Posts Tagged local small business
Beware Free Website Offers
Posted by admin in Content Development, Digital Marketing, Getting Started, Website Development on July 15, 2022
Some businesses make “FREE” website offers.
Reading their ads, it sounds like the client gets a free website, and pays a small monthly fee to get online visibility and high ranking in search results.
The truth is, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” – Milton Friedman
And there is no such thing as a free website.
The company offering a “free website” to new clients frequently retains the domain name. This means if the client ever decides to try to take their business to a different online marketing company, they will lose any online ranking they had. All of that domain rank stays with the “free” website that belongs to the original marketing company.
And search engines like Google, Firefox, Edge, Bing, and Yahoo have shared numerous articles about how websites can rank well. A website will rank better if the website is easy to use, and has information that is helpful and interesting.
Your local small business marketing should focus on your business, brand, and service area.
Recently we looked at a free website offer that a friend had gotten from a company who said they would help them get more business.
- The evidence that the company was using a content template was clear.
- A quick Google search showed that company was using the same page template for each client. They used the same words again and again. They just changed the business name and service area for each new victim (I mean client)! Repeated text won’t fool people. And it surely won’t fool search engine robots!
- If you want to get clients, you have to give them good, original information and interesting photos and videos of your work to get and keep their attention.
If you have a small local business and would like to get started with a website for your business, or for help improving your small business website, or your digital marketing, please Contact Jax SEO Works.
Start a blog on your small business website!
Posted by admin in Content Development, Social Media for Business, Social Media Networking, Website Development on February 22, 2022
A blog can be a part of your social media program, a way to reach out and begin communicating with your web site visitors.
Your small business blog post should share information people want to read. Some posts should (of course) be about your business. Tell people about a new product or service you offer. In alternate posts, choose a topic that’s interesting, helpful, believable, and sometimes even something funny.
You can also pick a topic for your blog that you can relate to your small business. Your blog topic should be something you know about, or you will have to do research just to find subjects to blog about. For example, if your business installs gutters, consider blogging about home improvements.
Do some research on the Internet.
- Find out which small business blogs / bloggers are rated most popular for your blog topic.
- Read some popular blog posts.
- If you can add helpful information to the discussion, leave a comment and (sometimes, if you feel it’s appropriate without being “spammy”) a link to your web site. (It is considered bad manners to just leave a comment like, “Nice article.” or “Very informative.” And even worse when you add your name, business name, and website link to your too casual comment.)
Your various blog posts should mix in a little marketing, advertising, and promotion. Your posts should always include an easy path for web site visitors to contact you for more information.
Your goal should be to make new posts on your small business blog on a regular schedule. You might, for example, one to two times each week, or that often each month. Regular posting also adds new content to your web site, which both visitors and search engines like to see.
What do you think ? Do you have any other helpful ideas to share ?
Like some help improving your small business web site?
Contact Jax SEO Works today!
A Lint Free Vent
Posted by admin in Recent Projects, Website Development on April 8, 2021
A Lint Free Vent is a mobile clothes dryer vent cleaning service, serving homes in the Jacksonville, Florida area.
Every day you use your clothes dryer, your dryer vent collects little pieces of flammable lint in the dryer and the exhaust ductwork. In addition to being a growing fire hazard, the collected lint increases the time it takes to dry items, and decreases the efficiency of your dryer. Getting an annual dryer vent cleaning by a mobile service like A Lint Free Vent will eliminate this hazard.
Owner Eddie Kyles had a website built for his business, but then the company who built the site went out of business without letting Eddie know, and didn’t send him any information to access his website. When the domain became available again, Jax SEO Works helped Eddie secure his business domain name, and reliable GoDaddy hosting, and then built him a business website.
Now Eddie’s clients can read about his business online, and contact him with a message, whenever they choose to.
A cleaned dryer vent will help your laundry dry more quickly AND help protect your home from a dryer vent fire – good reasons to get your clothes dryer vent cleaned annually. Get convenient, mobile service. Just Call A Lint Free Vent – 904.537.1483.
And if you need help getting your small business on the internet, Contact Jax SEO Works; we like to help small businesses.
A website can benefit a small business.
Posted by admin in Content Development, Digital Marketing, Getting Started, Social Media for Business on September 16, 2020
The Internet is huge!
There are almost 2 BILLION websites on the internet!
How can your website stand out among so many websites, to let people know about your small local business?
A well built and optimized website can help more people in your community find out about your business, and what makes your business special.
