Tag Archive for: online strategies newmarket

Blogging, RosewoodVA, Deanna Simone, Aurora, Newmarket, York Region, Website Designer

As an entrepreneur it can feel like you are endlessly changing hats. You are simultaneously your CEO, IT team, marketing agency, financier and cheerleader. When every moment matters and time management is essential, adding one more task to the mix, blogging, might have you skeptical. But blogging, writing small topic-specific posts on your website, can have incredible benefits for your business.

The Benefits of Blogging

We live in a world where people want to feel connected to the companies and services they choose to spend their time or money on. It’s the reason you will see any large company like Coca-Cola, or Nike with a ‘news’ page on their website.

Blogging on your website is a quick way to create these connections with your clients, while controlling the topics you share. It gives you the opportunity to resonate with your readers, to give clients a taste of your personality and the things that matter to you as a business owner, and to boost your credibility by communicating your knowledge of your industry.

And the marketing machine that is Google loves new content! Google wants to show searches the most recent and most relevant content specific to their search terms. Every time you create a new post for your website you help your SEO (search engine optimization) by letting the cyber world know that you are still an active thriving business.

What to Blog About

For those just starting out, this is one of the biggest hurdles, what do I write about? I’m an aesthetician, an arborist, a lawyer, what do I have to say? The answer to that is, anything.

The problem with blogging falls under our perceptions of it. Sometimes we view it as mindless drivel, when really it’s an opportunity to share knowledge about our industries. Whatever you’re business, you’ve probably been asked a question about it.

Every time someone asks you a question, this is a potential blog topic.

Maybe they want to know what the benefits of using essential oils in pedicures are, or what type of trees grow best in full sun. In my case, people often ask me what the benefits of blogging are and is it really worth their time.

Regardless of the business you’re in, questions equal opportunities for blogs, and more importantly questions equal connections with those asking.

If you’re still struggling with where to start, think about the question you get asked the most. Right there you have at least ten potential blog topics. Challenge yourself to answer those questions in a minimum of three hundred words and show your clients what you know, who you are, and why you deserve their business.

This past weekend I developed a WordPress website for a Photographer friend.  She is like a cousin to me, as in long, long, long-time family friends.  And she is a truly talented photographer.  Working with her on developing her new website made me realize how many businesses and organizations take professional photography for granted.  When really they should be using photography as a tool to build their brand’s image.

I built her website using WordPress with the exact same platform and available tools as I can use and have used to build others.   What makes her project so different however is how the quality and professionalism of the images truly makes the website look like a million dollars.

Here are my Simple Tips for Better Business Branding with Images: Read more

Do you have a small business?  Have you claimed your business online?  If not, you are missing out on a potentially huge online marketing strategy!  The best part is, most online directories have a free listing option.  What are you waiting for?

Online directories for business are a great place to start building your online marketing presence

Online Directories can be a great way to start getting your business noticed.  Most likely you have heard of the larger players out there like Google, Bing, Yahoo, Yellow Pages, etc.   They all have online directories available on your computer, mobile phone, tablet and even vehicle GPS systems.

Did you know most online directories for business have free listing options?

Yes! Most online directories do offer free listings.  These typically include your business name, address, phone number, a brief description of your goods/services, and can include a limited number of images.

What about paid online listing options?

Most online directories do have different tiers of paid advertising and promotion.  The inclusions can range from the ability to add a longer description, upload a menu, add more images, link to your website, offer exclusive deals through the directory, etc.  The added features range depending on the specific directory.  It’s a good idea to contact one of their customer service reps to see the best plan for your business.

What is a good place to start?

A great place to start would be… Google!  Google is the number one ranked search engine in the world.  Followed by Bing and Yahoo.  These would be great places to start claiming your business and building your listings.

Claiming Your Business

If you’ve been in business a while, chances are your business has already been populated by one of these search engines.  Once you find your listing, the next step is to claim it.  Once claimed and confirmed, you will be able to edit and update your listing to better reflect your business and start driving traffic towards you and your website.

If you would like help claiming your business online or just growing your online presence in general, I invite you to contact me by telephone or email, or through FacebookTwitter, or LinkedIn.  I look forward to helping you help our community!

Until next time,

Deanna