April 21, 2009
It seems like every time you turn on the news, the main topic of discussion is the failing economy. Keeping a positive outlook on your business’s future can be challenging, especially when a word like “recession” is liberally thrown around. But a challenge is good for creative thinking; in fact, challenges are often what bring around the best, most revolutionary changes.
Over at ClickZ.com, Christine Beardsell posted an article that discusses a way for businesses to overcome the challenge of expensive, traditional advertising. In “Online Videos Ads Are a Good Bet in a Recession,” Beardsell argues that online advertising, including online video ads, is both less expensive and more effective than traditional advertising since online ads can be monitored and optimized quickly. Since most product research is now conducted online, advertising online is the sure way to reach your target audience.
To read Beardsell’s complete article, visit http://www.clickz.com/3631078.
1 Comment | 
Small Business, marketing | Tagged: advertising, online advertising, online marketing, online video ads, small business advertising | 
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Posted by thinklocal
April 10, 2009
One of the most thrilling milestones a business owner can meet is reaching the point where expansion is an absolute necessity. After all, a growing business is a successful business-and what screams “success” louder than an increase in customers? For many small businesses, expanding means hiring more employees to fulfill their customers’ demands. And for some, expanding means moving to a larger office or opening up a second location.
According to the Small Business Success Index, an ongoing study conducted by Network Solutions, LLC, and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, “Businesses with multiple locations are more slightly likely to be competitive.” This finding supports some of the general rules of the small business world. It makes sense that a business with multiple locations is competitive; for one, businesses need to be competitive to succeed, and growth is one way to measure a business’s success. Businesses that know how to compete are going to have an easier time at finding success.
One of the best ways to get the word out about additional business locations is through advertising. Be sure that all advertisements list the information for each location if possible, and include each location in online business listing directories. At ThinkLocal®, it’s easy to set up and manage online listings for each of your business’s locations. Just head over to http://wwww.ThinkLocal.com and provide information for all of your business’s locations.
*The Small Business Success Index, an ongoing measurement of the overall health of U.S. small businesses, was commissioned by Network Solutions, LLC and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. To take the survey yourself, click here.
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General, Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Small Business, Uncategorized | Tagged: advertising, advertising online, business, business listings, online business directory, Small Business, thinklocal | 
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Posted by thinklocal
January 8, 2009
All businesses need writing of some form-for advertisements, for websites, for company literature, for signs posted in the business’s place of operation, and so forth. Business owners know they can’t avoid using text, but what they can avoid are simple errors that can quickly tarnish their business’s reputation. The bad news: The following mistakes can undermine the hard work you put into your business. The good news: These mistakes can be easily avoided.
Spelling Mistakes
Let’s say you own a business that sells fluorescent light bulbs. Fluorescent is a tricky word, so it is commonly misspelled as flourescent or florescent. But just because many people misspell it doesn’t mean you, as someone who sells fluorescent bulbs, are allowed to make the same error. As a seller of these light bulbs, you want your customers to think that you are highly knowledgeable, even an authority, in the world of fluorescent light bulbs. Would an authority on this subject spell ‘fluorescent’ incorrectly? No.
Grammatical Errors
Some of the most common grammatical mistakes people make are incorrect punctuation; run-on sentences; sentence fragments; and subject/verb agreement (e.g. “I am,” not “I is” or “I are”). There seem to be three types of people when it comes to grammar. The first type, the “grammar freak,” cringes at the site of grammatical errors. The second type includes people who know most of the rules and can spot some mistakes, but they’re not as obsessive as the grammar freak. The third type includes those who either don’t know or just don’t care about the rules of grammar. None of these types are necessarily better than the others; people’s brains work in different ways. But the important thing to pick up here is this: Two out of three people could possibly be turned away from your business if they see a grammatical error in any text your business puts out there.
So what can you do to avoid making these costly mistakes?
1. Send everything through the proofreading and editing process. After you’ve written the first draft of anything, whether an advertisement, a letter to your customers, a new sign you’re putting in your lobby, or a company slogan, re-read it. Then read it again. And again. Make sure it is clearly saying what you want it to say. Then give it to a friend-or even better, multiple friends-and ask them to proofread it. Ask them if your message is clear. Ask them to point out any grammatical or spelling errors they see. Ask them if you should re-word anything. Once you get feedback from multiple sources, make any necessary revisions.
2. Do not rely on software tools that check spelling and grammar. Although these tools are often accurate, they are not always accurate. Go ahead and run these tools when you’ve finished writing your first draft-a few spelling and/or grammatical errors will probably be revealed. But these tools are not very suitable for checking context.
