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There's More Than One Way to Get Noticed

June 04, 2009

The experiences of starting and running several small businesses online can definitely be a revelation in many ways. Blogging, linking, sending out newsletters, designing a website... Here are some experiences that might be helpful to those thinking about starting a small business or and helpful to those Bonanzlers who already have started.  When someone asks, "Who's your webmaster?" tell him or her "I guess I am! " 

It's a daunting task, staring at the blank screen on your computer, trying desperately to come up with a name for your store, your business or your website. Maybe you're thinking it should be something eye-catching and cute, but purposeful. 
 
You don't have to shout to get noticed...  use one of these tips instead
Once you have decided on your business or booth name, set up your operation and are ready to sell, your next step is to drive customers to your site. You can have the best products in the world, but if nobody knows about them... well, you will have plenty of things you can use for birthday presents. 
 
Besides standing on a street corner and shouting out your name to passersby as they scuttle about, you can employ different techniques that will more effectively promote your business. Some are very simple to implement, where others will take a little more time. Some of the more involved techniques are only difficult the first time. Set them up once, and you don't have to do much maintenance to keep them going.
 
How do you get noticed?  What can YOU do to increase your presence in cyberspace? You don't want to be overlooked by the "Big Boys" of the Internet: Google, Yahoo and MSN. Get passed over by them and you are wasting your time. Get serious about it and the payoff can be huge.
 
In no particular order, here are a few ways to gain a presence on the Net:
 

•     Visit and comment on other people's blogs. Make your comments meaningful - not just "Hi, I agree."  Leave your business name or link to your Bonanzle booth or your website URL.  Start by doing a search by doing a Google search for "small business blog" or "rural business blog".  You will find hundreds of blogs, including plenty by fellow Bonanzlers. Of course, those Bonanzle bloggers already know about Bonanzle. Therefore, there will be a bigger payoff for you if you leave responses on blogs where people do not already know about Bonanzle.

•     Find sites that have Top 100 lists of website like yours. For example, "Top 100 Craft Sites", "Top Wood Working Sites", and "Top 100 Jewelry Sites" would be great sites for sellers who deal in craft items. Get on their lists. See if they share links, reciprocal links, etc.

•     Google Base, Google Base, Google Base!  Submit your Bonanzle listings to Google Base (combined with adding item traits/attributes to your listings) and watch your business traffic increase. Your listings will show up in Google search results when shoppers use Google to search for an item. Talk about Internet presence! This is the #1 thing you should do if you want to be seen on the Internet. Oh yeah, one more thing... Google Base!

•     Get listed in the Yahoo! Local business finder. List your business in online yellow pages. Search Google for "free business directory". There are plenty to choose from. If permitted, upload a logo or photo to go with your directory listing. Put a link to your Bonanzle booth on your webpage. Find local websites that allow you to add your business to their directories.

•     Consider advertising in your local newspaper to target local shoppers. Many newspapers also have free (or cheap) online business directories.

•     Offer coupons for your business at sites like merchantcircle.com, googleocity.com or tjoos.com. They are easy to set up, fast and painless.

•     Send out a newsletter to friends and family with plenty of links to your store. Tell them they can forward to whomever they like.

•     Add your Bonanzle booth URL to your handouts at trade shows and make sure that it's printed on your business cards. It's relatively cheap and easy to do.

•     Start a blog and link back to your webpages. Create links to others, as well. Also, ask your friends to link to you if they have a blog or homepage for business or pleasure.

•     Sign up for Google Analytics and add your Bonanzle booth to this service. It takes a Google Gmail account and some technical no-how, but worth the extra effort to see how the effect of linking and if your Internet presence is paying dividends. Maps and charts help you figure out when and where others see you, and who is watching. Of course, if you are a Bonanzle Plus or Premiere member, this is a FREE benefit available to you.

