By now, we are all tired of hearing it – stock market woes, the government bailing out banks, car manufacturers, airlines, and limited lending capabilities.  Understand that for most of us there will be no handouts, what is the small to midsize business to do? The answer, for the most part, may sound counter-intuitive.

In 2001, the majority of my clients were in the marine industry; boat manufacturers and the like.  Most of their products would be considered luxury items, or at best discretionary income items.  When the market suffered after 9/11, most of my clients were facing a hard truth.  Luxury items were falling by the wayside and sales and profits were falling dramatically.  People were scared with their money, and were “waiting to see what the market would do.”  My boss, and mentor at the time, met individually with most of our clients, and repeated the same mantra over and over:  “This is the time to gain market share, to establish a position of strength.”  After getting many raised eyebrows and few chuckles, he would go on to explain.  There is no easier time to gain market share than when everyone is contracting their marketing efforts.  The market will balance out again, people will spend again, and those that have made the effort to stay in front of the marketplace will stand to gain the most growth.

In the 1930’s there was a man named William Knudsen, who worked his way from the assembly line floor to become President of General Motors (and was eventually commissioned by President Roosevelt for his services to the War Department).  When asked about his tireless work ethic, he was famously quoted as saying:

“In business the competition will bite if you keep running.  If you stand still, they will swallow you.”

While this isn’t an earth shattering revelation, the fundamental idea behind this statement can’t be underestimated. It becomes particularly important when applied to new media. In today’s business environment it’s simple: Your competition is online, and they are working to make their presence known.  They are improving their sites.  They are utilizing new technologies.  They are driving online marketing campaigns.

Which brings us to the obvious question: How can you keep up?

While SEO principles such as keyword analysis, meta tag usage and link strategies are vital to attaining high search engine rankings, content continues to be king.  Search engines love to find new content on websites, and lots of it.  Therefore, site owners should make it a priority to continually add fresh, relevant content to their portals.

One approach that has been gaining steam among sites across various industries is the use of blogs.  A number of webmasters have learned to effectively use blogs to increase their search engine rankings by posting relevant articles with strategic keyword positioning in the titles and within the posts. If one has the resources, ideas and importantly, the time to blog consistently, it can bring very positive and measurable results.

For those who don’t have the time or the resources to maintain a blog, there are other ways to increase the amount of content on your site.

One of the most important aspects of web site maintenance is content updates. New content in the form of new products and services, monthly special offerings, useful tips and noteworthy news articles and press releases will give your audience a reason to keep coming back to your site. This will also increase your chance of converting your visitor into a customer. If your web content is stale, visitors will search elsewhere for the things they need. It is therefore very important that the company web site is updated and enhanced regularly with new content and technology. See it as a way of protecting your site and investment.

As you think about upcoming maintenance you would like to perform on your site please consider these two tips that will help encourage returning web site visitors:

If you have a website, chances are pretty high that you spend a lot of time looking for ways to market your business online. In today’s economy, paying for advertisements might be out of your budget. That’s why Blue Water Media has put together a few ideas for promoting your website inexpensively.

Add Your Business to Google Local
One of the easiest ways to bring visibility to your business is by using Google Local. It’s free, easy, and only takes a few minutes. By registering your business with Google local, you increase your chances for people to find your business through Google Maps and localized searches on Google.  When potential customers search Google Maps for local information, they’ll find your business: your address, hours of operation, even photos of your storefront or products. Google provides a great user guide for adding your business to their listings – it even includes a video tutorial.