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9 Business Links, Tuesday, April 20, 2010 2FCÏ0CEGML?J Municipality of Halton www.halton.ca Book Review Courtesy of Halton Hills Library Do the Web Write: Writing for and Marketing Your Website By Dan Furman ISBN: 9781551808321 ©2009 The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web By Tamar Weinberg ISBN: 9780596156817 ©2009 Review by Beverley King, Halton Hills Public Libraries Special Waste Drop-off Days I s your website just a checkmark on your business to-do list? This is a mistake. It's just not that simple anymore. The attitude that your website can be forgotten when it's crossed off the to-do list isn't a healthy approach. What does a neglected website do? Usually not much. If you neglect your website it's easy to think you didn't hire the right web designer or you rationalize that the internet just doesn't work for your business. Online marketing and the internet change rapidly. It's easy to feel lost. Internet opportunities are often underestimated. Sometimes small business owners fail to take advantage of the marketing opportunities the web offers. I think it's fair to say that every small business owner needs a website. The purpose and complexity of that site depend on the nature of your business. Making a website isn't tough. Making it do something worthwhile for you or your customers is a challenge. A simple site describing products or services and listing contact information is a good foundation. Adding specific details and valuable content is another layer. Integrating some social media may help you connect with your customers. You can include blogs, videos, or maybe a twitter feed. In Do the Web Write, Dan Furman focuses on content writing. Like most Self Counsel Press books, it's conversational and easy to read. He spends most of the book outlining what pages to include on your site and how to write effective content for each page. Toward the end he delves into search engine optimization and press releases. My favourite chapter is the bonus chapter that highlights little things I dislike on business sites like outdated blogs, hidden phone numbers, irrelevant multimedia, and other meaningless clutter. Another bonus is the CD included with the book that has lots of samples and forms to help beginners. Are you looking for something more advanced? Take a look at The New Community Rule: Marketing on the Social Web. It's an encyclopedia of social media marketing. The first half of the book explains why social media is important for business. I like how Weinberg explains social media marketing. It "is about listening to the community and responding in kind." Listen to your customers. Monitor your reputation. Actively engage your customers. It sounds like a common sense approach to me. The second half of the book provides information on popular social media sites today. For example, Weinberg walks you through the most popular social bookmarking tools like Delicious, but she also explains some lesser known social bookmarking tools. She also includes information on what the tools can offer your business. 2MÏK?ICÏRFCÏPCAWAJGLEÏMDÏFMSQCFMJBÏF?X?PBMSQÏU?QRCÏ?LBÏCJCARPMLGAÏU?QRCÏKMPCÏAMLTCLGCLRÏRMÏ PCQGBCLRQÏ&?JRMLÏ0CEGMLÏGQÏFMJBGLEÏ1NCAG?JÏ5?QRCÏ"PMNÌMDDÏ"?WQÏRFPMSEFMSRÏRFCÏWC?P 1NCAG?JÏ5?QRCÏ"PMNÌMDDÏ"?WQÏ?PCÏDMPÏ&?JRMLÏPCQGBCLRQÏMLJW Ï,MÏAMKKCPAG?JÏU?QRCQÏ?PCÏ?AACNRCB Date 1?RSPB?WÏNPGJÏÏ Ï? K ÏRMÏÏN K N?PRÏMDÏRFCÏ2MULÏMDÏ&?JRMLÏ&GJJhQÏ#?PRFÏ "?WÏCTCLR 1?RSPB?WÏ(SJWÏÏ Ï? K ÏRMÏÏN K Location 0M@CPRÏ! ÏSQRGLÏ-NCP?RGMLQÏ!CLRPC Ï2P?D?JE?PÏ0M?BÏ%CMPECRMUL Halton Regional Centre 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville .JC?QCÏLMRCÏRFGQÏJMA?RGMLÏGQÏLMRÏRFCÏ&?JRMLÏ 5?QRCÏ+?L?ECKCLRÏ1GRCÏJ?LBÍJJ 1?RSPB?WÏ1CNRCK@CPÏÏ Ï? K ÏRMÏÏN K 1?RSPB?WÏ-ARM@CPÏÏ Ï? 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We go to networking events to meet new people and try to drum up new business. We walk away learning something new each time. What books to read (Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, The E Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber), which events to attend, who to get to know. You find out who does what in the community. We find out things about ourselves that we didn't know before. And that most of us are scared to be there and talk to people face to face. What do you say? How do you describe your business for each unique individual? Surprise! Ask them about themselves and their business. Make it easy for both of you. And someone once said to me, hang out by the food. You find people that can help you. Heaven forbid that you have a competitor attending as well. Contrary to popular belief, talking to your competitor is a great thing. You just might find out that they do something completely different than you do and they just might turn out to be a great asset and pass on their experiences and wisdom. And some of the anxiety disappears. You didn't shrivel up and disappear never to be seen again. My competitors and assets lately? Pat McLeod of Tiburon Business Services and Mary Judge of Virtually Working for You. Virtual Assistants: people that help take the mundane, but necessary tasks from you, so that you can concentrate on using your skills on money making matters. Electronics kÏ Acceptable items include:ÏAMKNSRCPQÏQRCPCMQÏNFMLCQÏ24QÏ4!0QÏ"4"ÏNJ?WCPQÏ and computer monitors kÏ Unacceptable materials include: metal and appliances, microwaves, vacuums, and scrap metal 2GPCQÏPCSQCÏK?RCPG?JQÏAJMRFGLEÏCRA ÏKCR?JÏ?LBÏ?NNJG?LACÏ?PCÏnot accepted at the Special 5?QRCÏ"PMNÌMDDÏ"?WQ 'DÏWMSÏ?PCÏSLQSPCÏUFCRFCPÏ?LÏGRCKÏUGJJÏ@CÏ?AACNRCBÏ?RÏ?Ï1NCAG?JÏ5?QRCÏ"PMNÌMDDÏ"?WÏA?JJÏ &?JRMLÏ0CEGMLÏ@WÏBG?JJGLEÏÏMPÏÌÌÏÌÌ&*2-,ÏÌÌÌÏMP 227ÏÌÌ 'DÏWMSÏ?PCÏSL?@JCÏRMÏ?RRCLBÏRFCÏ1NCAG?JÏ5?QRCÏ"PMNÌMDDÏ"?WQ kÏ &MSQCFMJBÏF?X?PBMSQÏU?QRCÏ?LBÏCJCARPMLGAQÏA?LÏ@CÏBPMNNCBÏMDDÏDPCCÏMDÏAF?PECÏ?RÏRFCÏ&?JRMLÏ 5?QRCÏ+?L?ECKCLRÏ1GRCÏÏ0CEGML?JÏ0M?BÏÏ+GJRML kÏ 4GQGRÏwww.dowhatyoucan.caÏDMPÏ?ÏJGQRÏMDÏPCR?GJCPQÏ?LBÏAMKKSLGRWÏMPE?LGX?RGMLQÏRF?RÏ R?ICÏ@?AIÏQCJCARÏFMSQCFMJBÏF?X?PBMSQÏU?QRCÏ?LBÏCJCARPMLGAQÏDMPÏPCAWAJGLE 230410 Please let us know as soon as possible if you will have an accessibility or accommodation need at a Halton Region hosted event or meeting. 1151 Bronte Road, Oakville, OntaPGMÏÏ*+Ï*ÏkÏ"G?JÏÏMPÏÏÌÌÏkÏ2MJJÏ$PCCÏÌÌÌÏ 227ÏÌÌÏkÏUUU F?JRML A?