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Solutions to Common Website Errors

E-commerce sales by small businesses are increasing rapidly and could double, triple or more during the next five years. Web sites are no longer a novelty; they are a necessity for small firms, solo operators and home businesses of almost any type.

Meanwhile, customers have become vastly more Internet savvy than they were just a few years ago. They feel more comfortable buying online and they expect Web sites to be clear, crisp, informative and highly functional. Small businesses that don’t deliver higher levels of Web sophistication risk being left behind.

A good starting point is avoiding errors that often doom Web sites to mediocrity. It’s not a matter of making your site complicated. Today, the “less is more” axiom applies and often spells the difference between a Web site that delivers for your small business, and one that doesn’t.

Don’t neglect your site. If you want the Internet to help build your business, make your Web site a top priority in your daily operations. If your products, services, prices, location, hours, contact information and marketing messages change, make the updates immediately. Outdated information frustrates customers. Place your contact information in a prominent location. Many potential customers visit Web sites merely for basic contact details.

Flashing images, scrolling text and blinking buttons may have seemed clever and high-tech when first introduced, but now they are simply annoying. Dump them in favor of graphics that enhance your site usability. Avoid the temptation of cute bells and whistles. Make a fast-loading site a top priority.

 And set up a system for tracking your site activity. Don’t be in the dark about what’s happening on your site. Simple and inexpensive Web analytic tools can point to areas that need improvement. Two top sources for Web analysis tools are WebTrends.com and SiteCatalyst.com. Visit the sites and check out the free trial offers.

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Devise a Backup Plan for Your Business Data

Everyone knows that backing up computer files is important, and most of us will face a computer crisis of some type sooner or later. But simple laziness, or perhaps a lack of information and belief that backups are too costly or time-consuming cause business owners to put it off. And that can have disastrous consequences.

Damaged or lost data files have cost many small or home-based businesses weeks, months or even years of work. It can happen in an instant, for many reasons. Suddenly your hard drive starts making loud grinding noises and stops working. Your laptop might be stolen or maybe you simply push a wrong button. Computer viruses also can make files vanish.

Technological dangers are common and you must be prepared to avoid them. Having backup files available in the event of trouble could be the difference between staying open or having to shut down.

There are several ways to backup your business files. One simple method is to copy or “burn” your files to CDs. This works if you don’t have large amounts of data to protect. You also can keep a secondary computer or external hard drive around to serve as your backup center.

Another option is to use a service that lets you back up your data over the Internet. Depending on the amount and type of data you need to save, you can use any one method, or a combination. The key is to make certain at least one set of files is kept in another secure location.

It helps to have a specific plan in place to protect your files. First, decide which files are critical to keeping your business operating. Choose a backup method and perform a full backup at least once a week. Backup any critical data daily to a removable device. To make sure the backup systems really work, test your backup files at least quarterly. Keep a full backup on site for convenience, but be sure to store one set far enough away so a disaster won’t strike both locations.

Imation is a top supplier of backup hardware, also called “removable data storage media,” and has one of the broadest product lines in the field. The firm’s Web site at www.imation.com has a section devoted to “Small & Medium Business” with helpful tips, advice and product information to get you started. HP.com and Symantec at www.smallbiz.symantec.com also offer backup solutions designed for small business.

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Turn Your Website into a Selling Site

Most small businesses have a Web site of some kind and many are relying more and more on the Internet to help their marketing and sales efforts and contribute to profits. But wanting a Web site that works hard for the business and actually getting one that does so are two different things.

There are dozens of ways a Web site can go wrong. Even if you have a crackerjack designer, they may know little or nothing about building a site that actually produces sales or leads. An eye-pleasing site by itself won’t necessarily get the job done.

This is one area, however, where a great deal of help is available to the small business owner. As small business gains experience with the Web, some clear steps have emerged that you can take to improve your odds of online success. For example, while appearance is important, the usability of a Web site from the customer’s perspective is even more vital.

How easy is it to get around your Web site? Can customers find what they want fast? Your goal is to have a site that appears professional and credible to customers as well as being easy to navigate. For a prospect intent on buying, there is nothing more frustrating than having to deal with a clumsy or cluttered site. Categories should be clear and logical.

