When you start building your online presence, there’s a lot to keep track of.
There’s the website design. The content marketing. The social media. The blogging. The networking with colleagues and clients. Developing your platform. Showing your expertise.
And that doesn’t even take into account all the other practicalities, like managing your daily workflow, keeping track of inventory or services, managing your schedule and motivation and long-term goals.
With so much to manage, it’s easy to make a slip-up or two along the way. And while making mistakes and learning from them is part of growing a business, there are some mistakes that can seriously set you back.
And that’s what we’re going to be talking about for the next few weeks: mistakes that you want to avoid if you want your business to grow and thrive.
Are you ready to find out the major mistake that most businesses make when they first start out?
First, let me tell you a story.
Only a few months after I started my business, I landed a huge, new client. I was thrilled.
I poured all my effort into the work. I rewrote most of their website and created a ton of new content. I grew their Facebook audience by over 500%. I got their products featured on media outlets and major industry blogs.
It felt like a dream situation. The client had both weekly and monthly work for me. Website content. Email marketing. Blogging. Social media. PR. I had a ton of work. It paid well. I was proud of what I was doing. I told everyone what a successful business I had created.
I had a few other small gigs — websites I occasionally wrote for, a few one-off copywriting assignments — but this one client provided so much work that I stopped looking for others. I didn’t pitch new work. I didn’t put much effort into my website or social media marketing. I didn’t have anything remotely resembling an email list.
And what happened?
You can probably guess: after a year, that big, awesome client decided they didn’t need my services anymore.
Suddenly, I went from having thousands of dollars of work a month to an income of exactly $0.
I panicked. My husband and I relied on my income. I had been so proud of making a profit so quickly. I had told everyone what I did and basked in the admiration that came from being a successful business owner.
And all of a sudden, I had no work. No income. Nothing. I felt like a huge failure. I had to find new clients, clients that paid well, and I had to find them fast.
I worked my tush off, I hustled, I cut my expenses, and I lost sleep. And I finally made it back to where I had been.
Here’s the Mistake: Putting All Your Eggs in One Basket
The thing is, as embarrassing as it was to go from profit to nothing, I had only myself to blame.
I was so focused on the work I had in front of me that I wasn’t getting the word out to other potential clients. I was’t marketing. I wasn’t pitching. It had been weeks since anyone new found my website.
These days, clients come and go. But there’s always more work waiting for me, because I don’t just focus on what needs to be done right away. I also think about what needs to happen next.
Do you have all your eggs in one basket? Do you rely on a single client or one source of customers? Do you always have marketing going in the background? Are you always caught up in what needs to be done today? If so, then you may wake up to find that you have no work tomorrow.
If you want a reliable income from your business and the ability to grow, then you need to consistently create multiple opportunities for potential customers to find you.
And the best way to do that is to always, always be getting eyes on your website.
Three Ways to Get More Eyes on Your Website
You may be thinking that marketing is scary and expensive. But it doesn’t have to be! Here are three ways you can start getting more eyes on your website today.
1. Networking
Uggh, right? No one likes the idea of networking. It seems sleazy and awkward and difficult. But it doesn’t have to be!
Don’t try to use networking to sell; use it as a time to connect with other people, learn about them, and then share a bit about the services your business provides. Then have business cards with your contact information and website. You never know what sort of leads you’ll turn up.
Some great places to network: LinkedIn (yes, you can network on social media); your local Chamber of Commerce; area events hosted by your alumni association.
2. Online features
Make use of online platforms other people have created! Find out what blogs or online magazines appeal to your target client and get your business featured there.
Some bloggers allow you to submit products for review. These features can either be free or paid, but they are usually much cheaper than traditional advertising. And, as a bonus, your potential customers are seeing the endorsement of someone (a blogger or online publication) that they trust! That means they’re much more likely to be interested in purchasing your products or services than if they just saw an ad somewhere.
Another option is to write a guest post. In a guest post, you offer insight/expertise/embarrassing moments in order to solve a reader’s problem. And then you tell them why are are qualified to offer that advice, which is because you have a business related to their problem. Don’t go for the hard sell in a guest post; the expertise should be the main point (it builds trust) and the business should be a supporting fact.
Or, you can simply try to be featured as yourself on a site you know your ideal visitors like to read. For example, I found one of my favorite online vintage stores because they owner’s studio apartment was featured on the website Apartment Therapy. The point of the feature was the apartment — but her store was linked in the article, and I fell in love.
Whichever route you go, just remember: the goal is to find out where your ideal customers hang out, then go hang out there with them.
3. Your email signature
Does this seem like totally lame, boring advice? Don’t write it off!
Think about how many emails you send in a day. What if you had a signature, featuring your website and a favorite social media account, attached to each one? That’s a lot of people who would see that you have a business. A good portion of them will be curious and click through.
Of course, not all of them will need your services. But suppose you send an email to your aunt, and at the bottom is a link to your cat calendar website. She doesn’t need to a cat calendar… but when her friend from book club is looking for a present for her cat-obsessed daughter, your aunt will remember your website and send her friend a link.
An email signature is essentially free marketing; don’t let it go to waste!
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Next week: a mistake I see small businesses make ALL. THE. TIME that seriously turns off customers.
And in the meantime, if you want to get even more eyes on your website, make sure you get the FREE ebook that will help you do just that!
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That’s 17 stellar ways your small business can make a splash, connect with customers, and build a community online.
Sounds good? Grab your FREE copy of 17 Ways to Make Your Brand Stand Out Online by clicking on the graphic or right here, right now. I’m beyond excited to share these great ideas with you, ideas that I know will help grow your business and make your brand even more amazing online!
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