Do you know your website’s bounce rate?

For that matter, do you even know what a bounce rate is?

For the small business owners that are too busy digging themselves out of paperwork to stay up to date on this sort of jargon, let us explain: your site’s bounce rate is the amount of visitors to your page that leave the website without visiting any other pages on the site. It typically means that your landing page is not very strong or that your SEO if off.

Luckily, there is quite a bit you can do to make sure your bounce rate stays low. Some of you may already be doing these things and likely have a current low bounce rate. However, here are some tips for those of you that may be struggling.

Make Sure Your landing Page is Easy to Read and Navigate. If your landing page is an eyesore, that’s an automatic strike against you. Loud colors or excessive bells and whistles can turn some readers off right away. Make sure your page is easy for even the slowest of users to navigate. Simple colors and design often work best for landing pages.

Improve Your Loading Times.  Most people online are incredibly impatient. If they have to wait for your page to load for more than five seconds, they will probably leave and go elsewhere, Make sure you don’t fall victim to this by removing unnecessary plug-ins and videos. If you are still having problems, contact your web designer for help.

Keep keywords and SEO strong.  Always be sure that you are reinforcing your keywords in your content. If you put it in your metadata and not in your copy, your readers are going to leave promptly. Also, it is not cool to use your business name as a central keyword. Keep it centered on the topic at hand, not you.

Watch it with all the external links.  While it’s certainly admirable to place an external link to a page that you got some of your information from, you need to be clever and strategic with where you place them, Placing them close to the beginning may lead some to click the link and never return to your page. Try placing external links near the bottom of the page to prevent this.

What other tactics are your small business using to make sure your bounce rate remains low?

If your small business has come to the point where it is time to hire on a few more people, there are exciting times ahead for sure. Some might argue that hiring for a small business is tougher than hiring for a larger business or corporation. There needs to be more insight into personality because your employees are a direct reflection of your business—and that is a reflection that is much more pronounced when your business is small.

Sure, a potential employee’s work experience is important, but there is one other place you can look to see what sort of person you are considering: their interests and side projects.

First, you can tell a lot about someone by their interests. Those that enjoy hiking, extreme sports, or any outdoor activities tend to be more outgoing. On the other hand, those that enjoy spending quiet time with a book or watching movies tend to be a little less involved, yet are often considered to be more helpful with large-scale ideas.

Side projects are also a great window to take a peek at what sort of employee you are hiring.  For instance, if they are cooks, studies show that they are probably fairly patient. If they are a writer, they are probably talkative. If they are into sports, they are likely to be energetic and determined.

In speaking to them ask if they have a personal website or blog. Visiting a potential employee’s blog can sometimes give you a better idea of the sort of person they are than the interview itself might reveal. What sort of posts are they writing? Are they hate-filled and angry? Are they inspirational and well-written? While it may not be a direct reflection of how they’d behave in a work setting, it should give a clear picture of their true personality.

Of course, all of this is just a way to be cautious. There is no tried and true way to determine what sort of worker a person is until they are actually in your office and working.  But learning about their side project and interests opens up a whole new level of conversation that some larger businesses often overlook.

One of the many ways that social media has altered the landscape of small business is in allowing the audience to become a larger part of how a brand is shaped. For some businesses, engaging the audience is a large part of their marketing efforts and, in most cases, has paid off well.

Engagement can be taken a step further, though. Involving your audience and target demographic in the actual marketing process and even the content side of things has proven to work as well.

How does this work, exactly? Well, here are a few theoretical examples.

Lets’ say you’re a small costume shop. Around Halloween, take to your Facebook page and encourage your followers to share their own personal ghost stories. Perhaps you can up the ante by offering free costume rentals to the best story. By encouraging this sort of engagement, you are effectively using your audience’s content as your own. This works for you because of the unique content and for the personal connection those that participate will have with your brand. Also, the potential for something of this nature going viral is pretty good.