3. Consult a dictionary. Dictionaries don’t just give a word’s definition and correct spelling; they also offer examples of how to use the word. If you’re unsure of how a word should be used or spelled, open up your favorite dictionary or point your browser to one of the many online dictionaries out there.
4. Hire a copywriter. If writing just isn’t your thing, don’t worry-there are millions of people out there who love to write and are actually good at it. Spending a little money on something that is vital to your business is well worth it. If your business has a Web site, hiring a copywriter is even more beneficial since many copywriters have been trained in SEO (search engine optimization) writing. A Web site that contains SEO writing is going to show up in more search results, thus driving more traffic to your site.
No one is perfect, and mistakes will always be made. But when it comes to success, business owners need to take every precaution possible. Don’t let avoidable mistakes like spelling and grammar errors tarnish a great business.
5 Comments | 
General, Small Business | Tagged: advertising, business tips, businesses, marketing, writing | 
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Posted by thinklocal
December 11, 2008
Local search directories offer many benefits to a business owner: they’re effective at extending a business’s Web presence, they provide potential customers with the important contact and location information they need, and they can drive traffic to a business’s Web site. While these features can ensure that your business will be found, that is only half the battle; converting your listing’s audience into actual business is another thing.
Many online business directories, including ThinkLocal®, provide a platform where customers can leave their ratings and reviews for each business that is listed. The great thing about customer reviews, in addition to extending a business’s online presence, is their power of persuasion. Customer ratings and reviews make your business stand out from the crowd, and people are more likely to choose a business with a positive review over a business that lacks a customer review. If the search for “sushi restaurants” in your local area brings up multiple results, the restaurant with a 5-star rating and descriptive review is going to grab your attention; it may even convince you to choose that one over the others.
Customer reviews not only help to bring new customers to a business, they also provide business owners with valuable feedback on their business’s performance. Positive reviews point out features that a business owner might want to highlight in their next advertising campaign, and negative reviews let the business owner know which areas need improvement.
If you manage an online business listing, get the most out of it: encourage your patrons to review your business, and then use that feedback to your advantage.
Leave a Comment » | Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Small Business, Social Media | Tagged: advertising, business directories, business listings, customer feedback, Local Search, online business listings, thinklocal, web presence | Permalink
Posted by thinklocal
December 8, 2008
The recent labeling of the U.S. economy as “in a recession” has brought a new wave of panic over most Americans, especially business owners; unfortunately, many of us have legitimate reasons to worry. Each new day seems to bring word of another business closing its doors, or news that yet another company has been forced to let go of employees in an effort to cut costs. Although it is easy to get discouraged during times like these, we all have to try to focus on the actions we can take to improve our situations instead of dwelling on the worst-case scenario.
All business owners know that to stay afloat during an economic downturn, they must focus on reducing their costs. Many choose to reduce the budget allotted for advertising and marketing efforts, but this can be very detrimental to building and expanding their customer base. And when you don’t have customers, you don’t have revenue. So what’s a small business owner to do?
In addition to online business listings Web sites like ThinkLocal®, there are more free resources that business owners can turn to reach out to their customers and build a strong Web presence for their company. One of these resources is blogging. Blogs are an easy and effective way to build Web presence and keep your customers aware of what’s going on with your business. Instead of spending money on advertisements that show off your new product or inform your customers of your business’s new services, just blog about it. Blog posts allow you to go into as much detail as you’d like, you can load them with keywords that will help them show up in search engine results, and best of all, there are many blogs that are 100% free. Web sites like WordPress®, BloggerTM, and LiveJournalTM are just some of your free-blog options.
Once you’ve got your blog set up, check out some of the micro-blogging Web sites that are available. Sites like TwitterTM and Plurk allow you to give quick updates on what’s going on with your business, and they’re a great way to spread links to your blog posts. Twitter and Plurk also allow you to associate a personality with your business’s web presence; this alone can give you an advantage over your competition since consumers tend to choose companies that they know or feel comfortable with.
Be sure to also check out free social networks, including Facebook®, MySpaceTM, MySolutionSpotTM, and LinkedIn®. Social networking is a great way to connect with other business owners, current customers, and potential customers. Through social networks, you can get feedback on what your customers are looking for, build relationships with them, compare business strategies with other small business owners, and so much more.
