Small Business Resources
E-Commerce
3DCart Shopping Cart - We use 3DCart for most of our client projects and highly recommend it. For a fully featured shopping cart, web host and e-commerce system, 3DCart is the best.
Website Tools
Google Analytics – You must have this. Use Google Analytics to analyze where your site’s visitors are coming from, what keywords they used to get there, what parts of your site need help and much much more. This is an absolute must for every website owner.
Google Base – With both AlohaShop and 3DCart you can create export files to be uploaded to Google Base – basically all your products will be listed in Google’s shopping database, can appear at the top of search engine results and show up in their Product Search.
MailChimp – We recommend MailChimp for sending newsletters to your subscribers. Using a newsletter service is preferred as they have their servers and sending procedures set up so that your mail is least likely to be marked as spam. MailChimp is really easy to use and we can also customize a newsletter template for you. We use MailChimp for our own newsletter.
Olark Live Chat – Olark’s customizable chat box stays on your page so that visitors can easily chat and continue activity on your site (like buying more product!). The chat box is customizable with different themes, colors, and multiple language strings.
Search Engine Optmization
Just because you put up a website doesn’t mean people will find it.
This is probably the most common misconception I see with new clients, they expect to start getting sales the day they launch their site and it just doesn’t work that way. Or the day after they get their website set up they ask me why they can’t find their site when they search Google for it. It can take weeks longer to get your new site ranked in the search engines and that’s if you WORK to do it. If you do nothing to market your site, you’ll get nothing in return.
For Search Engine Optimization we recommend My SEO Gal. She offers affordable website optimization services for businesses both small and large. These services can help you to reach more customers on the internet. Visit www.myseogal.com.
Accepting Payments
Paypal – Almost all of our clients accept Paypal. It is the recommended method to start with as you can accept Paypal payments in addition to the four major credit cards with no monthly service fee (only per transaction fees).
The downside is when customers check out at your site, they are taken to Paypal’s website to make their payment, and are then taken back to your site after the transaction is complete. Most of the time this works fine, but there are some customers who don’t know what Paypal is, think they need a Paypal account to pay, or just don’t like being redirected to another site so they abandon their order.
The majority of users are fine with this, but for businesses who really want to grow and look professional, it is recommended to eventually move to using a merchant account and gateway to accept credit cards. See below…
Authorize.net – We are an authorized preferred reseller of Authorize.net. Authorize.Net enables merchants to authorize, settle and manage credit card and electronic check transactions via their website, retail stores, mail order/telephone order (MOTO) call centers and mobile devices. More merchants trust Authorize.Net than any other payment gateway to manage their payment transactions securely and reliably.
With Authorize.net, your website can accept and process credit card transactions in real time, without sending your customer to a 3rd party site to do so. (Please note that depending on the cart you use, you may have to purchase an SSL certificate.)
Search Engine Marketing
Google AdWords Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising – Google AdWords puts your ads right in Google’s search engine pages. You know those text ads that appear in the right column when you search Google? That’s what this is for. It can take a while to learn and get the hang of, but it’s worth it.
Accounting
Outright.com – FREE simple online bookkeeping. Easily import from online accounts (including Paypal) to put your bookkeeping on autopilot and prepare taxes. Get up-to-date reports that give you visibility into your P&L, income, and expenses. We use this and highly recommend it!
Business Tools & Info
Small Business Administration (SBA) helps you start, build and grow your business.
SCORE has a ton of resources, including templates for business plans, profit and loss, business expenses, etc. View their template gallery here.
Commercial Use Graphics
iStockPhoto - I love istockphoto.com and browse there often for great photos for client’s projects. You can give your site a more professional look real quick by adding some great images and also get some high quality and creative graphics as well.
My Grafico - Commercial Use Cliparts, vectors, digital stamps, printables, svg cutting templates. Instant Download!
Misc.
Set up an Affiliate Program – Have other people promote your site for you with an affiliate program. We recommend ShareaSale.com. Users sign up and use your banner ads (hosted by Shareasale.com) to promote your site on theirs for a commission you decide. Helps get your name out there.
RetailMeNot.com – If you’re running a sale or have a coupon for your site, list it at RetailMeNot.com. Also, visitors who use Firefox for their browser may have their cool RetailMeNot.com Firefox add-on which notifies them that your site has a coupon. It’s free to list your coupon too.
LabelsbytheSheet.com – Their custom labels on the roll are high-gloss, scratch-resistant and highly water-resistant. Very professional! Use them not only on your outgoing orders but anywhere else to promote your site.
Directories & Online Communities
Find directories and online communities whose content complements your website. If it’s a directory, add your link – most have free options. Just don’t add your site to every link directory or “link farm” you find. Look for sites that appear to be updated regularly and that have content that fits well with yours. Avoid directories that have link categories for everything under the sun or don’t have a niche. If you are WAHM find WAHM directories, if you sell cloth diapers find cloth diaper directories, etc.
Also, get involved with a few online communities or message boards that are about what you sell or the services you offer. Put your website in your signature (check the rules for your particular community first though!) and get involved and start posting. This is one of the top ways for work-at-home-moms to get their names out there.
Here are some websites that might get you started:
Posh Little – Message boards, directory, gift guides, baby names, shopping…you name it, it’s here. I’ve always had pretty good results from advertising there.
Organic Baby Boutiques – A free topsite list for those of you who offer some organic baby products. Free advertising and a relevant linkback to your site.
Top Baby Boutiques – A free topsite list for those of you with baby boutiques. Free advertising and a relevant linkback to your site.
Baby Boutique Sales – Baby Boutique Sales brings you the sales and specials from your favorite online baby boutiques. Post your own sale for free.
Best Cloth Diaper Sites Online – A free topsite list for those of you with cloth diaper stores. Free advertising and a relevant linkback to your site.
Cloth Diaper Shops – A free directory for those of you with cloth diaper stores. Free advertising and a relevant linkback to your site.
WAHMs Online – A free small business shopping directory. Submit your site for free, get some traffic and gain a valuable linkback. Make sure your site is easy to navigate, uses SSL for credit card transactions and is family friendly!