Or maybe your small business is a restaurant or club. For any parties or social events, encourage your audience via social media to take pictures and post them to platforms such as Facebook or Twitter. Ask them to tag individuals in the picture and offer prizes to the people that are tagged the most. This again links your brand to your target audience in ways that were undreamt of ten years ago. This is also a great promotional tool in that those that did not attend the party will see that their friends attended. It’s almost like a non-vocal referral.

Getting your audience involved in how to present your company can prove to be a huge benefit. The trick for you, as a business owner, is to make sure their involvement does not stir controversy or negative results. But if you monitor your feeds regularly, this should not be a problem.

What ways have you encouraged your audience to get involved?

Remember how when you were growing up, your parents always told you not to gossip? Part of this, of course, is not to listen to gossip.

Well, that’s one bit of parental wisdom that you can toss to the curb as a small business owner. As a matter of fact, if you know how to use the internet correctly, you can actually use the gossip mindset to your advantage. As a small business owner, it is crucial that you know what others are saying about you. With tools like Google Alert and Tweetdeck, it’s easier than ever to eavesdrop on any gossip centered around your business.

As a matter of fact, a decent percentage of small businesses that have started really getting the hang of social media use the platforms as a way to learn what others are saying about them. This can be a huge competitive advantage over other small businesses that aren’t quite as social media-savvy.

With a tool like Google Alerts, you can use specific keywords—right down to your company name—to be notified whenever your brand or something relevant to your industry has been mentioned. This is one of the most effective ways to stay informed via the internet gossip circle.

The trick to this is to have thick skin, though. If you see negative feedback about your company, it’s not your duty to log on to Facebook and launch a tirade on those that dare to smite your name. Instead, use this social media advantage to work on improving negative feedback. Think of all internet conversation about your brand as one big customer survey or comment card. Use it to make important changes in the way you approach certain aspects of your business based on whatever information you’ve gathered online or in social media circles.

So while gossip is still something to be frowned upon, it can clearly be used in a positive way if you are a small business owner. Naturally, you should never be the one to start the gossip, but there is nothing writing with improving yourself based on what others have to say.

With the weekend approaching and Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, what better way to prep for the weekend than some jokes.

What? Small businesses need to have a sense of humor or else they’re in for a very rude awakening when it comes to dealing with the public.

For copywriters:

• An SEO copywriter walks into a bar, grill, pub, public house, Irish, bartender, drinks, beer, wine, liquor…
• An advertising team is working late at night on a project that is due the next morning. Suddenly, a Genie appears before them and offers to each of them one wish.The copywriter says: “I’ve always dreamed of writing the great American novel and I’d like to go to a tropical island where I can concentrate and write my masterpiece.”The Genie says, “No problem!” Then poof…the copywriter is gone.The art director says: “I want to create a painting so beautiful that it would hang in the Louvre Museum in Paris. I want to go to the French countryside to work on my painting.”The Genie says, “Your wish is granted!” Then poof…the art director is gone.The Genie then turns to the account executive and says, “And what is your wish?”

  The account executive says, “I want those two assholes back here right now! We’ve got work to do!”

For Graphic Designers:

A stock photo walks into a bar, and the patrons start pointing and giggling. She looks at the bartender and says, “Why’s everyone staring?”

The bartender says “Because your ALT tag is showing.”

For Marketers:

• Q: How many marketers does it take to change a light bulb?
• A: It isn’t too late to make this neon instead, is it?

A software manager, a hardware manager, and a marketing manager are driving to a meeting when a tire blows. They get out of the car and look at the problem.

The software manager says: “I can’t do anything about this – it’s a hardware problem.”

The hardware manager says: “Maybe if we turned the car off and on again, it would fix itself.”
The marketing manager says: “Hey, 75% of it is working – let’s ship it!”

For Small Business Owners:

At the end of a job interview, the human resources employee for a small business asked a young man straight out of college: “And what starting salary were you looking for? “

The young man said, “In the neighborhood of $100,000 a year with a great benefits package. “

The interviewer said, “Well, what would you say to a package of 5-weeks’ vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every 2 years – say, a red Corvette? “

The young man up straight and said, “Wow! Are you kidding? “

The interviewer replied, “Yes. But you started it.”

