The Editor’s Desk – From Beneath the Clutter

Aside from dealing with sick kids the past week, it’s been a pretty good week around here. I’ve gotten a fair bit done.

Working at home with sick kids is even more challenging than just working at home with kids around. They need you so much more – especially when one of the sick kids is an infant or toddler. It’s just hard to get a break from caring for them to get some work done. And if you catch the bug yourself… be prepared to still not get a break from caring for everyone else.

Then again, isn’t that why we work at home? To be there when our family needs us and not have a boss complaining about how much time you take off? Having sick kids isn’t fun, but it’s a lot easier to deal with it when you’re your own boss.

Small Business Website Tips – 10 Ways to Increase Traffic and Gain New Business

Whether you have had a website for years and are satisfied with it or if you have just put a website up and would like to draw more traffic to it, there are a few simple things you could do to increase traffic and convert those website visitors into new clients.

1) Put your website address at the bottom of every email you write. All email providers allow you to create a signature on your emails so you do not have to re-write it each time. Put a catchy invitation in front of it saying something like, “New products arrived this week. Check out my website at [insert your website here] to see them today!”

2) You will increase traffic to your website by writing about it on Facebook or Twitter. Even if social networking is not your cup of tea, you can benefit from opening a simple Facebook group that people become a member of. This way you have a direct mailing list of interested people who would like to know about your sales and services.

3) Most businesses know this by now, but in case you need a reminder, put your website on every single document that has your name on it. All business cards, letterhead and products should have your website on it at all times.

4) Keep your website current by making additions to it frequently. By updating it often, Google will recognize your site as active and “traffic worthy” bringing it up towards the top of Google searches for your business.

5) Use key words often on your site as that will also help Google recognize your page. If your business is Homemade Teddy bears you want to use these words as many times as you can throughout the site. Each page would have these key words in it.

6) Turn visitors into clients by encouraging them to receive your newsletter. Clarify that the purpose of your newsletter is to offer information about the products and services in your industry and that you will assure their privacy by not selling or trading their emails.

7) Be clear about the benefits that you can give to your customers on the homepage. Typically, a visitor to a site will spend 30 seconds on a website deciding if it is useful to them or not. You want to convince them in 30 seconds that there is more on your site of interest to them and the services you provide are of great benefit.

Be very clear on your home page how they can contact you. Having your photo there as well as an email or phone number will relieve a visitor’s ease and help them to take the step to contact you. Showing a photo helps to build their trust and when they trust you then they will come to you for business.

9) Don’t make the mistake of saying too much on your first page. Generally, lengthy sentences and paragraphs will not be read and your client will leave the site not really knowing what you are all about.

10) Believe in yourself and show that on your site. Know what makes you unique and then make that your unique selling point. Do you have a special niche that you can tailor your services to? If so, write about that on your front page and you will catch the attention of more visitors and turn more visitors into clients.

Rachel Leigh Perry is a writer and educator who writes about self-actualization and living fully in your own life. Discover how you can use your virtues and strengths to overcome any life challenge. Go to her blog today at http://www.virtuesforwellbeing.wordpress.com.