| By :
Jeff Schuman
An area of improvement many small businesses can make is in how they utilize their local business website. The internet can be a tremendous ally of businesses if used correctly, and it all starts with the online website. Here are a few examples of internet mistakes commonly made by businesses, beginning with the website: -Putting up a website and then not managing it. Websites are often treated like they're internet brochures by many businesses. The effect of this is that website visitors look at the site as more of a newspaper or phone book ad than they do an interactive website. The true effectiveness of a website is in its ability to be used for two-way communication. By getting viewers to interact- leave a comment, exchange information, ask questions, etc.- a website can be the first step towards a potential customer's involvement with the business. Using a blog in exchange for a website. If you're serious about your business, you won't allow an online journal to act as your website. The blog should only act as an instrument for a business to share thoughts and ideas with customers. But you should not allow it to replace the website as the principal site to promote your business. -Not tracking traffic to the site. Not collecting information about who is visiting your site could be the difference between experiencing huge growth and failing. This is an example of gaining a potential customer's involvement. By finding out who specifically is coming to your site, and getting some personal information, you can now begin to communicate with them via email. -Not taking advantage of search engine optimization. Successful online businesses understand this, but many traditional brick and mortar business are losing customers left and right because they don't. When you understand what key words and phrases people are using to locate a local business website like yours, you can use that information to help direct traffic to your site. -Not using a professional email at your domain. Once you've registered your URL, you need to begin using the email address for that domain for all business purposes. If you don't- and continue to use a personal email address- it doesn't give the appearance of a professional business. -Focusing too much on the website's design and not enough on the content. The more relevant pages of content you have the better the site will perform despite its design. Don't misunderstand me, it's important to have a website with a professional appearance, but it's more important to spend your time and money on the site's content. That is what will drive traffic to your site. And without traffic it doesn't matter how beautiful your website is. Summary: You must take advantage of today's technology in order for your business to not only compete, but to also survive. Focus on your local business website and how you can utilize it to grow your business.
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