Following are six inexpensive ways to publicize your small business.

1. Make sure the major search engines — Google, Bing, Yahoo — know about your website, so you will show up in organic searches. This should happen automatically, after your site has been up and running for a few days (or weeks). But if you want to make sure Google, say, will find you, you can ask Google to crawl your website. For additional information on this topic, check out this great post titled “Getting Listed & Ranked in Google, Yahoo and Bing” from 2 Create a Website.

2. Create a Facebook page for your business — and post on it regularly. A Facebook business page is a great way to publicize your business by directly engaging and interacting with your fans and prospective customers. Setting up a Facebook business page is simple. Just follow the instructions on Facebook’s “How to create a Facebook business page” page. (You can find the Prepster Pineapple Facebook page here.) In addition, many ecommerce platforms, such as the one I use, BigCommerce, make it easy for you to sell your products on your Facebook business page. And Facebook is free! You just need to invest some time adding new posts or photos that you think would be of interest to your Facebook fans and responding to comments.

3. Establish a Twitter handle for your small business. Not every small business needs or will benefit from having a Twitter presence, but it can be a real boon for small retailers who want to let people know about limited-edition items or sales or promotions and for food truck owners, to let customers when they will be in the neighborhood and where. (I have one friend who got a Twitter account just so he could keep track of his favorite food truck. And he is not alone.) Note: For those who already have a personal Twitter account, I highly recommend establishing a separate Twitter account dedicated to your business. Unless you run a bar, do you really want customers to know you went out and got drunk with the girls again last night and are so hungover you can hardly see straight? (While you may say, I would never do that! Trust me, it happens.)

4. Email people. Use email, either your business (or personal) email account or a service like Constant Contact, to tell your friends, relatives, and colleagues about your business, new products, or services. Just be careful to only email people when you actually have something to say — and don’t bombard their in-boxes with daily missives, unless they’ve signed up to receive daily emails on your website. (For tips on how to gain customers via email marketing, check out my recent article on the subject here.)

5. Put out press releases. Contrary to what some of you may think, press releases are still a great way to get the word out about your business. And there are many wire services (services that will host and broadcast your press release) that are targeted at small businesses, such as SBWire. I personally have been using PR Newswire’s Small Business PR service, as PR Newswire is well established and has a good reputation.  They also offered me a great deal: Membership was only $99 for the first year and press releases, distributed through PR Newswire’s WebRelease PLUS service for small businesses, are only $249 for the first 500 words — and they threw in the use one of their supplemental distribution lists, a $625 value, for free for my first press release.

6. Sign up to be a source on Help a Reporter. As a reporter, I use Help a Reporter, known as HARO (for Help a Reporter Out), all the time. And I have encountered dozens of small businesses and small business owners I would have never known about otherwise. (Thank you, Peter Shankman.) Prices range from free, for the basic service, to $19/month for Standard service (which includes a profile, keyword search, and text alerts — and is a lot less expensive than hiring a PR agency), to $149/month for the Premium package.

Have another suggestion regarding how entrepreneurs can inexpensively publicize their small business? Please leave me a comment.

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Technically, marketing via Twitter is not difficult. You just need to compose an interesting 140-character (or less) tweet, include a link (to your website or a specific landing page), and a hashtag (#). Then, depending on how intriguing or exciting or relevant your post is, others will retweet your message or compose their own tweets with references to your original tweet — sending traffic to your website.

To help increase the odds of your Twitter messages, or tweets, getting retweeted and clicked on, follow these 10 simple Twitter marketing tips:

1.  Always say something interesting or post a question before any link. Links alone may be flagged by others as spam right away.

2. Shorten your links before posting them in your Tweet. There are free converters for this such as TinyURL and Bitly.com.

3. Use hashtags (#) wisely. Hashtags are instrumental for users to find other people who share their interests. The trick is to use a trending hashtag so that if ever somebody does a hashtag search, your post will also make it in the results. Or you can create a new hashtag and market it to become a trending topic.

