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Seeking Smart, Resilient Clients

In today's economy there are two kinds of businesses, those who fear what might happen, and those who focus on making things happen. So many businesses resort to the mentality that we must be conservative, or we will certainly crumble. While this might seem like the logical solution, the companies who are realizing that if they don't make their move now, there most certainly won't be a better opportunity down the road. So, one business is taking the initiative while the other is just hoping they survive.

Don't get me wrong, this economy isn't something to be taken lightly, but one thing is for sure, the stronger companies will end up on the other side of it, and if you aren't one of those strong, driven companies, then natural selection will take its course.

So, how do you become one of those strong, smart companies that makes it out on the other side? The answer is actually in continuing to market you business, or if you haven't, to start now.

The best, and most cost effective ways to make the most of your marketing is to focus on your web site. If you don't have one, get one. If you have one, have a consultant or web designer (like Pulse Creative Partners) take a look at it and make sure it is working for you through excellent brand representation and strong search engine optimization. Or it may be a good time to think about redesigning your site altogether.

If you are thinking about a new site, there are some things to consider that will help you build your client base:

1) Incorporate a blog. A blog gives you the opportunity to update your site with industry relevant information. From tips and tricks, to insider information that could help your clients save money or improve their own businesses, whatever your blog focuses on, it should relate to your business and it should provide value to the reader. A blog will also help your search rankings, giving you a better chance of being found over your competitor. Your visitors will also see that there is value in returning to your site regularly leading to more sales and more loyal customers.

2) Make sure the most important information is easy to find. If your visitors can't find the information they are looking for in just 2-3 clicks, then they will lose interest and look for others with easier to use web sites.

3) Make sure the site looks professional. We all want to help out family, but if little Timmy wants to design a web site, let it be his own. We so often see businesses with great potential who have terrible websites. People actually do judge a book by its cover. If your site is professionally designed, it most likely will be appealing and will make visitors want to stop and take a look.

4) Use web analytics. Web analytics actually take daily reports on how many visitors you have, where they are being referred from, how long their visits are, and what pages of your site they are reading. This gives you a lot of power to continually update your site and drive traffic to specific places within your site. If you have a special, make sure you have a prominent notice about it on your home page so visitors will take a look. Monitoring your analytics will also help you increase your web traffic and improve your SEO.

5) Share web links. The more opportunities you have to drive traffic to your site, the better. So try to find businesses who have similar clients and see about doing a link swap. List their site on yours and yours on theirs. This gives you another mention on the web, and drives potential customers to you from them. The more traffic you can get, the higher you will rank in search rankings and the more business you will get.

6) Use social media. Facebook and Twitter are an excellent way to begin building communities of people who want to know about your business and who will likely utilize your services. These groups give you extra opportunities to promote your business in a conversational way. They also allow you drive new traffic to your website which always improves your search engine rankings.

There's plenty more you can do to improve your site, but these are really the big ideas right now. If you're ready to be one of the smart businesses and are prepared to take the next step to improve your presence on the web, contact Stefan Bean (stefan@pulsecreativepartners.com) at Pulse Creative Partners and we'll set up a time to discuss your web needs. A new web site doesn't have to be an expensive venture either, we have all kinds of solutions to help you reach your goals at many different price points.

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