Internet for Business | |
| Internet Links and Resources for Small Business Owners | |
Small Business Links & ResourcesThe sheer volume of information on the Web is staggering. There is a bewildering array of websites focusing on small business, Internet marketing and allied topics. Many of these in turn provide links to similar sites. Navigating through this maze can boggle the mind. So I have tried to limit the number of links and references, but even these will lead you to many others. Below is a suggested itinerary to get you started on your journey of e-commerce exploration. However, if you're serious about putting up a business website and don't have time to squander, I suggest you bypass all the reading and tutorials and check out Site Build It! Don't let the thought of building your own website overwhelm you - Site Build It! is an exceptional product that will guide you in building not only your own website, but your own web business. There has recently been a surge of awareness that millions of small businesses, particularly those offering services, do not have websites, even though this should be an essential ingredient of their marketing mix. Site Build It! Is specially suitable for small business owners, particularly service sellers, whether their customers are global or from around the corner, and is tailored to help local businesses with local clients succeed on the Web. I speak from first-hand experience, as am using Site Built It! to develop my wildlife photography website, Wildlife-Pictures-Online.com. Site Build It's page analysis tools have helped me optimise my pages for the search engines, giving me good rankings in Google for popular search terms related to my site. Increasing Your Knowledge - Suggested Reading1. Have a quick look at this list of Frequently Asked Questions about the Internet and the Web at Ballyhoo.com. Basic but informative.2. There's a detailed course, called Access Minnesota Main Street, that's co-ordinated by the University of Minnesota Extension Service. The online material is freely accessible for educational purposes. Anyone reading it thoroughly and studying the examples will be rewarded with an excellent grounding in e-commerce. 3. In Britain, the Government's Business Link website provides small businesses with valuable IT and e-commerce advice. Link Building StrategyOne of the best methods of promoting your site is by link building.LinkingMatters.com is a comprehensive free report that provides detailed guidelines, worksheets and resources for running an effective linking strategy. Linking Matters follows the classic linking approach:
Internet marketing consultant Jodi Krangle offers an excellent overview on linking in her very readable yet incisive article, Linking As A Networking Strategy. Web DesignFor insights on what makes websites work and how they're likely to evolve, look no further than Jakob Nielsen's Web site. If you're thinking of employing someone to design your Web site, first visit Jakob's Alertbox and read his Top ten new mistakes of Web design |
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Last updated: January 2008. Copyright © 2006-2008 Scotch Macaskill, 18 Strawberry Fields, 36 College Road, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Tel: +23 33 3422811. Privacy: Your privacy is guaranteed. Personal information, including email addresses, will never be sold or given to third parties. |
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