C’mon you’ve heard it before (with infomercial voice-over in your head?) “You too can build a business on the Internet, work from home, and watch the cash roll-in!” Sorry. Not true. Building a business online takes a lot of work and commitment. Don’t trust anyone that tells you differently. But if you’re serious about bringing your business online (or starting one) then…

It all starts with your website.

Having a professional looking website is as essential as a listing in the Yellow Pages used to be (yes, used to be). I mean your new Internet prospects need a place to find you right? And nothing says, “Open for business!” like an engaging and friendly website. The good news: creating a website is well within reach of even the smallest upstarts (we have one!)

But I don’t know anything about building my own website!

No worries. Thanks to some of the great website builders out there, it’s now easy to create a professional website with just a few clicks of the mouse. And you don’t need a degree in computer science either! Check out Yola, Moogo, and SnapPages to see what we mean. They offer a wide range of templates, tutorials, pictures, and graphics to get you started quickly. Did I mention that they’re free to use? Yes, free.

Most website builders will also help you get set up with your own domain name (e.g. www.yourbizname.com), which you can add to your business cards, letterhead, and other marketing materials. Pretty cool, huh?

As you build your website, keep in mind that most business-oriented websites have the following pages:

• Home Page: This is the first page most of your visitors will see, so don’t be coy – provide all the key information here. Your logo, business name, phone number, address, and business hours are the most important things. Bottom line: make it easy for them to contact you!

• Products or Services: This could be products you sell, services you offer, your menu, or your class schedule (you get the idea). Be sure to include pricing (unless your prices change frequently) and a few attractive, high quality photos to remind customers why they like your stuff the best!

• Contact Us: Make it easy for people to get in touch with you for questions, to make an appointment, or share a story. Provide multiple ways to contact you – email address, phone number, and a simple web form they can fill out.  If you’re into social media, invite prospects to follow you on Twitter or “Like” you on Facebook.

• About Us:  Is your business family owned and operated? Do you specialize in organic products or local suppliers? Offer a money back guarantee? Tell your story in your own words – it builds trust with your prospects, and, after all, people buy from people they like!

• Testimonials: Already have customers? Then ask them for testimonials for your website. Remember: nothing convinces prospects more than happy customers. You can’t afford NOT to start asking your customers to share their experiences. Use comment cards, email, or better yet, your Contact Us form!

Here’s our complete list of the Best Free and Affordable Website Builders from our blog: Best Online Advertising Stuff. You’ll do well using any of the website providers on this list… so take your time and find one that works best for you.

That’s it. You’re ready to jump in and start building your very own website. Remember, there’s no better way to get started than… getting started!

Let us know once your website is up. We’ll want to check it out too!

Think Twitter is just some silly Internet fad with no real impact on your business? Think again! With an estimated 75 million people  sending over 1.5 billion messages (or “tweets”) a month, Twitter is an increasingly important way to connect with your customers and prospects – one you can’t afford to ignore!

First things first – what IS Twitter, anyway?

You’ve probably heard Twitter described something like this:

“Twitter is a social network where users connect with each other by “following” 140 character messages from people or companies they find interesting.”

Ok… but what does that mean?!?

Well, you can think of Twitter like a mini press release service where you send out headlines to people who are interested in hearing from you. Adding a new item to your menu? Running a special deal for this weekend only? Launching a new website? Twitter helps you get the word out quickly, and makes it easy for your followers to keep passing it along to more and more people.

Great – how do I get started?

1. Create your account – head over to twitter.com to sign up.  Choose a name that will make it easy for people to find you, like your business or brand name. Be sure to add a few details to your bio, and use an eye catching picture for your profile – a unique picture will help customers pick your tweets out of the flock!
2. Set up some searches – your name, business name, products, website, and competitors are all excellent starting points. When you’ve set up a useful search, you can easily save it, add it to your RSS reader or use one of the tools mentioned below to have the results delivered via email.
3. Start following – your existing customers, prospects, and partners (you can even import contacts from your email address book to make finding them super easy!) You’ll also want to follow experts and peers in your industry, and check out who follows them, as they could also be interested in hearing from you (more on that shortly).
4. Get a feel for it – how often do people tweet? Which tweets get your attention? How do you fit enticing messages into the 140-character limit? Experiment until you find a pattern that suits your style and generates the results you’re looking for.
5. Jump in – you can ask and answer questions, or request feedback on your website, products, or services. You’ll also want to share information that helps build your credibility and establishes you as a voice worth listening to (and following!) – like links to relevant articles, helpful tips, or special deals exclusively for your followers.
6. Begin building your own following – invite people to follow you on Twitter by adding a link to your Twitter profile on your website and in your email signature. By far the most effective way to gain followers is by interacting with other people and following the ones that interest you. Often, when you follow someone, they will follow you back – give it a try!

Tweeter beware – Twitter can be addictive!

Once you tap into this rushing river of tweets, it can be hard to pull yourself away!  Fortunately, you don’t have to hang out on Twitter all day, or even read every message – there are plenty of free tools available to help you stay on top of things while you’re busy running your business!