And while the Web’s almost unlimited space gives you the choice of drowning customers with product details, you may want to exercise some restraint. Give visitors the option of clicking to more information if they wish, but don’t force it on them. Coax customers by stages. Filling out forms is often necessary, but keep them simple and break them into bite-sized parts.

And by all means make the photos or other graphics on your site compelling—not the same old generic stock photos you see everywhere. Use graphics of real people and places to add personality to your site and reinforce the notion that your business exists in the real world, too.

very inch of your site should address your customers’ goals and needs, not just the needs of your business. Make the checkout process on your Web site fast and simple. Don’t bombard buyers with last-second choices or pop-up ads. And if your site requires a registration process, don’t force buyers to answer endless questions designed to fill your need for marketing demographics.

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Make Your Business More Web Wise

Most small businesses use the Internet in some fashion, be it a Web site, e-mail, search engines or e-commerce. But even if you’re using the Web, there are many ways you can likely be using it more extensively, more fruitfully or more efficiently.

If your Web site was created several years ago, for example, it could be time for a makeover. What seemed sophisticated back then might now look simplistic—or worse, downright hokey—compared to other sites. In short, the Web is becoming an ever more vital part of small business operations with every passing day, and business owners are finding new and better ways to leverage the power of the Internet to help them build profits, save money and operate more efficiently.

Making your Web site more interactive is one way to spur action. Try adding surveys, guest books, auto responders, downloadable documents and an e-newsletter. Your current Web host may offer some of these capabilities. And why not take orders online with a simple shopping cart feature, if you don’t already? Resources include PrestoCart.com, MyCart.net, PayButton.com and EarthStores.com.

Animated art, professionally designed buttons, bars and banners can help supercharge your site. You can acquire them quickly and inexpensively with software and online delivery from providers such as NetStudio.com and ScreamDesign.com . You can add interesting and timely content to your site as well. Consider hiring a freelance writer to produce original news, feature and how-to articles for your site that are related to your business. Putting fresh content up monthly could cost as little as a few hundred dollars.

The Web offers tremendous potential for researching your markets and competitors. A few top resources—some free, others fee based—include: Business.com for general business research, KnowX.com for public records research and Hoovers.com for company profiles and contact information.

To get the most from the Web, make sure your site is listed in search engines. You’ll find just about all the search engine submission help you need at SearchEngineWatch.com, including search engine submission tips, Web searching tips, search engine reviews and resources.

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Hire Out for Small Business Technology Help

Operating a successful small business today means keeping up with a great many technology-related tasks. You need basic computers and perhaps laptops, as well as a bunch of different business software, depending on what your business does. Then there are networks, Internet access, email and Web sites to contend with. Even selecting the right technology is not easy. It’s hard to know what works best for a small business.

Common missteps include buying only bargain-shelf hardware, using pirated software or buying it piecemeal rather than in discount bundles and setting up e-mail accounts without controls or Web sites that don’t work.

Helping small businesses avoid such technology blunders has become big business itself. There’s now a nationwide network of computer or IT consultants who specialize in setting up tech systems and solving problems for small companies.

The future success of your business hinges on systems that work properly, so seeking professional help makes sense. An outside tech expert can become a vital extension of your business, almost like a trusted attorney or accountant. But not just anyone with a little PC smarts will do. You’ll want someone who does this full-time for you and other clients rather than a person who merely dabbles in computers on the side.

To find the right fit, develop a detailed list of your needs and how you want the person to work including part-time, on-call or a project basis. Look for someone who understands your type of business. They should also be able to explain the work in plain English so you or someone else in your business can learn how it all works.

Experience with businesses of your size is also important. Someone who works only with big companies may not be familiar with the best solutions for you. You should tap your independent tech guru for advice before making hardware or software purchases. A few minutes on the phone can prevent costly mistakes.

For help finding a tech consultant, contact the Independent Computer Consultants Association at www.icca.org, a national nonprofit membership group based in St. Louis. Their Web site has a free feature that lets you search for consultants by area or special skills.