This list is by no means comprehensive. There are social networking sites that can help boost your Internet presence. Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are arguably the three most popular social networking sites that you can utilize to help promote your Bonanzle business, and have a little fun while you keep in touch with family and friends. Have you heard of viral marketing? Well, you may not know what it means, but it is BIG. If you have two friends that follow you on Facebook and they each have two friends that follow them, and each of those people have two friends... Well, you get the idea. You could have thousands of friends all following you in no time at all. So, if you post that Bonanzle banner on your social networking page, how many people will see it? It's a social pyramid gone wild.
 
Spend a little time networking through blogs and social sites, placing your name in online directories, submitting your items to Google Base and you will reap the rewards! 
 
 
 
Submitted by Renee (NeeNeesSoapShop)
Edited by Tom
 
 
Don't forget to check out the other BOP articles at www.bonanzle.com/bop
 

Posted by Bill
Tagged as: social networking, increase internet presence, twitter, facebook, myspace, Google, Google Base, analytics, online directory, newspaper, Yahoo, MSN

50 responses to There's More Than One Way to Get Noticed

  • DesignerKidz says:
    06/04/09 at 04:21:24

    Great info, Renee! Thanks!

  • Starfisher says:
    06/04/09 at 05:13:28

    Nicely written article

  • McCormicksGiftShoppe says:
    06/04/09 at 06:20:07

    Great article Renee! Very helpful & informative! Thank you!

  • Paceset9999 says:
    06/04/09 at 07:01:40

    Thanks Renee, that’s a great list and a nice friendly article

  • NeeNeesSoapShop says:
    06/04/09 at 07:25:59

    Thank you. I had fun doing it and Tom edited it so well. I’m honored to be chosen for the BOP.

  • blarney_stone says:
    06/04/09 at 07:31:54

    Great summary Renee!! Thanks!

  • GlassRiverJewelry says:
    06/04/09 at 07:54:19

    Great article. Thank you. Now I have to figure out Google Analytics.

  • OurDresserToYours says:
    06/04/09 at 12:32:50

    Fabulous article! Absolutely accurate. Do the above and watch your views and sales to your booth soar through the roof!
    Reen
    Bonanzle member since January 2009

  • BookbinEtc says:
    06/04/09 at 13:13:38

    Thanks Renee, for a well-written article that is easy to read and understand.

  • NightowlGardener says:
    06/04/09 at 13:24:39

    Thank you Renee for taking the time to write such an informative article that can help all of us!

  • worldwidetraders says:
    06/04/09 at 13:44:58

    Great article, appreciate all the tips there are lots of avenues to cover to get the word and self promote. Another tip is to include a business card when you pay your bills…one never knows where it will end up and you might get a local sale out of it!

  • SarahinWA says:
    06/04/09 at 21:24:39

    Thank you for the great article, Renee! Another thing I have found useful (along the same lines) is to include the link in my email signature. That’s how my grandma finally found my store! lol

  • SisterJewelry says:
    06/04/09 at 23:05:21

    Thank you for the information.

  • gingernellscloset says:
    06/05/09 at 05:06:52

    Wow! Nice tips and easy to read and follow. Hope they work for all of us!

  • andi says:
    06/05/09 at 07:38:15

    I appreciate your hard work putting this article together. LOTS of great tips! THanks!!

  • STBThreadworks says:
    06/05/09 at 08:35:16

    Very nice article. Extremely helpful. Thanks for your work putting it together!

  • DMedicineWoman says:
    06/05/09 at 11:19:19

    Thank you so much for your article. Great tips!

  • Sheilahdee says:
    06/05/09 at 13:42:49

    Great Info..

  • canderbell says:
    06/05/09 at 15:34:01

    Looks like a lot to do So I better get busy. Thanks for information that is easy to understand.

  • MamasStuff says:
    06/05/09 at 19:36:59

    Thanks so much Renee – I see a few ideas there to try.

  • DollarCards says:
    06/05/09 at 22:00:13

    Great! Thanks for all the helpful tips!

