Ok, I get it - you do not have resources to hire a website developer or marketer. Yes, it costs money and effort and requires strategy and execution and more money. But there are several things you can do for free. One of them is adding your business to Google maps. It is not complicated. You just have to be prepared. You will be asked for the business name, address, phone number, description, etc. Work on the description part - make it appealing to your potential customers. If you have pictures to include, make sure they are professional (good resolution, nice setting). You are allowed to add up to 10 photos. You can choose to include photos from the web (make sure they are yours!) or from your computer. Make sure you read guidelines for photo upload. Pictures should be square and the right size otherwise they will look crooked, stretched or weird. Have your business information ready. Be prepared to fill out your business hours, credit cards you take, additional information, like if parking is available.

Social media is a reality and it is not possible to ignore it anymore. While most small businesses cling to their proven sources of reaching out to their customer, smart business owners explore the world of Social Media. If you want to stay ahead of your competition, you need to be incorporating Social Media into your marketing plan. It will require a lot of time, effort and dedication, but remember - that's where your customers are spending their time. They are no longer looking for products and services. They are expecting the products and services delivered to them or recommended by friends. Social media revolution is upon us.

Social media became The Place to be in the past year. Americans spend 80% more time on networking sites in the past year alone, according to researchers. What does it mean to you? It means that your customers spend a lot less time on non-networking websites - websites like yours. If you owned your business for a while, you have been around the block. You know, that being where your customers are is vital for your business survival. On the internet, the same principle applies. But don't rush to join all the networking sites and don't start pounding people with sale offers and coupons. People hate that. Instead, have a plan.

Notable is a great collaboration tool which allows you to quickly get feedback on design, content, and code on a website project. Reviewers can capture a part of your page screen (design elements, code, etc.) and add comments and critique. Sign up for a free service or opt for a paid account. As a registered user, you will be able to quickly capture your screen using a Firefox plugin or an iPhone app and upload the images into your project's workspace where people can leave comments.

[via TechCrunch]

Starting this week Google is trying out a new type of search ad and pricing system in the San Francisco and San Diego markets. Currently, advertisers set up an advertising campaign, pick keywords, and bid on them to select when and where their ads will appear on search pages. Google will test a new flat rate pricing model. They will offer advertisers and non-advertisers a search ad for a flat fee. Google software will analyze different factors and determine what the average price for an ad is and will control where and when an ad appears. In other words, if you are a current advertiser, Google will use your keywords and bid prices to automatically set up accounts for your competitors. As a serious advertiser on Google, you want to pay them for traffic and you optimize your marketing efforts to get relevant traffic from Google. Now, Google will use your efforts as a free market research tool for competing businesses. Not good news for local advertisers who take their marketing campaigns seriously.