune, and trust that maintenance won’t require them to take their eyes off the primary business.

Here’s three things you can do as a business owner to ensure you get a website that attracts customers:

1. Hire a small business owner! Why not give some business to a fellow traveler who understands your struggles and goals?
2. Kill your ego. Don’t get caught up in colors and images. Clearly describe your goal for the site and extend a bit of trust to the team putting your site together.
3. Website=Net. Social media = Bait. Websites are good for converting visitors along your sales funnel, but social media is a terrific form of inbound marketing. Sites like Twitter and Facebook give you access to millions of potential fans and customers who want to learn about your business services.

Now, here’s three things online marketers can do for small business owners:

1. Give. When you’re ready to start selling your services, don’t sound like you’re selling. Give people advice, share tutorials and prove results in advance (this goes to the need for trust).
2. Take. Take notes — lots of them. Gain an understanding of what your potential client (partner) wants and make a list of bullet points, then repeat them at the close of the meeting to make sure you’re on the same page.
3. Push. Don’t let any business owner go without a website, but don’t let them settle for mediocrity either. Push people to invest in site design, SEO, and social media workshops — at least on a basic level.

OK, finally here’s three tools for building your new website:

1. Buy your freakin’ domain name! Visit a registrar like GoDaddy and secure your business name online before someone else grabs something valuable from you for only $10.
2. Think of a unique selling proposition. You don’t have to claim your business solves all the world’s problems, but you do need to share why customers should care when they land on your site.
3. Play like a marketer today. Put a game plan together for your success! If you’re a business owner, think about the goals you want to achieve and how different social networks can be used to facilitate them. Social media and web people, explain to clients (partners) how to use social networks on a limited basis at first, and how they can grow into them.

Get ready to kick butt in 2010!

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Tagged as: Small Business

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