Alright time for a trip back to the 80’s. We all remember Field of Dreams , the baseball movie with Kevin Costner . Even if you didn’t see the movie you probably heard the quote…”If you build it, they will come!”

Well the business world isn’t a Hollywood movie with Kevin Costner. This quote comes to mind quite often when working with clients who have had a website for awhile and just aren’t seeing the results they hoped for. Having someone build a site for your business is only one part of having an online business and a small part at that. What is your strategy for marketing your website? I’m sure you have thought about how to market your business but specifically how are you driving people to your website? Just because you build it does NOT mean the business will come. Have you thought about any of the following?

• Email marketing campaigns to existing and or potential clients
• Sponsored links on search engines
• Google Ad words
• Start a blog about your company
• Create a MySpace or Facebook page for your business
• Make sure your website address is on all other marketing and client touch point material
• Check to be sure your site and your business is listed on all of the online directories of local businesses in your area
• Ask vendors or business partners to place reciprocal links on their sites and you will do the same for them

Those are just some of the ways we help our customers create and implement a strategy to successfully drive more business to their websites. Because if you just build it and don’t do the rest you could end up all washed up like Kevin in one of his less popular movies.

Waterworld

Today we are more interconnected with other humans than ever before in the history of the world. We have email, text messaging, social networks, instant messaging, blogging, forums and a host of other ways to communicate with others. While these technologies all make our lives a lot simpler in some ways…in others they make our lives more complicated. Let’s take social networking as an example. Have you ever been asked to join someone’s network or be their “friend” on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn or any of the other myriad of social networking sites? What happens when that invite comes from someone you really don’t want to be connected to? It’s easy if it is someone you really don’t know… you just say no. But what if it is someone you work with every day or see on a regular basis. You know if you decline their invite they will take it personally and may even ask you why you rejected them. Talk about awkward! I’ve talked with a number of friends who have had this same situation come up and my advice is simple. Just say no! People need to learn to not take things personally. My network on LinkedIn for example is all about my business life. I have networks on other sites that are for my personal interests. We are complex individuals and just because I say no to your invite doesn’t mean you are a bad person or even that I don’t like you it’s just that you don’t fit in my network. So if you ask someone to be a part of your network and they “Just say no” don’t take it personally. And if someone you really don’t want to be connected to asks to join yours…just listen to Mr. T.