Posted on February 21, 2011 by Joe
Posted in eCommerce, Planning, Technology
Filed under ‘snake oil and other far-from-best practices’, Link Wheels offer increased off-page SEO without adding value (and potentially sacrificing your reputation). As Alex Vasquez points out on DigiSavvy:
A Link wheel is a quick-fix “silver bullet” that purports to boost your website’s off-page SEO. It consists of using a series of sites that link to one another reciprocally and then back to your primary site.
The best way to increase your site’s off-page SEO? Same as it ever was: spend your time creating relevant content that other people actually want to share.
via What is a Linkwheel and Should You Use One? | DigiSavvy
Posted on February 21, 2011 by Joe
Posted in Legal, Planning
Don’t let the blog’s title fool you: sure, The Mogul Mom takes aim at those raising a family and running a business, but it’s one of the most well-curated business blogs on the web. The latest Mogul Mom post finds Joanne Saunders offering advice for anyone trying to choose the business entity right for them (solid advice for any first-time entrepreneur).
Ideally, you have a CPA and a business attorney to advise you, but if you’re like most small business owners I know, you’re probably bootstrapping costs and doing most of the formation research yourself.
via 5 Things To Consider When Choosing A Business Entity | The Mogul Mom.
Posted on February 20, 2011 by Joe
Posted in Sales & Marketing
Okay, “lies” might be a little strong, but we’ve all heard — heck, we’ve all said – them before. BNET presents a gallery of the most common customer objections, including positioning and approaches to overcome them.
Top 10 Lies That Customers Tell via BNET.com
Posted on February 20, 2011 by Joe
Posted in Planning, Sales & Marketing
Entrepreneur.com provides insight on the transition from pre-planning to actually selling, covering the broader aspects of prospecting and marketing your small business.
I’m still in the early stages of starting my business, but I don’t know how to begin getting the word out to potential customers. Should I take out an ad in the local paper? Do I need to send out a press release? Help!
via Landing Your First Customers – Entrepreneur.com.
Posted on February 17, 2011 by Joe
Posted in Sales & Marketing, Technology
Last week, Facebook revamped how Pages look and act. If your business maintains a Facebook page (and it should!) or you’ve been thinking about creating one, here are a few useful links to get you up to speed on the new Facebook Pages.
From the Horse’s Mouth: Facebook’s official announcement, includes high-level information and instructions for previewing the new look, and links to the official Facebook Pages Guide, etc.
The Developer’s Perspective: Wildfire Interactive (@WildfireApp), a developer of custom Facebook solutions, lists a dozen important changes to Page design and interaction.
For the Business Owner: Using Wildfire’s list as a jumping-off point, Small Business Trends (@SmallBizTrends) highlights some of the important features for the business owner or brand manager.
Overview of Features & Benefits: John Jantsch (@Ducttape) identifies main areas of difference and opportunity in the new Pages. John also devotes some time to exploring creative uses of the New Facebook Page Image Ribbon.