  • yellowsand1964 says:
    06/05/09 at 22:25:16

    nice article ty
    we also open a new ning
    http://bonanzlegoldprofit.ning.com/ and we hope bring more buyer

    MAry

  • Deco says:
    06/06/09 at 07:11:45

    thanks so much for a really helpful, and easy to understand article

  • spencer455 says:
    06/06/09 at 07:50:42

    Thanks Renee. This outline has so many useful information for us, and I hope everyone will take advantage what this article contains.

    http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/spencer455#

  • ladyshars says:
    06/06/09 at 11:01:57

    Now that was something worth reading, thank you Renee, learned some new ideas and will put them to good use. Shari http://www.bonanzle.com/ladyshars http://www.bonanzle.com/YeOldeBookShoppe http://www.bonanzle.com/MuttsAttic

  • Stockpiled says:
    06/06/09 at 13:48:48

    Great article, thanks

  • midfield_john says:
    06/06/09 at 14:00:03

    Thank you Renee. Very informative!
    http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/midfield_john

  • TheSupplyShop says:
    06/06/09 at 17:06:06

    Thanks for the info! As a new seller trying to find ways to get my name out their.

    http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/prekfun

  • MeAndMySweetPeas says:
    06/06/09 at 19:28:18

    Thank you so much for all of this valuable info! I appreciate you putting this together! Now, to get it all done!! :o)

  • renagade says:
    06/07/09 at 04:43:47

    Renee …absolutely super job!! The only thing I can add is to pick ONE web “ID” and use it everywhere!
    I AM the Renagade! LOL
    http://www.renagadesrelics.com for all things “renagade”

  • sewandsew says:
    06/07/09 at 09:16:48

    Timely,well written article…Thank you for including the site links…

    http://www.bonanzle.com/sistah2
    http://www.adinkradreams.com
    http://www.bonanzle.com/sistahqueen2
    http://www.bonanzle.com/sewandsew

  • THECROPCHICK says:
    06/08/09 at 16:11:31

    AWSOME TIPS!

  • test12 says:
    06/09/09 at 00:22:17

    GOd Is GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • PoppysCollectibles says:
    06/11/09 at 09:59:11

    Great Article.Good information.Thanks!!!

  • judyfruendt says:
    06/14/09 at 21:49:43

    great information

  • MeAndMySweetPeas says:
    06/15/09 at 21:34:11

    Thank you for all the info! Very helpful!!

  • Noblemart says:
    06/18/09 at 19:54:43

    very helpful

  • mountainlady says:
    07/21/09 at 09:55:52

    sure need some kind ofhelp getting started. tried to get google but that isnt working.so, if there is some way you can give me some info i would appricate the help. thank you.

  • bonusroom says:
    07/22/09 at 15:44:33

    Great information and very helpful!

  • sharlyngifts says:
    07/25/09 at 19:47:31

    Thank you for the wonderful info and help. I’ve bookmark this so I can reread it again!

  • bubbleup63 says:
    08/19/09 at 06:02:36

    great article,very informative.

  • amaloveoffashion says:
    08/25/09 at 08:06:26

    You sure did provide a lot of useful information. I’m certainly going to try them. Thanks!

  • chill02wolfart says:
    09/04/09 at 19:50:26

    Very informative article. Thank you very much!

  • IndianCouture says:
    10/05/09 at 17:17:21

    Great article thanks a lot!

  • something4everyone says:
    10/08/09 at 09:24:29

    Come in and make yourself at home.
    We have a variety of products in my booth.
    Something 4 Everyone.

  • mountainlady says:
    10/14/09 at 11:50:17

    I would help on my Booth as no articles, I have no purchases. How do I get help soon.

  • john114 says:
    10/15/09 at 22:26:00

    Definitely useful. Thanks for sharing!

    http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/john114

  • rubylulu says:
    10/31/09 at 19:21:45

    This is a great and helpful article! Thank you.

  • rmarie says:
    11/07/09 at 18:52:22

    Great information now to get it going and I’ll be on my way….sell…sell…sell

  • magazineguru.com says:
    11/22/09 at 05:55:11

    advertise on Craigslist using www.wantadpro.com It worked for me.