SURVIVING AND SUCCEEDING IN A WEB WORLD

 

By attaching the “2.0” to Small Business, I’m trying to convey the concept that things have changed .  

Not in the “it’s all different now” sense that was the rallying cry of the dot-com bubble, but more in the sense that technology like the Internet has fundamentally opened new opportunities, and created new challenges for small businesses.  Those that can filter out the noise and focus on the new tools, techniques and trends that are actually relevant will have a distinct advantage.  Our goal is to help you understand these trends, pick the right tools and apply the right techniques to improve your business.

 

What Has Changed For Small Businesses?

To kick things off, here is a sense of what has changed in the small business world.

1. Your rolodex may no longer be enough:   You, like many other small businesses may rely on your trusty rolodex for generating new business.  If this is the case, then most of your new clients are likely coming as a referral from your existing network.  There is nothing wrong with this.  Your network will likely continue to be an important source of new business.  But, with the Internet, I think there are important new sources of potential business that should be considered.  The most obvious is the Internet search engine Google.  I think you’ll find that increasingly often, your ideal clients may not be the ones that you’re connected to through your network.  The Internet is not just about eCommece and doesn’t just apply to people selling products on the web.  It’s an important way for people that would be best served by your offering to locate you.  In a future article, I’ll tell you

2. Prospective Clients Want Information:  Just about every small business now has competing alternatives.  Information about these alternatives is abundant.  It’s no longer effective to try and convey how you are different simply with face-to-face meetings.  If your best future clients are going to find you over the Internet, these same clients are likely going to want to learn about what makes you special over the Internet too.  As such, you’ll need to really start thinking about your website as more than just your tired old brochure on the web.  Done correctly, your website should be your most effective salesperson .  But, just like you need to invest in people in order to ensure you are getting value from them, your website requires an investment too.  But, this investment can pay off 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – and can easily be driving more of the right kinds of clients to your door.

3. Clients Expect More:   In many types of small businesses, there are significant changes in what clients expect.  For example, if you’re running a small law practice, chances are that several of your clients live on email.  This should come as no surprise.  But, for many situations, email is no longer sufficient as a vehicle for communicating and collaborating.  In these cases, something like an extranet (basically, a secure, private area on your website) might be more appropriate.  This kind of technology is not that new.  Large firms have been using it for a little while.  But, the technology is starting to “trickle down” as the clients of small firms start to have the same expectations as they would have when dealing with big firms.  In short, your clients are likely going to become increasingly sophisticated over time.  The savvy small business responds to this change by finding and implementing the right tools.