4. Don’t sound like an ad by just talking up your business, product, or service. Rather, talk about trends or topics that your prospective customers (or followers) are interested in.

5. Use keywords that relate to your industry.

6. Reply to and retweet tweets from your followers and people you follow on a regular basis.

7. Promote others by retweeting and encouraging others to follow them.

8. Space out your tweets over the course of the day instead of posting them all at once.

9. If you have someone tweeting for you, make sure that person is very familiar with your business and industry as well as with Twitter.

10. Use tools and software that will help you monitor your Twitter marketing campaign, such as:
• TwitterFox – Shows Twitter feeds on a pop-up menu right from your Firefox web browser.
• Commun.it – Monitors the activities of your contacts, shows the trends (hashtags, topics, retweets, etc.) in your Twitter community, and suggests friends to follow and unfollow.
• Bottlenose – An elaborate tool that analyzes the activities of your followers, showing you recent posts, shared links, and trending topics, among others.
• Bufferapp – A scheduled-posting tool that posts your tweets on scheduled times. It also provides data about your followers, such as tweets, retweets, links shared, etc.
• Ping.fm – Lets you update not just Twitter but also Facebook, Tumblr, and LinkedIn from the same platform, at the same time.

You can also do Twitter marketing traditionally by paying for Promoted Tweets or Trends.

Good luck!

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Why should small businesses accept credit cards? When starting a business, few things are more important than getting paid for your products or services. But how do you accept that payment? Your type of business most likely dictates how customers or clients pay you, but not everyone uses the same method to pay for his or her purchases. Consequently, you need to decide which methods you offer, not only to serve customers and clients best, but also to address your needs as well.

Credit card payments are accepted by many businesses, but why accept credit cards, especially when starting a new business? Initially, credit card processing can seem overwhelming – obtaining merchant status to handle transaction fees and purchasing equipment and supplies may seem like a deterrent to accepting credit cards, especially when these eat into your bottom line. But do they really? Despite the initial investment, there are many great reasons for new or small business owners to accept credit card payment.

Here are some of the important ones:

Spontaneity

There is no doubt about it – even when buyers have a list or a specific product or service in mind, they often buy something additional. You need to be prepared for those impulsive buys, especially when the price is more than the cash in their wallets or available in their debit account. Credit cards can help make this a reality.

Choices

Offering payment method choices gives your customers something else – convenience. They can use the cash they have on hand, or they can use their credit card to make that purchase. You don’t want to lose a sale due to limited payment offerings.

Flexibility

Credit cards also offer flexibility – by paying with a credit card, customers or clients can pay it off when they want, or when they can, rather than needing the money available immediately.

Reduced Risk

Cash can be miscounted or stolen, checks can bounce, and debit cards can limit the size and amount of a purchase. On the other hand, accepting a credit card lets you know immediately if the client has sufficient funds or financing to back up the sale. If issues do occur, you can resolve them through merchant services.

A new or small business owner has many decisions to make, and many of them point towards profitability. Sometimes, those decisions have a startup cost, but they are worth it in the long run. So, why accept credit cards as a payment method? Because credit cards offer customers or clients flexibility and convenience, and give you peace of mind about receiving your payment – a win-win for all.

Kristen Graminga, who has more than 15 years of experience in the bankcard industry in direct sales, sales management, and marketing, is Chief Marketing Officer for BluePay, providers of credit card processing for businesses.

“For all the popularity of social media, 92 percent of adult internet users maintain at least one email account and 59 percent of marketers say they believe email is the best outlet for generating revenue,” says John Hayes, marketing strategist, iContact, Vocus’s email marketing arm. Indeed, if anything, the increase in the use of social media and mobile devices has increased email marketing’s effectiveness. That said, there are always ways to improve your email marketing.

To find out how your small business can generate a better return–or click-through rate–on your email marketing campaigns this year, I interviewed experts from Constant Contact, Emma, iContact, and Mad Mimi. Following are their top suggestions for how your email marketing campaigns can reach and convert more customers in 2013.