1 Comment | Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Small Business, Social Media | Tagged: Add new tag, advertising, advertising online, business listings, micro blogging, online business listings, small businesses, social networks, web presence | Permalink
Posted by thinklocal
December 4, 2008
This year, Black Friday sales were steady, and Cyber Monday numbers exceeded expectations. How did retailers manage to achieve such satisfactory results during the current economic slump? They offered several cost-saving specials and heavily advertised those specials.
If you are a storeowner, now is the time for drastic measures. Analysts believe retail sales – both online and offline – will drop drastically by the end of the holiday season. Therefore, storeowners must step up their game and continue to offer savings great enough to motivate reluctant consumers.
Online storeowners, as well as offline retailers who own Web sites, should set aside a portion of their budget to advertise online. Pay-per-click advertising is a wonderful promotional strategy because it allows advertisers to target locally. Pay-per-click ads appear only when a user is searching for the products and/or services offered by the advertiser. Additionally, pay-per-click advertising can be seasonal. So, if a storeowner wishes to advertise online only during the holiday season, he or she has the option to do so.
Some businesses may not have the budget available to create an online advertising campaign. Every storeowner, however, can afford to take ownership of their online business listings. Online business listings are similar to yellow page listings, but they are more targeted and they provide more value to the consumer. An online business listing appears only when a user is searching for a specific business category in a specific town. The listing not only provides the interested consumer with a business’s address and phone number; it also provides them with a map of the business location, driving directions to the business and business reviews written by past customers. The most amazing thing about online business listings is that they are free. Sites like ThinkLocal® and Yahoo!® Local are great online business directories that will provide any business with the additional exposure they need during this crucial period in retail.
Leave a Comment » | General, Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Small Business | Tagged: advertising, black friday, business listings, cyber monday, online advertising, online business listings, pay-per-click, Pay-per-click advertising, retailers, thinklocal, yellow page listings | Permalink
Posted by thinklocal
November 18, 2008
Black Friday, which always lands on the day after Thanksgiving, marks the beginning of the holiday shopping rush. Most retailers offer incredible savings – and sometimes extended hours of operation – during this great shopping day.
You should aggressively advertise prior to Black Friday, especially if your business is going to hold a limited-time special. If you don’t advertise your savings, it is likely that you will lose potential sales to competitors who have gotten the word out about theirs.
You can advertise your Black Friday savings on traditional media channels, like radio, television or print. Choose the advertising channel that is capable of effectively reaching your target audience. If you have a Web site, you should also advertise online. You can create seasonal pay-per-click ads or boost your daily budget and adjust your ad copy if you already use pay-per-click advertising. Make sure to emphasize the deals you are offering.
Consumers are motivated by cost savings during the holiday shopping season. Therefore, if you make an effort to tell them how you can save them money on the things they want, then they will do business with you.
Leave a Comment » | General, Local Search, Small Business | Tagged: advertise, advertising, black friday, business, day after thanksgiving, holiday shopping, pay-per-click, sales, savings | Permalink
Posted by thinklocal
September 15, 2008
Small startup businesses are sometimes at a disadvantage when it comes to choosing their advertising mix. They often lack the background knowledge that typically comes from experience and/or market research. Without access to such information, many of them mistakenly invest in costly advertising strategies that produce little or no benefit to their business.
Luckily for these businesses, the advertising world is changing dramatically. Studies have indicated that proximity plays a large role in patronage. This means that a business’s prime prospects – those who are most likely to purchase their products or services – typically reside within a short drive of its facility. As a result, some businesses can reduce or resign their high-priced mass media campaigns and place more emphasis on less expensive advertising methods that target the smaller, more segmented local audience.
Local Marketing Strategies
Many businesses continue to rely on traditional marketing strategies to reach their local market. They distribute catalogs and purchase radio, newspaper and Yellow Page® advertisements. While traditional strategies are effective, they are more powerful when supported by newer strategies like pay-per-click advertising, local search marketing and online classifieds. By employing online marketing strategies, businesses can enhance their visibility and deliver their messages directly to consumers who are searching for their products or services.
There are numerous online business resources available that will help owners of small startup businesses decide whether they need to embrace or avoid costly mass media campaigns. These resources will also help them stay abreast of new online marketing strategies. With the information they acquire, startup owners will be able to create the appropriate advertising mix for their business.
2 Comments | General, Internet Yellow Pages, Local Search, Small Business | Tagged: advertising, advertising mix, businesses, Local Search, marketing strategies, mass media campaigns, online classifieds, online marketing, pay-per-click, startup, yellow page advertisements | Permalink
Posted by thinklocal
