MBR: Are Your Customers Using Search Engines Less?

Hello and happy Friday from (still snowy) New England! While our area continues to recover from record amounts of early arrival snow, we came across a few interesting small business articles that we thought may be of interest to you. Topics range from the idea that search engines are being used less to how the power of smell can help land holiday sales. We hope you have a nice and relaxing weekend and please enjoy this weeks edition of Micro Business Roundup. 

Why my Search Engine Use Is Dwindling and Why Yours Will Too – What if you spent the past few months trying to build up your SEO “juice” only to find out it was all for nothing? Do you think we’d ever come to a time where that could actually happen? According to John Jantsch at DuctTapeMarketing.com, it’s an idea that could possibly be happening now. Jantsch discusses how his use of search engine sites is slowly being replaced by the use of applications (“apps”) the accuracy to provide the answers he wants/needs relevant his immediate query. Has your search usage switched from search engines to applications, or are you still relying on Google to provide you answers?

Is Social Media Killing Your Business? – How does your micro business utilize social media (if you’re engaged in social media, of course)? While this growing platform can be an asset to your business, it can also detract from your overall efforts as well. This recent OpenForum.com post takes a look at different ways social media hurts your business. We’d be interested to hear how you view social media… is it a positive for your business, or do see it as a negative?

5 Ways to get that Federal Contract – Did you know there are more than $500 million worth of contract money handed out by the federal goverment each year? Ever wonder how your small, micro business could get a piece of the action? This Washington Post article offers five useful tips that small businesses such as yourself can utilize to get a piece of the (large) pie. While the application process could be tedious, the reward can be lucrative to the success and growth of your business.

 Street Walking in a Nutshell – We came across this short piece from the folks at Small Business Bonfire on a great topic, street walking marketing. The author, Jason Gregory, chats briefly about the importance of being upfront with signage and marketing materials so that your potential customers will not be left guessing what it is exactly that your business offers. Is your micro business upfront about what it provides, or do you use an element of mystery to help attract potential buyers?

How Cinnamon Smells Will Save Holiday Sales – Does a specific smell effect your purchasing behavior? According to this recent Inc.com article, how your brick and mortar store smells could play a factor in your customers purchasing behavior. With the recent reports that consumer holiday shopping will drop this year, businesses will have to up their game to capitalize off of holiday sales. To help you get started with having your business smelling right, the article offers five senses you can utilize to encourage customers to buy.