1. Keep in mind that more people are increasingly using smart phones (over 123 million in the U.S. alone) and tablets (over 70 million) to read and send emails, as well as shop.

2. Forget the bells and whistles (i.e., video and slow-to-load images).

3. Link your email to your social networking accounts (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, YouTube).

4. Educate readers instead of constantly selling to them.

5. Use a targeted, interest- or demographic-specific approach instead of sending out one-size-fits-all mass mailings.

6. Include an email signup form on key landing pages, not just on your Home page.

7. Don’t underestimate the value of permissions marketing.

To learn more about these seven email marketing tips, check out my article, “7 Email Marketing Tips to Gain Customers in 2013.” And feel free to share your own email marketing tips in the Comments section.

Following are 12 common website mistakes small businesses make.

Mistake #1: Forgetting who your target audience is.

Mistake #2: Not making your website mobile friendly.

Mistake #3: Changing your URLs without adding a redirect.

Mistake #4: Not clearly and concisely explaining what you do or what you are selling; using jargon and cliches.

Mistake #5: Not refreshing or updating your content on a regular basis.

Mistake #6: Not leveraging social media (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest) and having links to social networking sites on your Home and product pages.

Mistake #7: Using Flash.

Mistake #8: Not including an email opt-in form on your Home or Contact pages.

Mistake #9: Not doing UX (customer experience/usability) testing.

Mistake #10: Not checking that the site looks good — and functions properly — on all major browsers, both desktop and mobile.

Mistake #11: Taking cybersecurity for granted — i.e., not having appropriate anti-virus software or security measures (firewall) in place.

Mistake #12:  Not monitoring/tracking visitor behavior.

To learn more about each mistake and how to fix them, read my latest article, “12 Ways to (Not) Screw Up Your Website.”

And now that I am a small business owner, I am having my business, Prepster Pineapple Clothing, do its part. So for every pink Prepster Pineapple T-Shirt we sell between now and October 31st, we are going to donate $5 to breast cancer research — which I will personally match.

Note: Shirts can only be sold and shipped to addresses within the 50 United States — and have flat rate shipping of $6.

1. Create an LLC.

2. Open a business checking account — and get a business credit card.

3. Trademark your intellectual property (your business name, business logo, and any product names).

4. Get a sales and use tax permit (or resale certificate).

5. Check out the competition and figure out how to set your ecommerce business apart.

6. Choose the right ecommerce solution (i.e., shopping cart) for your business — and the person who will be managing your ecommerce site.

7. Hire a good designer, photographer, and writer.

8. Provide succinct search-engine optimized (SEO) product descriptions that inform, not bore, visitors.

9. Make your site easy to navigate.

10. Include Terms & Conditions, Shipping & Returns, and Site Map pages.

11. Support multiple browsers and mobile devices.

12. Promote your business before you launch — but not too far ahead of your go-live date.

13. Purchase accounting software — and set up a chart of accounts before your first sale.

14. Have inventory on hand for your go-live date — and make sure you are set up to receive payment (i.e., have tested your ecommerce solution).

For specifics about each step, as well as helpful resources, check out my article “14 Essential Steps to Launching an Ecommerce Business” on SmallBusinessComputing.com.

Indeed, a while back when I asked small business owners how they encourage customer loyalty and get customers to continue to purchase from them, among the top responses I received was “I send them thank-you notes” and “I offer them a 20 percent discount or gift for making another purchase or referring a friend.”

So when I started up my e-tail business, Prepster Pineapple Clothing & Accessories, I created custom Prepster Pineapple note cards, to thank each customer who ordered a shirt. (I also plan to offer discounts on future purchases and for referrals.)

And while thanking your customers is a great way to engender loyalty, I believe it’s also important to thank your vendors and partners, the businesses (many of them small businesses) who help make your business possible. So…

Thank you to Enterline Design for the outstanding logo and design work.