Google Alerts now include results from Twitter. If you already have Google Alerts set up for some of your key terms, you may have noticed a few tweets popping up.

TweetBeep and TweetAlarm are like Google Alerts, only focused on Twitter. They will find tweets that match your search criteria and deliver them straight to your email inbox – either right away, hourly, or in a daily digest.

While not free, you might also consider picking up a copy of The Twitter Book by Tim O’Reilly and Sarah Milstein. It’s a quick read, and a handy guide covering the basics all the way up to advanced tips and tools for using Twitter to grow your business.

Lastly, if you’re considering marketing your business on one of the Twitter advertising services that have sprung up in the last 18 months or so, be sure to check out our list of the 15 best Twitter advertising services for you to consider (so far!)

Best of all, there is no wrong way to tweet – so go ahead, get started!

Let us know about your successes and any questions you have in the comments section. You can also follow me and ask me questions on Twitter (of course!)

(Editor’s note: many thanks to Karri Carlson for this guest post)

Don’t try to do the (almost) impossible. That is to get someone to buy from your website on the very first visit. It just won’t happen. Why? Because we consumers like to shop around, get familiar with your offering, and feel safe and secure in buying from you. Nothing personal, it’s just how it is. And it takes time… usually seven or more visits before we’re willing to pull out our credit card.

Instead, focus on getting website visitors to give up their contact information. More specifically, their email address… so you can start building an email list of prospects for your products and services. You can then market to this list again and again to get potential buyers comfortable with your brand and what you have to offer. Over time, this ever growing email list will become the heart of your marketing efforts!

Of course, website visitors aren’t going to hand over their email address for free. You need to promise something valuable in return. Coupons, newsletters, buying tips, and free trials are all good examples of content that not only gets prospects to “sign up” but also keeps them on your list… as you work to build a trusting relationship.

How to get started:

• Put an easy to see “sign-up” or “join mailing list” button or link on every page of your website. The upper right hand section of your site is a great location for it.

• Link to an email capture form that asks for your prospect’s name and email address. Sure you can ask for more but it’ll result in fewer folks handing over their information.

• Set up an “auto-responder” email that will automatically be sent to prospects after they join your mailing list. Use this email as a welcome and to let them know all the benefits of opening your emails!

Don’t worry if you’re not technically inclined (I’m not). Most email marketing companies offer tools that make it easy. Check out AWeber, MailChimp, iContact, and GetResponse to learn more and get started.

You’ll also have to figure out your content strategy. Meaning, what are you going to email to the prospects on your list at least once a month (or more!)? Make sure and send helpful information that they’ll be happy to receive such as newsletters and coupons. Otherwise, they won’t open your emails… or worse, they’ll ask to unsubscribe from your list!

Just remember to create goodwill with your email list. Your prospects will thank you… by taking advantage of special offers you send their way!

There was a time when all you had to do was get an ad in the Yellow Pages, hand out some flyers, and your local marketing was good to go. Not anymore. These days, you also need to promote your business on the Internet. And boy is that confusing… where do you begin?

Well at the beginning of course. And I don’t mean just having a website. I mean getting your business listed with the local search engines and online directories. Why? Because this is how today’s consumers search the Internet to find local businesses like yours.

Get started by making sure your business is listed with the following:

• Major Search Engines: I’m talking about  Google, Yahoo, and Bing local search. Each lets you submit your business information so that you show up in their local search results. And you’ll also show up in online maps (e.g., Google Maps and MapQuest).

• Online Yellow Pages: Yes, it’s the online version of the tried and true Yellow Pages. These online directories generate millions of visitors every day looking for local businesses. Check out YellowPages.com, Yellowbook, and SuperPages.

• Local Search Engines: These search engines include Local.com, LocalPages, and GenieKnows. Each focuses on generating search results and user reviews of local services and products.

• Local Directories. There are a number of local directories that focus on helping businesses get more exposure on the Internet. How about MerchantCircle, InsiderPages, and Best of the Web Local? Definitely worth considering.

• City Guides: These websites are more about “what’s great” and “what to do” in your local area, and user reviews and popularity are important factors in determining which businesses get the most attention. Yelp and Citysearch are good examples.

It’s easy and (mostly) free to get your business listed. Just click on the “List Your Business”, “Add Your Business”, or a similar link to get the process started when visiting one of these sites. Of course, there are quite a few local search and online directories to list with. So you may instead want to use services such as Universal Business Listing, iBegin.com, and Localeze. They’ll do the submitting for you at little or no cost… plus save you a ton of time!

When submitting your business information, don’t forget to include the same descriptive keywords and compelling copy that you use on your website. For example, what you do and where you do it… such as “accountant, San Francisco”. This will improve the chances of your business showing up in the right search results and sending qualified prospects to your website.

What if you don’t have a website? Then start with the Online Yellow Pages, Local Directories, and City Guides. They’ll create a business listing for you that’ll include the name and description of your business, phone number, and street address. And if you’re willing to pay ($25 to $50 per month), you can also add photos, special offers, and more!

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get the phones ringing!