photo credit: René Ehrhardt

Okay so maybe the word “survive” is a little dramatic but in many cases it is true. After all, one in five small businesses close within the first year of operation. So how can a website make a difference? How can a website bring in more customers, engender better customer loyalty and make a small business more money? Let me show you. You might be surprised.

1. Google is like the biggest shopping mall in history
When I first mention the word “Google” to my clients I see a mixture of excitement and unadorned fear in their eyes. It is so vast and complicated it seems to be put in the too hard basket. And that is a big shame because Google has the power to make or break your business. If you rank well on Google you can become rich overnight. If you don’t rank at all on Google you can be putting your business in a seriously jeopardized position.

Think of Google as the world’s biggest shopping mall. A good Google ranking would be like having a store in the mall right by the entrance where everybody looks as soon as they walk in. A bad Google ranking might be like having an upstairs shop when the only other thing up there is the toilet and the janitor’s room! There is no way it can really get the attention it needs. When you start to look at Google as a new place to stake your business’ real estate its starts to seem more approachable. And then benefits are many: (more…)