This guest post is part of our ongoing Small Business Perspective series, and is written by Monique Wakefield, owner of Paws-n-Tails in Dallas, TX.
From my experience, the internet is one of the best and cheapest marketing resources around. As a word of advice, it is a good idea to have a reliable website. It doesn’t necessarily have to be spectacular, but it should give at least basic information, i.e., a description of the goods or services you provide, some background information, any licenses you have, hours of operation, etc. This will help draw people to your business by increasing your credibility.
There are several search engines that will allow you to market for free or on a trial basis. Of course, you don’t want to waste a lot of money on something that doesn’t work, so you have to figure out which sources work best for your business. One way you can make this assessment is to ask new customers how they found out about you. This will allow you to invest in areas that are giving you the most coverage. It helps to make a list of where you posted your ads, and which are gaining the most exposure. This will help you revise your marketing plan to get more business without wasting money. Below, I will discuss a few potential starting points.
Yahoo! Local
The two best things about Yahoo! Local: 1) it gets you “out there”; 2) it is absolutely FREE. Yahoo! Local allows you to get a free basic listing that will come up in internet searches. This is a great jumping off point for any new small business owner. With Yahoo! Local, if someone wants to find the services you provide, and they are looking for something within the area you serve, your business will pop up. For example, if you are a dance instructor in Dallas, Texas, a search that would show your business in the results is “dance instructor Dallas, TX.” This is a great way to start showing off the goods or services you provide to the public.
The Yellow Pages
Before the advent of the internet, the quickest way to find a business was to look them up in the phone book. Superpages, Yellow Pages and Yellowbook are three of the top yellow page services. Of course, nowadays being listed in the yellow pages not only gets your business on paper, but it shows up on the internet. Now people can search for your business on a web directory. It is also a great idea to research which yellow pages your service area uses. As a small business owner myself, I knew my area mainly uses Yellowbook, so that is who I signed up with. A basic listing is usually free, but you should consider paying a little more to get a slightly better ad. This will make you more competitive by giving you a little boost in credibility. You can also give customers a little more information which may give you an edge over your competitors.
Take-home Message
The internet is a great way to start drawing in customers, and there are lots of other places you can advertize than the ones described above. Assess where to invest your money based on where customers found you. Listing your business with sites like Yahoo! Local and yellow pages services can help to get you out there so people know you exist, and spending a little extra money can actually get you some good exposure. It is a good idea to put together at least a rudimentary website, so potential customers can get a sense of who you are and what you do. Although there is no guarantee that following this advice will have customers flocking to you, starting with these basic services can be an invaluable starting point for your business’s overall marketing strategy.
What internet marketing techniques have you used? Have you found Superpages and Yahoo! Local to be beneficial to your small business?
Monique Wakefield is the owner of Paws-n-Tails, a Dallas based pet sitting and dog training business which employs positive pet training techniques. Monique has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal Science from Texas A&M University-Commerce and has been working with animals professionally for 10 years.
