The process of getting online attention for your Small Office / Home Office (SOHO) or Small to Mid-Size Business (SMB) may seem a bit daunting but it is a “MUST” investment into you, your business and your SUCCESS!
You can get started by:
- Doing a Trademark Search
- *Building Your Email List (critical)
- Registering with Major Search Engines
The following tips will help you to get started.
If you are just now bringing your company to the Internet, one of the first things we recommend is making sure the company name you choose is available not just for domain purposes but trademark too. Do an online trademark search with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. You should also check the website KnowEm.com which will allow you to check for the use of your brand, product, personal name or username instantly with over 550 social networks and 150 domain names.
Start building your email list now
It’s been our experience that many small businesses fail to implement email list building strategies as soon as possible (even before the website). Give users an incentive to sign up. Popular incentives are everything from newsletters to freebies like eBooks, Whitepapers, or video series.
Registering With Major Search Engines
It is important to create comprehensive company profiles with each of the major search engines. Your listings should include contact company information, customer ratings and reviews, relevant images, advertising videos and coupons. You should also include links to your official website and any online blogs that you are using to market your business.
Refining Your Listing Information
Most search engines will walk you through the registration process and show you how close you are to completing your listing. It is imperative to always provide real street addresses rather than P.O. boxes and local phone numbers, rather than toll free numbers. We’ve got some great tips on setting up a Personal Mail Box (PMB) and using Google Voice but don’t have room to elaborate here.
These things will help to legitimize your operations and will prevent you from getting blacklisted. One of the most vital elements of basic marketing for businesses is the creation of search engine listings. Understanding this, once you have these things in place, you will be well on your way.
We could talk for hours on each of these (and many more) basic online marketing points. Better yet give us a call (951) 291-1774 or drop us a line at Contact@MusselwhiteMarketing.com and let’s discuss it.
