Slow Times Are Grow Times
How to Grow Your Business in a Down Economy

If you’re like most businesses these days, the cash register isn’t ringing as often as you’d like it to. While it seems nobody will officially say we’re in a recession, we’re all feeling the pinch a little.

When the going gets tough, the tough are supposed to get going. Most of them just start slashing expenses, starting with marketing. This is a mistake… if most people cut out marketing, that means less people are spending money on marketing. This makes your marketing go further, since you’re not competing with other messages in the market.

Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen businesses that consistently invest in marketing during good and bad times do the best. Here are five surefire ways to help your business grow when sales are slow:

1. Get a website
This should go without saying, but not having a website is like not having a sign outside your business – you wouldn’t think twice about that would you? Of course not… you know that when people drive by your business, they might see your sign, and think of your business when they need the products or services you sell. A website works the same way. Thousands of people are searching for local products and services everyday in your area – if they don’t see your website, they’ll most likely do business with somebody else.

Websites aren’t as expensive as they used to be. A couple of years ago, a web design firm might want $5,000 or more to build a website. Today, you can often build your own website for less than $1,000. Radius Online provides its customers with a professionally designed website for as little as $129 per month.

2. Help people find your website through search engines
You’ve probably heard of search engine optimization or SEO. Thousands of people are searching for local products and services in your area every day. SEO is the process of setting up and submitting your website so that people find it when they’re searching for “your type of business” in “your local area”. SEO requires the help of an expert to achieve long-lasting results. Here are some of the things Radius Online does for its customers on a monthly basis to maintain high search engine rankings:

• Submit web pages to search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask.com
• Program web pages – such as page titles – with descriptive terms, based on what people in your area are searching for (such as “brake repair” and “your city/state”
• Monitor how many people are coming to your website and what type of information they find most useful

3. Use free directory listings to attract new customers
Many local directories, such as Google Maps, Yelp or TrueLocal.com enable you to submit your free business information to the directory. Listing your business through Google’s Local Business Center ensures your information will appear in search results, along with your location on its map listings. This is a free and fast way for your business to appear in search engine rankings. Be sure to use the same information across each directory you submit your information to, since it can improve your rankings in search engines. Search for “your type of product or services” in “your city/state” and see what directories show up in the search results. This is a great way to find new directories for you to list your business in. Alternatively, companies like Radius Online can manage this process for you, for a low monthly fee.

As a final note on directories, be sure to monitor what people are saying about you in directories. Most directories offer the option for users to post comments and feedback about your business. If somebody posts a negative comment, don’t get mad and lash out on them – see if you can do something to make their experience more positive next time, just as you would offline. If somebody posts positive reviews or comments, invite them back in or ask them if you can use their comments on the website. The more feedback you can accumulate, the better. Consider asking your customers to post reviews and feedback when they come in – email them to check out your listings and post a review to receive 10% off their next purchase.

4. Consider a small amount of search marketing
We know you’re thinking about cutting expenses right now, but spending a small amount on pay-per-click advertising can pay huge dividends. Even $50 per month can result in as many as 15 or more new customers. When setting up search marketing, get as specific as possible about your search terms – such as “your type of service” in “your city/state/zip code”. For example, if you owned an auto shop in Decatur, GA, you might buy pay-per-click (PPC) search terms for “Decatur GA auto repair.” This improves my chances of only attracting potential customers to my website. After all, if you're in Decatur, Georgia, you don’t want to pay for clicks from people in Texas.

5. Don’t overlook mobile
If you really want to grow your business over the next couple of years, start looking for ways to reach your customers via mobile devices like the iPhone. It’s estimated that iPhone users will perform 10 times as many local searches on their phone than other mobile users. As the number of mobile and local searches continue to climb, it’s even more important that your business be listed on websites that consumers access via their phones. It’s also a good idea to make sure consumers can view your website from their mobile phone. A company like Radius Online can walk you through the process of setting up your business for the mobile web.

6. Bonus tip: do you have a fishbowl?
Sometimes old ideas are the best new ones. If you don’t have a fishbowl to collect business cards, or some other method to collect email addresses, you’re missing out. You should get an email address from anybody that does business with you. Send them email thanking them for their business and give them coupons to come back. Offer them discounts for referring their friends to you and for sending you feedback on their experience. Build strong relationships with your current customers and they will reward you by helping you to find new ones.

Many small business owners go into survival mode when the economy slows down. They often think that reducing their expenses is the best way to get though things. The truth is, companies who maintain or increase their marketing spending during an economic slowdown are the smartest ones. They’re able to reach more customers for less investment – because fewer competitors are spending money on marketing.

When things are slow, it’s time to grow. Learn more about local online marketing programs that can help your business.