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The Power of Going Mobile for Small Business

June 17, 2015

The_Power_of_Going_MobileHow often do you pick up your smartphone throughout the day? When you wake up; when you’re standing in line for your coffee; when you get a notification? According to a study by Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, the average person looks at their phone 150 times a day. With 57% of customers saying they would not recommend a business with a bad mobile site, the power of mobile for small businesses is undeniable. Here are a few tips to get started:

Put your website to the mobile test

If you’re not sure whether your website is mobile-friendly, we have you covered. This Google Webmaster test tells you if your website is mobile-friendly and shows how it looks on a mobile device. Once you have those results, use the Webmaster’s Mobile Guide where you’ll find ways to customize your website software or implement mobile SEO best practices.

Don’t neglect your mobile ads

Did you know that search interest in “near me” (aka things within a customer’s vicinity) have increased 34x since 2011? Not everyone who uses mobile is always searching directly for your product or service. That’s where mobile ads come in. If a customer is searching for a local hardware store, you can use mobile ads to make sure your store pops up where and when they need it. These ads can take many forms, including text, image or even within mobile apps. To make these especially mobile-friendly, you can also purchase call-only ads, which only show up on devices that can make phone calls.  (more…)

Four Ways To Spot Online Fraud

April 13, 2015
By Cindy Bates

globe and computerMany will recall 2014 as the year of the data breach. From individuals to major brands, it seemed that no one was immune to the threat of a cyber attack. While 2014 was particularly worrisome, these types of breaches have been on the rise in recent years and are predicted to be a continued threat.

Between 2013 and 2014, nearly half of all U.S. adults had their information hacked and an estimated 432 million accounts were breached. In 2012, 29 percent of small businesses were victims of a cyber attacks. According to a recent study cited by the U.S. House Small Business Subcommittee on Health and Technology, roughly 60 percent of small businesses close within six months of a cyber attack.

While the breaches making national headlines are often the result of sophisticated hacks, far greater and more common threats stem from much simpler causes including employee or contractor mistakes, lost or stolen hardware and procedural errors. Thankfully, there are ways to help protect yourself and your business, starting with learning how to identify potential symptoms of online fraud. Here are four easy-to-follow tips:  (more…)

It’s Time To Put Your Business On The Map

April 6, 2015
By Whitney Lemon

Google-On_The_Map-logoOver the past four years, thanks to the support of partners like America’s SBDC, the Get Your Business Online program has helped 325,000 businesses get a website.

This year, with a new program, “Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map,” we’re helping local businesses in every city update their information where customers are searching for them most – on Google Search and Maps.

Being on the map matters. Research shows that businesses with complete online business listings are 2x as likely to be considered ‘reputable. ’ 1 Yet, only 37 percent of businesses have claimed their listing on a search engine.2 Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map helps businesses reach local customers by updating their info on Google Search and Maps at no charge.  (more…)

Modern Technology Debunks Small Business Myths

March 26, 2015
By Cindy Bates

Modern TechnologyTrue or False? Upgrading to new technology is costly and takes too much time. Only big companies need to invest in data security protection. Employees are most productive only when working in the office. You may hold these misconceptions, or business myths, as truths. I want to encourage you to reconsider and not let them hold your small business back.

We recently partnered with small business expert, celebrated author, and technology evangelist Ramon Ray on a video series to bust these business myths and show how modern technology can improve productivity.  (more…)

Getting Started With SEO: 3 Easy Ways to Increase Your Rankings Online

March 23, 2015
By Maxym Martineau

SEO for StartersEveryone wants to show up on the first page of the search engines. Top of mind is important – and while it’s not reasonable to promise that your business will skyrocket to the first spot on the list, there are a few important steps you can take to improve your search engine ranking.

Find the right words

Search engines like websites that are dynamic, which means your content needs to be rich in keywords so your pages are more appealing. On-page SEO (search engine optimization) is vital to increasing your ranking. First, do your research and find keywords that are relative to your business – use phrases or words that people commonly search for when shopping in your industry. Then, build your content around those words so they fit naturally and seamlessly into the text of your website.

A good way to start is to spend a few minutes writing down words that relate to your business. Imagine any phrase or word a potential visitor might use when browsing a search engine. Once you’ve done that, stop by Google’s free Keyword Planner. This is an awesome tool that tracks whether or not people are actually searching for the words and phrases you’ve created. The tool itself is initially part of Google AdWords, but feel free to use it to boost your on-page SEO.  (more…)