Common mistakes can kill your small business, but most of them can be easily corrected or avoided. Here are two more Twitter friends with examples of mistakes:
phillymac Only one? How about 2. Bad customer service. Awful web presence.
zemote Get suckered by a SEO/SEM person.
We just talked about bad customer service, so let’s focus on web presence, including Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
Solutions
- Seek professional help with web presence. If you must do your site yourself, at minimum pay for some feedback from a professional.
- Include your contact info prominently on every single page. Include a phone number and an email address.
- Don’t get “suckered.” Ask for and check references. Don’t go overboard with Search Engine Optimization, fancy design, or flashy animation.
- Keep it simple! Use the same design elements and branding you use on your business cards, signs, brochures, etc.
- Don’t remain stuck with a permanently unchanging design. Customers would like to know that you are still in business and that you are not stuck in a time warp to a 1995 GeoCities design. (And I just found another small town small biz example of that this week, though I don’t want to embarrass anyone by name.)
Your Assignment
Together, we are going to try to help each other out of these most common, deadly mistakes. You can use real world examples, real small businesses. Write it up, take a picture, or shoot a short video. Take care not to embarrass the offenders! Key point: include suggestions on how to do it right!
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Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
