LostInTechnology

A Guide to the Internet For Your Business

Posted on 02. Jun, 2010 by Squealing.Rat in How To, Internet Tools

Businesses around the world seem to know what the internet is. They seem to understand what they should be doing with it too. But they’re not doing all that they could to utilize the tools available. In this article, I hope to show you what your business can do to best utilize the vast internet.

Google Me

Here is your goal: when someone “googles” you, your shop comes up. Yes, you could pay the Yellowbook, or some other nonsense outrageous sums of money to get this done. But you don’t have to. Google, Bing and Yahoo offer free tools to post and edit your business location in their directories.

If when you Google your business address, your business pops up on the map, you can proceed to the next step. But if it doesn’t, you’ll have to add it. To do this, simply go to this url to add your business to Google Maps.

If you do see your business listing, go to the listing, and click where it says business owner at the top. After that, you should be able to edit your listing, after you confirm you are the owner, either through snail mail or a phone call.

Now, to add/edit your business in Bing, go here and for Yahoo!, go here. If you are a restaurant, you’ll also want to add /edit your business on Yelp.

Now, what is the point of all this? Well, for starters, you’ll want to edit your business listing, to add more information, including business hours, and other details. You’ll also be able to add keywords for some directories, which is very helpful. For instance, if someone searched for “bakeries, NYC,” your business could show up if you added bakery to your business keywords.

Website

Previously, I have spoken on how to create and manage a great website on the cheap. If you really want to rock the business world, nothing says professional like a well designed, professionally done website. I suggest using 99designs or Craigslist to find a web designer whom you like. However, make sure that the design is not simply a template. Get a technological friend to help you make sure you aren’t getting ripped off.

For restaurants, there are a couple of free tools that you’ll want to take advantage of. The first is LetsEat.at, a service that lets food oriented businesses create websites on the cheap. This is great because it is tailored to a restaurant’s needs.

The second is OpenTable, a service that lets customers reserve tables online for free. This is another great tool that helps you reach a broader customer base and makes it easier for customers to come to your restaurant.

Tweet

This point I’ll have to be careful with. Businesses all around the world are jumping on to Twitter, but they have no idea what they are doing. And all they will do is plug the business into the ground. Take a look at Dell’s Twitter account, Whole Foods’ Twitter account, and Naked Pizza’s Twitter account for an idea on what your business should be tweeting about. Also, any Twitter username with an underscore is a bad idea.

Email

Email is one thing usually overlooked. If you have a business, and you want to look professional, hotlady1050@hotmail.com isn’t the best email to have on your business card. In fact, any email address ending with hotmail.com or aol.com is not a good sign. The best possible free email accounts you should be using are gmail.com and live.com. For more slickness, grab your own $8 a year domain, and start getting emails at me@mybusiness.com. Much smoother.

Bonuses

GenBook, an easy way for customers to make appointments.

Phonebooth, a free way to have a professional phone system.

5 Ways Small Businesses Can Use Tech to Save Money

What does your business do online? Let us know in the comments!

The writer of this post compiles the latest tech news and more at Squealing Rat, and writes abouttricks and tips of deception, trickery and survival at Lone Iguana. Find him on Twitter.

Photo: swanksalot

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Tags: business, guide, internet