Be an Online Small Business Magician

Running an online business is an amazing feat. Most of your customers will never meet you face to face or step into your office. The only aspects of your company the general public will encounter are your web site, and your product. Everything else happens behind the scenes.

Successful online business owners know that the bigger and more professional you come across to clients, the more impressed and likely to recommend you to others they will be. Word of mouth is the most powerful method of advertising in existence, and maintaining the illusion is the key to generating powerful buzz that will elevate your corporation to success.

Why you must look bigger than you are

The power of professionalism cannot be overstated. When consumers visit your web site, it is as vital to impress them with appearances as it would be for a brick-and-mortar establishment to maintain a clean, professional atmosphere. Because of the ease and accessibility associated with setting up web sites, anyone can put one up—and as a result, there are millions of sites that appear sloppy and amateurish, and therefore do not succeed.

With many low-quality web sites, it’s easy to tell at a glance that the business or company behind it is a small operation with limited capabilities. There are also quite a few prosperous companies run by only one or two people whose web sites convey a grand-scale impression. These businesses are successful in large part because of that image. Consumers will be far more comfortable dealing with a slick, well-organized web site for Essential Auto Parts, Inc., than with a clunky, poorly laid out site rife with pop-ups and banner ads entitled Uncle Bubba’s Parts-R-Us. In an online business, appearances really are everything.

You don’t have to rush out and hire a web designer or lease a warehouse and hire fifty employees to give your corporation a virtual facelift. Some simple adjustments and knowledge are all you need to make your small business look like a million bucks online.

Creating the illusion: How to give your small business a big presence

Like magicians, virtual corporations require certain tricks to present themselves as prosperous, thriving businesses. Most of these are easy to implement; and though they are small, the changes they will bring to your company are enormous.

There is no “I” in “team”

It’s only natural to use the word “I” when referring to yourself. But in your business material, it’s a mistake that can cost you sales and clients. Including statements such as “I am available for telephone consultations on such-and-such days…” is a sure sign that you’re a small-time operation.

If it sounds natural, a simple solution is to substitute the word “we” in each instance for “I.” You could also refer to “the company” instead. However, using the same phrase over and over in your web copy and promotional materials not only sounds awkward and stilted, it can effect your web site’s search engine rankings (a topic that will be covered in greater detail further in this book) by making it seems as though you’re using a practice known as keyword stuffing to draw traffic.

Here’s an example of “me-centric” copy that shouts “I’m a small, inexperienced business!”:

About Me: I run a company called Flowers Forever, which provides elaborate floral arrangements, bouquets and live plants for every occasion. All of my flowers and vegetation are grown in my special hydroponic greenhouse with choice natural fertilizers. I never use chemical enhancements or commercial insect repellent. All of my arrangements are hand-configured and include my signature ribbon of quality. You can contact me for all your fresh floral needs at me@flowersforever.com.

And here’s how you can make it sound bigger and better by changing just a few words and alternating references:

About Flowers Forever: We provide elaborate floral arrangements, bouquets, and live plants for every occasion. Our flowers and vegetation are grown in a special hydroponic greenhouse with choice natural fertilizer. We never use chemical enhancements or commercial insect repellent. Every Flowers Forever arrangement is hand-configured and includes our signature ribbon of quality. Contact our customer service department for all your fresh floral needs at orders@flowersforever.com.

Scour your web site for the dreaded “I” and “me” syndrome, and you will have taken an enormous step toward creating your professional online business.

Multiple identities: creating “departments” (without hiring staff)

When you deal with a big company, you expect to interact with certain departments for certain needs: if you’re ordering a product, you contact the sales staff; if you’re having trouble with a product, it’s tech support or customer service; if you feel you’ve been overcharged or want to change your payment method, billing or accounting is what you look for. But how can you manage all those “departments” for your company when it’s just you, or you and one or two others?

The good news is: dividing yourself into more than one department is a snap for an online business. Most web hosting companies provide you with several customizable e-mail addresses when you purchase a domain name, anywhere from 5 to 50 or more. When you set up your e-mail account, you can create addresses like service@yourdomain.com, orders@yourdomain.com, and president@yourdomain.com; then post these addresses on your web site in various sections to help create your big impression. If the company is just you, you can set up your account so that all e-mails arrive in your inbox. Most hosting services will allow you to set up separate folders according to the “To” address of the mail you receive, so you can keep your “departments” separated in your files.

If you have an employee or two, you can “give” them an e-mail address with your domain name and have messages sent to their existing e-mail accounts. Your web host will provide detailed instructions on managing your e-mail addresses when you sign up.

Hugh Goble has spent 30 years in various businesses. For most of this time he has run his own businesses and now likes to help others get their online businesses up and running. His main sites are The e-Biz Forum where members have access to Resources, Training Materials, and the Discussion Forum to help them grow their businesses, and Team Small Business which provides valuable information and resources for Small Business owners. His other site is Kwik Info Articles which is his blog dedicated to Online Business.