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Increase Your Online Visibility

Okay, so you’ve hired the best designers around and pulled out all the stops to build a full-service Web site. Sorry to say, that’s not enough. Even business owners armed with a fantastic Web site can still feel invisible if they haven’t taken the next step—generating visibility for the site.

Your goal now should be to pull more prospects to your site and start realizing a return on your online investment. It’s all about visibility. If prospects don’t know who or where you are, you’re sunk. A well-done Web site offers great potential for boosting your business visibility. But with a millions of sites vying for customer attention, it’s easy to get lost in the crowd.

Search engines are your secret weapons. They are the key to Internet success for most small businesses. Millions of people use search engines daily by typing in words or phrases to describe what they want. If your name pops up in the results list at Google, Yahoo!, AOL Search, MSN, Ask Jeeves or others, the benefits are golden.

The art of increasing online visibility is one of the newest marketing and Internet skills small business owners are having to master. In tech lingo, this is called “search engine optimization” (SEO). To win at this game, you must do three things:

• Create just the right keywords to describe what you offer.
• Organize each page on your site properly to capture search engine attention.
• Periodically submit updated information on your site and your business to search engines and online directories.

You can do much of this yourself or seek help from search engine submission services catering to small business. Don’t expect search engines and online directories to find you. Submit your site to them. The best way to do this is through a paid submission service. Most such services are effective and inexpensive.

Improve your visibility to the search engines by placing your most important content first, in a clear, uncluttered fashion. Write titles and descriptions that are clear, factual and free of superlatives such as best, cheapest, biggest, etc. People prefer listings that are more factual and less “sales talk.” If your geographic location is relevant, use it in the description. Some search engines now offer ad programs geared specifically to small, local businesses.

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Make Your Web Text Sparkle

Many elements go into creating a successful small business Web site—one that showcases your company’s products or services and entices people to buy. But one of the most overlooked items is the text that goes on each Web page. Writing copy for Web sites is, in fact, different from other forms of sales writing. Web writing requires a different approach, a different voice and a different attitude from the offline world.

With millions of Web sites competing for attention, attracting visitors is hard enough. But once you get them there, the real test is convincing them to buy. Site builders often turn to flashy graphics, sound and other fancy features to cinch the sale. But in the end, it’s what you say and how you say it that are the keys to Web site success.

Focus first on establishing credibility. The content on your site must be crisp and intelligent. What you say should grab a visitor’s attention, pique their interest and motivate them to action. But avoid sounding like a commercial.

“Don’t make your Web site look like an ad” is rule number one of Web copy writing, says Maria Veloso, director of Web Copywriting University. We are all bombarded by ad images daily, says Veloso. The last thing we want to see on a site is another ad.

Yet many small business sites seem specifically designed to look like billboards. Avoid this trap. “People go online for information,” says Veloso. “That’s why they call it the information superhighway.” Your site should provide help, not hype, with the feel of editorial, not advertising. Web visitors consider themselves active participants in a shared online experience, so the writing should speak to them in this way.

For example, address people directly as “you.” This personalizes your message and involves readers directly. Small business sites too often say “we” this and “we” that, never bothering to involve the customer. Write friendly with words and expressions you would use in everyday speech. Let your passion about your product or service come through in your online voice. If you show that you believe in what you are doing, customers will notice.

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Tune-up Older PCs to Save Your Business Money

Whether due to expansion, employee turnover or other reasons, many small business owners find themselves needing a steady supply of desktop computers for everyone to use. For the sake of efficiency, it’s important to provide each individual with a PC that’s fast, smooth and uncluttered by someone else’s old programs and files.

But do you really need to buy new equipment for everyone who walks through the door? Perhaps not. If your business is piling up PCs in corners, storerooms and closets, there may be ways you can coax more productivity out of what you already own and save your business some money.

PCs you own may have plenty of life left in them. But to get them in top shape can require a little attention. The longer a computer is used, the messier its hard drive can get. Viruses, outdated software, fragmented storage space and general clutter can turn a good piece of equipment into a real slowpoke.

