What do you put on your business card? On your website? Your signature at the end of a testimonial? On your letterhead? Another way to say what you put on your card is to put it on your website. But how? Do you get your name on a business directory website at all?
Here are 5 ways a business directory website can help you get your name on the web, ensure your customers have access to you (if you’re out of reach), help you brand your business, and make it easy to promote your company and its services.
1) Duty. Your website is a lot like your home. It is your business’s home base. You can use your website to give prospects a chance to connect with you, and let them know who you are and what you do. Your website will also introduce folks to you, hopefully giving them a feel for who you are. This is a critical marketing step, little effort, but will pay off “just in time” as your contacts buy from you.
2) Accuracy. Do you keep track of the information about you and your business that you like? Do you have the contact information of hundreds of clients and prospects? Are the dots accurate? If you’re running a business, you should. You want to show up as credible as possible with a business card and a business unrelated picture of you. A business plan logo, a photo of yourself, and the contact information you want on your business card are key “best practices pokerclub88” for putting yourself in the market. You have the power to change later.
3) Credibility. When first meeting you, your door will be slammed in your face, so you need to portray that image in your cards and your website. Make it easy for people to contact you with a “call to action” on those cards. For example, you can include a call to action with your business card leads that give you permission to become your partner in business development. And to give them the same number to reach you. Include that business card in a big package deal, with a contest, and/or special offer to those who pass the call to action.
4) Affiliations and Partnerships. Talk about partners! Anything you partner up with is free advertising, and a good way to give you a leg up over your competition. Plus, what’s the worst that can happen when you’re not under an affiliate company? You’re free! And you could actually earn free “expert” status.
5) Goodies. Some associations let you find printers who will agree to write a guest article offering your services to their members. All you need to do is ask to be put on their guest list, until you get featured in your particular field. While that’s something of a gimmick, so you must think before doing it, it’s well worth the effort of getting published.
From a future article, with more decision making tips in motivation of putting yourself on the web, plus other great tips because of this article:
- Put your contact information on your website’s signature area. And give out your business cards at networking events. (If you’re an advertiser, these are probably going to be articles, anyway.)
- Don’t put your best stuff out to the public. If you have a “before and after” photo of a process, put this in your article or in the visuals for your storyboard as a separate giveaway that your printer will likely want to use. This is from the same Robertjournal.
- Keep the business cards you purchase throughout your membership. Maybe you’ll print them one time, and then have them ready to go for every inventory or online sale.
- Postcard mailing lists can be a viable source for other ideas. Perhaps you will design a postcard with a specific offer, and then use it using your business cards.
- Have a “portfolio” page at your website. Use the photo like you used with a snapshot of your product or services, and then offer your links in your email newsletter.
- Create a card with a neat layout like an ebook cover, and then use it in your website or blog.