The use of videos in marketing is becoming more and more popular. If you don’t believe that, you need to check out the new YouTube report that states that they have an audience that now matches the amount of people using Facebook. The report also states that if YouTube were a country, it would be the third largest.

That’s a lot of folks. It’s actually right around 15% of the people alive on this planet. And it’s not a fad. We can take this clue from the fact that yahoo has recently placed a bid to buy YouTube’s largest competitor, Daily Motion.

But hey, not all of us are comfortable getting in front of a camera, much less figuring out the technicalities of getting a video up on YouTube. So here are some tricks of the trade to get your small business started in the world of video marketing.

• First, understand that one video will not make much of a difference. You need to find a way to incorporate a series of videos into your marketing. The more videos you have out there, the better the chances you have of one of them going viral.
• Be natural. If you appear stiff and totally orchestrated, people will see you as fake. Do what you can to relax before you step in front of the camera, even if it means heading out and grabbing a drink or two over your lunch break.
• If you really don’t want to get in front of a camera, consider doing a voice-over. You can play this over a product or service demonstration or a professionally done presentation.
• Use your social media accounts to advertise your videos.
• If you are embedding a video on your website do not set it up to auto-play. Let the viewer choose whether or not they want to see it. Auto play makes the viewer feel as if they are being forced to watch something and this nearly always makes them stop the video and ignore it completely.

After a while, you’ll get over the stage fright and jitters. It’s important to be confident enough in your brand to make videos and to get yourself out there in a whole new medium. YouTube allows you to do this while also placing your brand in front of a potential new audience.

Yesterday, we spoke about a few of the ways your small business can weaken its brand—particularly by becoming watered down in an attempt to branch out into new areas. Rather than simply stating “Don’t do this,” it’s always good to take a look at some specific examples of what you should do if you want to strengthen your brand.

So consider the following if you are just now starting out in developing your brand. There is no absolute right path to take, but there are some guiding principles that are unequivocally true for everyone.

• Simply creating a logo and a snazzy tagline is not all that is required in creating a brand. It’s also about image and personality. Your brand’s image should reflect your own personality and the goals you want to achieve.
• Never aim to mimic another company. Your own business should be different and better than your competition. Offer something unique and make the intention of that offering the core of your business.
• Never be afraid to question yourself or to even make drastic changes to your approach based on current trends. By ignoring developing trends and shifting customer requests, you can very quickly loose traction in your market while competitors clamor ahead.
• Always strive to deliver more than the customer expects. Remember…it is your job to give them what they want. But by doing a little something extra and giving them more than what was promised, you create brand loyalty and a great mode of word-of-mouth advertisement. Remember…there is nothing wrong with being an overachiever unless that overachieving leads you into unfamiliar waters.
• Don’t wait for trends to develop and come to you. Try to be an innovator, testing new technologies and trying new things. Keeping your brand fresh can help you stay on the top of the platform while others scramble ahead, looking to you for inspirations and new ideas.

Perhaps most importantly, your brand image should stay clear and focused. There should never be any confusing about who you are or what you do. If you find yourself battling with these issues, you need to take a good hard look at your brand and fine a new approach to strengthen your brand.

Losing focus on what your brand stands for can do irreversible damage. One of the most common reasons for a brand losing focus comes from trying to stretch themselves into too many directions. This waters down the brand and often causes consumer confusion. Brand confusion is a nightmare for both consumers and businesses and should be avoided at all costs.

We can look at Gap’s stumble into brand confusion and consumer backlash for a prime example of this.

A one time, Gap was widely known as a popular and trendy place for American teens to get their clothes. More than that, it was a place to get stylish clothes from a store that wasn’t too terrible expensive. And because teenagers adopted Gap as their style resource, Gap became widely known as the number one retailer for teen clothing.

Some may say that this success went to Gap’s head. This success convinced them that they had the wherewithal to venture into other styles of clothing, thus creating Baby Gap and Gap Maternity.