Thank you to Shoreline for doing such a great job with the embroidery on my Prepster Pineapple polo shirts and for the excellent screen work on my Prepster Pineapple t-shirts.

Thank you to Custom Couture Label for weaving my Prepster Pineapple private labels. You did a beautiful job.

Thank you to Universal Tag for creating the best-looking (and possibly only) die-cut pineapple hang tag I’ve ever seen.

Thank you to BigCommerce for your terrific (and easy to use) shopping cart software.

And thank you to BC Mod Squad for designing and coding the Prepster Pineapple ecommerce site. You guys rock!

So, have you thanked your customers and vendors today? If not, take a minute to do so.

Who and What Is Prepster Pineapple?

So who exactly is Prepster Pineapple (beyond a drawing of a pineapple with really cool shades and a polo shirt)? Per my teenage daughter, Prepster Pineapple is that sweet guy who all the teenage girls want to secretly (and not-so-secretly) hang out with — cool and confident, and not a jerk. Or as we explain on our hang tags, “Born in Hawaii… Raised on the Mainland… Part preppy… Part hipster… He’s Prepster Pineapple, the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet!”

As for what is Prepster Pineapple? Prepster Pineapple is a line of preppy, hip, comfortable clothes for the whole family — with a focus on teens and tweens.

Right now, we are just selling t-shirts (in blue, in Women’s, Men’s, and Youth sizes) and polo shirts (in blue and white, in Women’s, Men’s, and Youth sizes) — online, via www.prepsterpineapple.com. T-shirts are $26.00 (not including tax — applied only to those in Connecticut — and shipping) and polos are $36.00 (same deal). Shipping is a flat rate of $6.00 per order (for now) — and only within the United States. (Note: I’m currently using PayPal for payments, but that does not mean you need a PayPal account to shop. You just need a credit card.)

This fall we are planning to add sweatshirts and long-sleeved t-shirts, and possibly pajama/lounge pants. (Have a suggestion for a new color or new item? Leave a comment.)

Spread the Word

To help spread the word about Prepster Pineapple, I’ve created a Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/PrepsterPineapple — where you can also purchase Prepster Pineapple shirts. (Just click on the “Shop” tab.)  If you have a Facebook account, please take a minute to “like” it. You can also follow my/the company’s exploits on Twitter. And for those who prefer being social the old-fashioned way, without all the media, please tell your friends about Prepster Pineapple, and send them the link, www.prepsterpineapple.com.

Stay Tuned

Over the coming weeks, I plan to write about my experiences setting up an ecommerce business — from trademarking my company name and logo, to picking a shopping cart, to working with a web designer/developer, adventures in bookkeeping, and more. So please stop back.

1. Know who your target audience is. “Think how your video can help your end user, the customer,” says John Sarkisian, CEO, SKLZ, a sports training product manufacturer. In SKLZ’s case, its how-to videos, which showcase its sports training products, are geared to customer representatives at sporting goods retailers. That exposure – or brand awareness – led to SKLZ getting increased shelf space at national sporting goods retailers, such as Dick’s Sporting Goods, which boosted sales.

2. Script it. “A script for a video is like a blueprint when building a house,” explains Edward Schlesinger, script writer, OnlineVideoScriptwriting.com. “It will let you see what the finished product will look like before you start.” In addition, “changes on paper are much easier and cheaper to do than once production starts.”

3. Have a clear call to action. “What do you want people to do after they’ve watched your video?” asks Schlesinger. No matter how short your video is, “make it clear what you want people to do – pick up the phone, sign up online, walk through your doors. Don’t throw away this opportunity to convert potential customers.” (For a great example of how to get your message – or call to action – across in 1:34, see Dollar Shave Club’s recent viral video, which was viewed over 2 million times in just over 48 hours, and is prominently featured on Dollar Shave Club’s home page.)

