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When you host a national call-in radio show, you hear from all kinds of people.
There was the renowned photographer who asked me how to securely and privately store the bold photos he takes of his wife. Spoiler: don’t just upload them to iCloud or Google Photos. Tap or click here for a secure way to store private photos.
I spoke to a woman whose daughter was being bullied and harassed. I am proud to say that I connected her to the right help and that the man responsible was brought to justice. Tap or click to see the gruesome details. This nightmare can happen to anyone.
I am proud to say that I built my own multi-billion dollar company with no debt or investors. It’s rewarding for me to help the many small business owners who call and need a helping hand to get their business off the ground or overcome a big hurdle. I’ve been there myself.
Here’s my advice from the trenches:
1. Know your competition
Unless you really go out of your way with a brand new product or service, your customers already exist and are spending their money elsewhere. Researching the competition is one of the best ways to get a sense of what’s working and what’s not working in your industry.
It’s also a smart way to get in touch with your customers’ needs, including what they expect to pay and how much you can expect to earn.
Find a handful of companies that do what you hope to do and be a student. “How much can I learn here?”
• Study their websites. What stands out and what’s not so great? You can track website changes over time with Visualping. This free tool lets you enter a website you want to track, and you’ll receive email alerts whenever the site changes. You’ll know if your competitor has created new great landing page copy or changed photos. Tap or click for a direct link to try it out.
• Follow your competitors on social media and subscribe to their newsletters. Take note of any post that generates a large number of comments or shares.
• Sign up for Google Alerts for your company name, your competitors, and one or two industry terms that make sense. Tap or click here for steps to set up a Google alert. I suggest you go with weekly alerts. Daily alerts can be overwhelming.
Get my trusted small business advice delivered straight to your inbox. It’s completely free. Try it here.
2. Brand yourself with a memorable domain
A strong web presence is essential; The first step is to secure a great domain name. You want something easy to remember, clear and concise. No one will remember a six-word URL.
Doctors, lawyers or other professionals who use your name for their businesses have an advantage. Hey, it’s my website Komando.com.
How much will a domain cost you? Let’s use GoDaddy as an example. For a .com address, you’ll spend about $19.99 per year, paying just one cent the first year. You can get a .me email address for $6.99 the first year and then $21.99 per year. A .biz URL requires a two-year purchase for about $37 total.
The best domain idea means nothing if taken, of course. Namech_k will shorten the process for you. Submit your idea and see if it’s registered or open. We’re not just talking about .com or .net either. Check for .us, .info, .biz and more.
It also scours social media sites to see if your favorite name is also carried. Consistency is key because it helps people find you much faster. That’s why I’m @kimkomando on all social media and I invite you to follow me anyway. Tap or click here for professional advice on using Namech_k.
3. Speaking of websites, do your smart thing
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is more than keywords that get you to the top of Google search results. An optimized site it’s lightweight, loads quickly, and is tight enough to prevent a visitor from getting stuck on a buggy dropdown menu.
When in doubt, you can hire a professional developer for a site audit, which can reveal frustrating flaws that turn off customers. You can also run these free online tests to see the biggest issues with your site.
A common problem is the design of your website. Remember that mobile performance is just as important as how your site looks on a desktop monitor. Today’s website building tools make it easy to create a site that looks good and works well on all devices.
Weebly plans start at $12 per month. Wix starts at $22 per month, or $27 if you accept online payments. Squarespace starts at $23 per month, or $27 if you accept payments.
It’s worth looking into what these monthly charges offer you. Squarespace’s business plan, for example, includes advanced site analytics and a year of professional email through Google. Wix gives you access to drop shipping inventory and 100GB of storage space.
4. Don’t forget about email marketing
I’ve been in the email marketing game since 1995. Back then, I was sending one email a week. These days, my team produces a dozen different emails with millions of sends per month that have an average open rate of over 50%. Tap or click here to try my free tech and digital life newsletters.
I had to invent ways to make it work back in the day. Today, there are tools that make creating and sending beautiful and engaging emails easy. Here are some to consider:
• Mailchimp: Send up to 10,000 emails per month (2,000 per day) for free. Paid plans start at $11 per month and include email templates and custom branding.
• Constant contact: You’ll be charged for the number of email addresses you import, starting at $9.99 per month up to 500. Up to 2,500 email addresses will cost you $35 per month.
• Emma: Starts at $99 per month for up to 10,000 contacts. You can add up to five users and set up an email automation campaign to attract your new customers.
• HubSpot: Ideal if you need a powerful marketing and contact center. The free plan is robust and you can add up to a million contacts. Paid plans with support, automation, and custom branding start at $45 per month for up to 1,000 contacts.
5. Facilitate payment
Traffic increases, but you don’t make more money. Your customers may be hitting a wall.
Frustrated by an inconvenient payment method? Is there a technical error preventing them from completing the sale? You do the entire checkout process yourself, using a VPN or incognito window to view your site as a visitor would. Make a note of anything that goes wrong.
If your payment processing options aren’t up to par, keep these things in mind:
• square: Pay a flat fee plus a percentage of the sale. The cost depends on the type of transaction. For example, a customer who enters a card number online will cost you 3.5% of the sale plus 15 cents.
• PayPal: PayPal payment works similarly. A standard credit card payment is 2.99% plus a 49 cent fee.
• stripe: For card charges, you pay 2.9% plus a 30-cent fee.
6. Pay only for what you need
There’s no way to avoid some expenses, but I bet I can save you some money with this gem – there are free versions of the most popular paid software that are just as good.
• Instead of Microsoft Office, Check out LibreOfficand Google Docs and Sheets.
• For photo editing, I like GIMP, Pixlr X, and Canva. Tap or click here to see the pros and cons of each option.
• DaVinci Resolve is an excellent free video editing software.
• audacity is a free audio editing program used by professionals.
That’s not all. Here are 9 freeware copies that work better than the real expensive software.
7. Get advice from other professionals
The Federal Small Business Administration has more resources than you might imagine. Use this link to find free or low-cost training or business advice in your area. If you’re just starting out, you can also find guides to creating a business plan, registering your company, and managing day-to-day operations.
SCORE can also connect you with business mentors who can help you start or grow your business, and it’s free. The nonprofit organization manages the nation’s largest network of volunteer business experts. You can get help by email, phone or video if there is no local chapter where you live.
i want to help you
You can also contact me. I get emails and calls from small business owners daily and love to help. Email me here. I read them all myself.
Listen to the podcast below if you want to hear more about my business and life. I was interviewed about the highs and lows of my success, and there were a lot of tough questions.
PODCAST SELECTION: An intimate conversation about business, life and loss with Kim Komando
I started my business over two decades ago. I had no investors, and I took on no debt. I’ll be honest: the first few years were a struggle. However, I accepted the struggle and pushed through some of the hardest times in my life to find peace. In this podcast, I tell stories and talk about moments in my life that I don’t often share.
Check out my podcast “Kim Komando Today”. apple, Google Podcasts, Spotifyor your favorite podcast player.
Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, “Komando”.
Know all the latest technology at Kim Komando show, the nation’s largest weekend radio show. Kim takes calls and gives advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacking. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
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