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Let's be honest. There's not a lot of twenty-somethings with smart phones tweeting their every move with small businesses to run. Likewise, there's not a lot of small business owners with smart phones who have the time or desire to tweet, or instagram, or Facebook, or anything else online. I know it's a conundrum. But if you want to drive potential costumers to your website or place of business it is important & truthfully once you get into it... it's kind of fun. Faceook is the obvious choice to start for any business. If you don't have a page for your business already you should definitely start by putting one together and challenge yourself to update it regularly. This gives the people that know you and your business the best the opportunity to like & share it with their family & friends. Think of it as the digital version of a referral. They can also comment freely on any specials or events you might have going on. I know Facebook for the most part is probably "old hat" at this point but I feel the need to impress upon any business owner the importance of being socially aware online &  Facebook is honestly the easiest place to start. In the future I'll cover some lesser known social networking sites that could very well be the difference between 100 views & a 1000 views. 

 
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Developing an online presence can be a tricky thing. I know I know the it seems like this huge endless sea of information and developing a website sometimes feels like you're putting a pole out in the water just praying you catch something. In most cases that is exactly what people do. That's why you want to develop a strong web presence because in all reality that's what you want to fish with… a "web" or "net". Like how I brought that back? 

Any good fisherman knows that it's better to fish with a net. So think of your website like the center of the spider web in the picture. the goal is to develop as many avenues to that center point as you can. Why? Because you'll catch more. The more layers you have to your web the more people will opportunity to see your website thereby generating more business. Now don't get me wrong. There's no substitute for face to face business & referrals. Even in a world filled with instantaneous information, expert bloggers offering opinions on every topic imaginable, and endless customer reviews the ability to look a customer in the eye to do business is still the most important thing of all. A strong online presence should increase your opportunity to do just that. Look a person in the eye. That's why, as a small business owner, you should want to put your face & name in as many places as you can across the web and increase the size of the net you have. Every opportunity you take to put your image is a window into who you are as a business owner giving potential customers a sense of familiarity when they see your business for the first time in the "real world". So the next time you see the internet as a giant ocean just think, "I'm going to need a bigger net." 


Coming up in the future I'll show you ways you can put your public image out there in a positive way & the websites you'll want to use to do just that.

 
There is a movement not only in social circles but across the business world as well. Online presence is everything. It's no surprise, after all any tool that gives clientele instant access to everything your business is about will inevitably increase sales. Meratix believes that a good website is as good as a front door and I started this blog to continuously teach online principles to people who are quite honestly drowning in the endless stream of information that is the web. So come back often, continue to learn, and get connected to your customers in powerful new ways.