Anyone can have a basic website made and launched on the internet.
And who hasn’t heard promises to “Get your website on the first page of Google search results”?
What helps your website stand out from all of the millions of other website is when you put the facts about your small local business on your website, telling your story about your service or business, and what makes your business special.
No one else can tell what makes your product or service special like you can.
- Is it how you always have a fresh flower for each lady who comes to your store?
- Do your service people put on a clean set of overalls and booties when they get to the client’s home?
- Or do your service representatives roll out a durable carpet protector to make sure they don’t leave a trail across your living room?
- Or that your business only uses lawn care chemicals that are safe for pets and kids?
You know what makes your small local business stand out, what makes it special, and Jax SEO Works can help you create a website or improve the one you have, to share that special message with your community.
Social media is an important way of letting your community know about you and your business. Often, a Facebook page can help you share timely updates with potential clients – sales, specials, new products or services, new employees, and more. People buy from businesses that they trust, and social media can help your community fans get to know you and build that trust. LinkedIn profiles for a business owner and members of the business team can also help people get to know the people who make the business work.
Jax SEO Works is experienced in helping small local businesses get better results with their website, and build trusting relationships with their community using social media.
If you would like a website built for your business, or get your business website revised and updated, or find out more about getting started in social media like Facebook and LinkedIn, Contact Jax SEO Works today to get started !
Small Business Owners – Do Yourself a Favor!
Posted by admin in Resources, Website Development on May 8, 2019
Talented local business owner and marketing professional, Susan Pelter
recently shared this insight for small business owners:
“Dear Small Business Owner: If you’re considering a new website, to be developed as a “great deal” by a large development company, do yourself a favor and read the fine print. Can you update the site yourself? Do you own the content and images in the event of a divorce? Are they charging you out the wazoo for hosting you could purchase for a fraction of the price yourself? And for heaven’s sake, don’t let them “get the domain for you,” because they can then hold you hostage for a lot of money should you ever part ways. If you have any questions, call me and I’ll give you an earful for free as a public service! #ethicalbusinessowner”
Couldn’t have said it better myself! Find out more about Susan and the many helpful professional business services she provides on her website – https://susanpelter.com/ .
Always nice to share the goodness. Got questions? You can also Contact Jax SEO Works contact Jax SEO Works. We like to help!
A competitive business advantage.
Posted by admin in Digital Marketing on February 11, 2010
What makes your business stand out from others that offer the same type of product or provide the same service?
We agree with Duct Tape Marketing; you can find the competitive advantage your business has by periodically asking your customers questions like these:
1. What made you decide to hire us/buy from us?
2. What’s one thing we do better than others with whom you do business?
3. Is there something we could do to create a better experience for you?
4. Will you refer us to others, and if so, why?
5. What words would you type into a search engine like Google to find a business like ours?
While it’s always good to hear complimentary answers like “Your company provides superior service.”, you’ll need to ask your customers for specific responses to have the information you need.
Start finding out what your customers think about your business; put questions like this onto a form and ask a few of your customers each month. You can learn a lot from your customers.
Then you can focus your advertising on your competitive business advantage, and attract even more customers for what you do best!
Has a survey like this been helpful to your company? Leave a comment and let us know.
Survey image originally posted by codetechnology.wordpress.com/2008/06/
Social Media Can Help Promote Your Local Small Business.
Posted by admin in Getting Started, Social Media for Business on January 16, 2010
Get the New Year off to a Great start by getting your business involved in Social Media Marketing.
Like Li Evans shared in an article on local small businesses and Social Media Marketing on Search Engine Watch, “Small businesses have some huge advantages in social media over the Walmarts of the world. . . have a much easier time personally connecting with their audience because, more likely than not, they know the majority of them personally.
Those personal connections make it much easier to build your communities in social media sites . . . . People readily become your fan, recommend you to other local friends, and tag and submit their own photos that help promote your local business.”
Find out more in Li’s YouTube video:
Getting your business involved in Social Media Marketing may seem new and intimidating. But it can be easier than you think. More social connections allow you to build a broad base of trust in you, your business, and your products or services. That base of trust can mean more customers for your business.
There is one thing that you DO NOT want to do with your business social media outreach. Don’t only share information with the intent to sell your product or service. Sell, Sell, Sell gets old. Better to “mix it up”. Share positive information of general interest to the local public (if you are a small, local business) from time to time.
Let Jax SEO Works help your website grow your business! Contact Jax SEO Works today!