Google and the Small Business Administration have partnered to educate
local businesses about how to succeed online. Each video describes how a
small business owner successfully uses the internet to grow his or her business.
It's important to be where your customers are...online!
Highlight important contact details in your listing,
such as address, phone number, and email address.
Use local listings and a website to build your
representation on the web. Local listings help your business
display details, while a website is your virtual store
front.
Complete every available listing field to give your
customers even more information.
SalonRed provides a creative and compassionate salon environment in Decatur, GA. It excels in the services industry because it uses a website and local listings to help customers find its locations and book appointments.
Display Imagery on Your Website
Tips for Success
Post as much information about your business as possible
on your website, including location, contact information,
and description.
Upload high quality photos and videos to show your
unique offerings.
Make your website user friendly.
Make My Cake is family owned and operated. It provides Harlem, NY, with great tasting baked goods in an intimate neighborhood setting. Its recent website redesign allows Make My Cake to display vivid imagery of its offerings and to sell its products online.
Engage Customers with a Website
Tips for Success
Build pages that are easy and simple to navigate.
Benchmark sites you like and try to incorporate the best
elements of each on your site.
Brainstorm ways to show your customers what you do well
offline, on your website. Be creative.
Lumus Construction designs, constructs, and renovates public facilities, and specializes in renewable energy and fire mist prevention. It uses its website and online maps to both research projects all over the United States and show potential customers examples of its past work.
Interact with Your Community Using Free Marketing
Tips for Success
Use social media to ask your customers what they think about
your business. Gather all the feedback and improve where ever
possible.
Post as much content as possible to inform of specials and
promotions.
Find where your customers are online and engage them.
FuegoMundo creates a unique dining experience by bringing the flavors, spices, and culture of South America to Sandy Springs, GA. The restaurant uses social media to request feedback from its customers for improvement. Even its name was decided on a social network!
Promote Using Free Online Marketing
Tips for Success
Utilize free marketing to announce specials, deals, and
changes to your offerings. Be as clear and specific as possible.
Build a relationship with your customers by listening to
what they are saying online.
Reach people beyond your local area. Decide who you want to
reach and use free marketing to target and engage them.
Humphry Slocombe makes premium ice cream in the Mission District of San Francisco, CA. With flavors such as Secret Breakfast and Pistachio-Bacon, it creates a vibrant social media following around the world. It uses social media to inform its customers on new menu items and to gather feedback.
Educate Your Customers Using Free Marketing
Tips for Success
Produce original content specific to your offerings and
industry.
Use free marketing to teach and engage the community. It
doesn't have to directly lead to a sale to be effective.
Ask your customers how you can help them learn more about
you and what you offer.
Skaters Landing is a national retailer and e-tailer of products and accessories for the skating industry. Although located in CT and MA, it uses free marketing online to teach customers from all over the world about its industry. Specifically, Skaters Landing's informational videos give customers video tutorials on how to properly shop for and use skating products.
Grow with Paid Online Advertising
Tips for Success
Complement your traditional advertising with paid online
advertising to reach consumers while they are in front of their
computers.
Search and display advertising are highly customizable. You
have full control over keywords, creative, and your budget.
Design creative specific to your services and
offerings.
Mandy Scott Flowers creates beautiful floral arrangements in its San Francisco, CA, location. As a premium boutique flower shop, she competes with national brands using paid online advertising. By only showing ads to a very targeted group of customers, she ensures her tight advertising budget is used effectively.
Measure Results with Web Analytics
Tips for Success
Web Analytics allows you to measure and track how your
customers interact with your website.
Analyze your web analytics account to determine how you can
improve your site layout and attract new customers.
Once web analytics isimplemented, you can see where
customers came from, how long they stayed on your site, and
where they clicked.
TCHO's start-up mentality, combined with its unique location on Pier 17 in San Francisco, CA, merges technology with chocolate production. It uses web analytics to constantly improve its website's layout, ensuring consumers are engaging with its products in the most effective possible.
Google and Small Business Administration
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people
around the world with information every day. Google is a top web
property in all major global markets. Its targeted advertising
program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results,
while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is
headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the
Americas, Europe and Asia.
The Small Business Administration recognizes that small businesses
are critical to our economic recovery and strength, to building
America's future, and to helping the United States compete in
today's global marketplace. Through an extensive network of field
offices and partnerships with public and private organizations,
SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States,
Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Guam.
This web site is provided as a public service under Cosponsorship Authorization 10-2110-16. It is not an official U.S. government web site and may contain links to non-U.S. government information. Inclusion of such links does not constitute or imply an endorsement by SBA. SBA is not responsible for the content, accuracy, relevance, timeliness or completeness of linked information. Please use caution when considering a product, service or opinion offered by a linked web site. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.