4. Shoot in a quiet place. “Always try to shoot in a quiet place away from machines, large crowds and traffic noise,” says Rob Ciampa, vice president of Marketing, Pixability, a video marketing company and the authors of Video Marketing for Dummies. Also keep in mind that “putting the right [or wrong] microphone on your subject can make a big difference.”

5. Light it well. “Make sure you are using all available light sources,” advises Ciampa. Remember that right – or wrong – lighting “will shape the mood of your video.”

6. Choose the right music. “A widely ignored but great way to move the needle for brands through video marketing is to integrate music,” argues Bryan Boettger, Chief Creative Officer, The Buddy Group, a digital engagement agency. Brands “should budget at least 5 percent of their video spend on professional music,” he argues. Though that doesn’t mean you need to feature The Who or One Direction; someone no one’s ever heard of is fine – better even – if it’s the right song to help get your message across. “By choosing the right music, brands have an opportunity to not only… engage consumers, but they also come across surprisingly relevant if they break an artist who has yet to connect with a larger audience.”

7. Less is often more when it comes to effects. “Building a story is the editor’s number one objective,” explains Ciampa. “Stay away from snazzy effects and [focus on delivering] a professional and polished story.”

8. Keep it short. Try to keep your videos to around a minute and a half. Although if it takes 30 seconds or two minutes more to properly demonstrate your product, use the extra time. Just remember that many (if not most) of the people you are trying to reach are at work, and have short attention spans.

9. Use your customers – especially if they are well known and/or social media influencers. Do your customers love your product or service? Ask them to star in a video for you. In order to reach its target demographic, young first-time home buyers, Oak Mortgage Group of Dallas, Texas, shot video testimonials of every loan it closed with clients who fit its target market. Then the mortgage bank inserted the video testimonials in its newsletter and posted them on its Facebook and Twitter pages (with the customers’ permission). Clients loved it and shared the videos – and told their friends about Oak Mortgage Group. Indeed, because of the customer video testimonials, “word of mouth grew and Oak Mortgage Group became a leading mortgage bank in Texas,” says Merrick Pickens, PR & Marketing director, Oak Mortgage Group.

D’Artagnan Foods, an international fine foods purveyor, also has enthusiastic customers, many of whom are well-known celebrity chefs. So in order to help promote D’Artagnan, its owner and founder, Ariane Daguin, a personality and chef herself, enlisted fellow chefs Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert and Marcus Samuelsson (among others) to star in a series of how-to videos with her – showing food lovers how to recreate some of their favorite dishes, using D’Artagnan products. To date, the videos have been very successful, helping to increase brand awareness and sales for the company.

10. Use humor – if or where appropriate. To advertise the fact that its food is fresh, not microwaved, Moe’s Southwest Grill created an entertaining video titled “Microwaves Ruin Everything.” The video reached more than 1.5 million views on YouTube in only a few weeks, going viral faster than anyone anticipated. Soon after the video’s release, sales jumped 8.5 percent. And while Moe’s Southwest Grill cannot directly attribute that increase in sales to the video alone, the company believes it definitely contributed.

11. You don’t need to hire James Cameron to produce (or direct) your video. While it’s a good idea to work with a professional videographer or video production agency that knows what they’re doing, if you don’t have someone on staff, don’t go overboard. “Too many organizations feel compelled to produce Hollywood-grade corporate videos,” says Ciampa. “Unless you’re a luxury brand, most prospects not only don’t care,” they may be turned off by over-produced, overly slick videos. “Focus on great content and clear presentation while ensuring the proper lighting, audio and camera techniques. With this approach, you’ll be able shoot more video much more economically,” he says.

12. Include a video sitemap on your website. “Ensure videos are indexed by Google by submitting a video sitemap,” says Melody King, vice president of marketing for Treepodia, a provider of e-commerce video solutions. (Instructions for how to do this are available on Google’s Webmaster Tools’ page.)

For more information about video making and marketing, read my article, “How to Make Video Marketing Work for Your Business.”