To get your slightly worn PCs and laptops back in action, follow these tune-up tips:

• Remove old programs, temporary files and the Web browser’s cache, cookies and history. Empty the trash folder, and while you’re at it, clean the keyboard. Use your disk utilities to scan the hard drive for errors, fix any corrupt sectors and remove invalid registry entries or broken shortcuts.
  
• Defragment the hard drive. A hard drive is composed of many sections, known as sectors. As files are saved, they are often divided into parts that are scattered across the drive. This slows down the system because the file must be retrieved from different locations. Defragmenting brings the pieces back together again.
  
• Scan the computer for viruses and update virus definitions. Symantec.com offers a full range of antivirus, anti-spam and problem solving PC solutions. The Small Business Center section of their Web site has helpful, plain-English articles on computer maintenance.
  
• Download and install software upgrades. Standard programs that come installed on computers need regular updates. And finally, backup regularly to protect important data. If the computer dies and you need a new one, you won’t lose anything.

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Protect Your Business from Internet Threats

For small business owners increasingly reliant on technology, the threat of disruptions from computer viruses has become increasingly important. Maybe you haven’t had trouble yet with computer viruses. But the problem keeps getting worse and more small businesses are feeling the effects.

The risk increases with each new technology device or service you link to your system, such as wireless networks, instant messaging and other applications. One technology firm that screens e-mails for spam and viruses on behalf of small business customers says that 3.6 percent of messages contain a virus.

As a business owner, you must be prepared to protect your PCs. A virus can damage data and disrupt your business. The first step is to educate everyone at your business about the dangers and set policies for using the Internet and opening email attachments. For example, don’t let employees use file sharing Web sites and prohibit downloading applications from unknown sites.

You should install antivirus software and other security features on your computers, networks and e-mail. Use a firewall to block incoming traffic that is not needed for your business. And keep all operating systems, software and security measures up to date. Older versions are more vulnerable to attack. If you discover a PC is infected, take it off your network so that fixes can be installed.

Symantec.com offers a full range of antivirus, anti-spam and computer problem solving solutions for small business. The Small Business Center portion of the firm’s Web site has dozens of articles on computer security and maintenance.

To help startups and other small businesses better understand online security, Symantec offers a small business website http://www.symantec.com/smb that includes several free educational tools.

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Build Your Virtual Business

In this age of instant communications and Web-based business services, there’s more than one way to start and build a business. If your budget and time are limited, and potential partners or co-workers are widely dispersed, a good model to consider is to operate as a “virtual business” where most of the business structure exists online.

 The virtual business movement has transformed how millions of small, successful firms operate in America. Under the virtual model, business owners outsource nearly everything—including people and partners who may be anywhere—to create their company. The technologies and Web-based services to tie it all together are becoming more sophisticated, but less expensive all the time, helping fuel the move to virtual existence.

But while the absence of a traditional office might change how you manage your business and the people who work for you, it doesn’t eliminate the need for doing so effectively. Staying connected and working in unison are vital to virtual success. Cell phones, e-mail, follow-me-anywhere messaging and shared workspaces on the Web can keep it all running smoothly.

With people interacting only electronically from remote locations and little if any face-to-face contact, you will need to make an extra effort to foster trust and bonding between individuals involved. Talk by phone, use Web conferencing and try to meet in person on occasion.

Leverage the strengths that a virtual business affords, including flexibility, such as offer short turnaround, low overhead to keep costs lower than the competition; and competence by touting the credentials of your virtual partners.

The Microsoft Small Business Centerat www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness is a portal site that offers nearly everything you’ll need to get up and running. This site, previously known as bCentral, has been reinvented as a suite of small business tools and services such as Web marketing, payment processing, online catalog creation, shopping cart, list building, banner ads and search engine submission.

ntranets.com and HotOffice.com both specialize in offering virtual small businesses Web space and handy tools to communicate, collaborate and get things done, while Yahoo Small Business and BigStep.com offer an extensive lineup of tools and services to help establish a virtual retail business quickly and inexpensively.

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