To most business-minded folks, this may seem like a good idea…initially. But you have to step into the shoes of teenagers that have shown loyalty to Gap for so long. Suddenly in the mid-to-late 90s, they were walking into malls and seeing their clothing retailer of choice in a light that they didn’t understand and, if we’re being honest, were slightly embarrassed by.

Almost overnight, teenagers—the consumer base that made Gap so popular—wanted nothing to do with the Gap brand. In this, Gap did more than just water down their brand; they also alienated the consumer base that made them what they were.

This separation started a severe decline in the Gap brand. And the distance between their original base and their current product is visible. The clothes are no longer cutting edge and popular. You won’t see many teens gracing Gap stores these days.

The result? More than 200 stores closed in 2011 and more are closing each year.

Let this be a lesson to you business owners out there. Stay focused on what you know and what your customers appreciate you for. Losing sight of what you are could lead to some pretty severe consequences.

It’s now common knowledge that if a small business doesn’t have a presence online, they are at a severe disadvantage. But having a Facebook account is only part of the process. In fact, most businesses that get an account rarely use it—and those that do use it regularly aren’t utilizing it to its full effect.

Most people tend to forget a very important aspect of Facebook…that Facebook is a huge part of social media and social media in and of itself is designed to be fun. Sure, social media in all aspects can be a huge boost to small business, but it can also be a lot more effective when you keep that element of fun to it.

Regardless of industry or business interests, there are several ways to spruce up the content on your Facebook page. This is more than just a way to keep your current followers or fans entertained; it is also a way for them to spread the word about your business. The more attention you can get n Facebook (for the right reasons, of course), the better shape you’ll be in.

A few suggestions for keeping your Facebook page fun and exciting include, but are certainly not limited to:

• If you know of some great clip from a comedic TV show or a comedians’ stand-up routine that is based on your business, find it on YouTube and post it to provide your fans and followers with a good laugh.
• Post poignant and relevant pictures. For example, if you operate a bakery, post pictures not just if your own creations, but inspirational and impressive pieces from all over the internet. If you’re in real estate, do the same with great interior design ideas, and so on.
• Interact with your fans and followers. Engaging in the comments section is not only part of the fun, but it shows your current and potential customers that you take the time to read their comments.

Give your Facebook the page the love and attention it deserves. By keeping it on the funny side while also remaining professional, you present the public with an entertaining side of you that traditional marketing simply doesn’t provide.

A few bad experiences with spam e-mail have led a lot of people to believe that most newsletters get lost in the clutter of spam and promptly deleted. Of course, if you have actually signed up to receive a newsletter, you’ll know it’s not spam when you see it. In terms of sending out your own newsletter, it’s important that you create an engaging one that won’t get swept away with the junk mail.

A newsletter can be a valuable tool for your small business if you use it correctly. And, as is the case with any sort of marketing tool, there are some very basic steps you can take in order to get people to read your newsletter from top to bottom.

Clear Content: Just like writing copy for your blog or a publication, make sure the copy is worth reading. Never waste your reader’s time with filler. Fill your newsletter with important relevant information that people need to know about your business. Don’t get overly conversational and try to stick to the topic at hand. Also, don’t fill it with sales pitches; instead, keep most of it informational. 90-10 is a decent ratio to shoot for.

Clear Design: Keep in mind, this newsletter is going out to people that have taken the time to fill out a form. They want to receive this newsletter from you. The least you could do is make it visually appealing. Place your company’s logo on it and even go with your company’s color. Make your newsletter look like an official piece of your company’s marketing materials.

Strategic Scheduling: Your newsletter stands a better chance of being read if you don’t send it out right in the idle of the work week. During that time, people are busy with their own work and don’t have much time for your marketing e-mails. Some studies suggest that the best time to send out a newsletter is on a Saturday night or Sunday evening. This is because many people try to get a head start on their e-mail before Monday morning takes its toll.

Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of ignoring the use of a newsletter. It’s a great way to stay in touch with your audience and to keep your name fresh in their minds. When treated like any other marketing material, a newsletter can get you just as much attention as any of your other marketing efforts.