What can a small businesss do to expand business?

I work for a computer repair business and we are looking to expand some and develop something of a marketing plan. Often, we'll be with a client and they'll say something like "I didn't know that you guys did taht too" So, what would be a good way to advertise our additional services to existing clients and what is any other good advice that comes to mind? Thanks!

How effective is your current website for your business? And if your website does not draw major Net traffic, perhaps an inspection of your SEO metatags is in order. Remember that having a high web presence/ranking on major search engines is the key to expanding your business.

Here's a helpful article in producing the most effective SEO metatags.

The most effective way to advertise on the Internet is
to first set up a website and publish its domain name
on major search directories such as Google.com,
Yahoo.com [at http://www.google.com/addurl/?...... and
MSN.com since 85% of Internet shoppers rely on these
search directories to provide them with goods and
services. In a sense, these search directories are a
very large Internet Yellow Pages.

Nevertheless, should your website or opening webpage
fail to contain "generic" keywords, then anyone using
such "generic" queries will not be able to discover
your website. Your domain name [URL] of your website,
in a sense, will be invisible, undiscoverable.

You may want to consider some simple algorithms which,
when observed and committed in designing of a website
with placement of various critical metatags that can
surely achieve a high search engine presence and
increase Internet traffic to your website. These
metatag strategies work well with published webpages
at Google and Yahoo.

Design: Should you create an extensive Flash-based
website, make sure to fill-in the property entries
such as the Title, Description and Keywords. Failing
to do so, leaves no hard HTML or ALT resource that can
be readily indexed by search robots. Also consider the
Internet audience and their incoming setup. For
example, if they are on analog/dialup, Flash webpages
take too long to load up and therefore analog users
will likely lose interest and discontinue entering the
Flash site. On the other hand, anyone on hi-speed DSL
lines, will welcome Flash pages which load quickly. So
before designing a pure Flash websitge, ask the simple
question, "Who's my end user - is he on dialup or
DSL?" And if you had to choose between these two users
for maximum marketability, then select analog users
since 80% of most resident users are still analog
Internet subscribers and pure HTML designed webpages
is best for them.

A non-Flash-based website which relies on hard text,
is far easier to be indexed by search robots. Limit
the use of stylized text saved as .gifs since as a
graphic, they are not indexable by search robots.

Avoid use of frames since any number of search robots
are unable to properly classify textual material.

Placement of Metatags:

A ranking or search order does take place with Google
and Yahoo and it begins with the "Title" metag which
should consist of no more than 65 characters separated
by commas. The "Title" should describe in generic
terms, the goods and services, followed by a location
from which the resource is located, i.e., city, state.
The placement of a domain name which is not generic
within the "Title" is not appropriate, unless your
domain name is a major recognizable brand name.

The second metatag is the "Description" which is
usually 25-30 words to form a complete sentence which
best describes one's goods and services.

And the very last category - "Keywords" are also
somewhat limited to 15-16 words which can be plural
and compound in nature. Again, avoid multiple entries
which could be mistaken as "spamdexed entries" which
is defined as the loading, and submission of
repetitive words into a particular metatag category.
"Spamdexing" when discovered on a webpage and reported
to Google's spamreport.com can result in the
elimination of your website from their search
directory.

Here's an example of a very highly-placed website on
Google.com: Begin with the very "generic" search query
"sandwiches downtown los angeles," taking note to not
abbreviate Los Angeles to "LA" and of course, leave
out the parentheses ("). It will bring up some 2.4
million+ search results. Check out where "Nazos.net"
is ranked. It's ranked No. 1!
Again, Nazos.net's high web presence was achieved by
proper web design and placement of relevant metatags
according to Google's publication guidelines.

Good luck!

This is a good question and a question many people can relate to. I can relate to the last part of the question as well. It is very frustrating when existing clients do not even know everything you do. It seems they remember the one service they have used. This happens to me as well. They use one service and forgot the others. What I am doing to overcome this is offering one time discount coupons. Customized. so lets say you offer 10 items and client uses item 1, offer coupons for the other services. I am going to bullet point other obvious things you should include in your new expansion plan.
1. Make sure you have a website and brochure that explains your All of your current services.
2. Join local business networking groups. Chambers, groups in localized business Niches. I can give you alot of ideas on this ....feel free to contact me at connectthedotsadvertising.com. For example, I joined a health services networking group and am getting lots of referrals. We have a computer person groups (one of each business category is allowed) He gets tons of business and referrals from us.
3. Do a PR email campaign with tips on all the services you have (one tip at a time) to all people you;re coming in contact with through personal networking.
4. Try to get "computer tips as PR in as many local publications. Be in constant contact with news media re being an expert in computer "virus" alerts (for tv, radio etc.)
5. Naturally, make sure your website is correctly optimized since you are a computer company.
6. Leave your info with offices managers at local businesses, resorts, hotels, & schools.
7. Give out computer related advertising promotional items as "prospecting tools.
8. This is the most important tip. Most service businesses expand through work of mouth and referrals. To that end, develop a referral incentive program to those who refer you business. I can help you with this. It needs to be exciting!
9. Exhibit at local trade expo's. However to make it work you need a really good "show strategy (even for a chamber of commerce expo), otherwise, it's a waste of money.

Good Luck!

Create a plan that includes your former/existing customers, then the larger community, and other businesses.

I'm guessing that you DO keep your customer names / addresses and email addresses, so you already have a great way to increase your business by asking your customers to come back. When you do that, either by mail or by phone or by email, knowing from your logs what you did for them before, ask them if they realize that you also do 'Such and such' , and you'd be happy to offer them that service, too.

Always reward old customers for renewing their business with you, at least as often as you do special things for new business. Your old customers are 'FREE', but gaining new customers costs money in advertising and promotion and so forth.

Do a two-for-one or a frequent-customer discount program and send something to your current and previous customers that tells them about it and make it special ONLY to those who bring the offer in with them, or refer to it when they call for help.

For LOTS more ideas, visit my site

http://www.hidden-marketing-assets.com

and download the free report there. It is FULL of great marketing knowledge and know-how that can do wonders in building up your business!

I have lap top that I'm having a problem with, but I dont know what it is.I think that most people who owned a computer now a days does not necessarily mean they understand everything that goes wrong in their machine or why it does what it do,that's where you come in,when you can explain to them why and what it needs to be done then Im sure you'll have just created a customer for life.add this to your bussiness advertisement: FREE TROUBLE SHOOT.

One of the simplest things would be to list all your services in an attractive and easy to read formatt and email them to ur existing costumers. U can also advertise in local agencies and also advertise in your shop.
Leaflets and flyers are good to. U can make it sound as if its a renovated business and attract new costumers.
Good luck

Lookcube is a free classifieds website that is starting to get big.

http://www.lookcube.com

It's quick to post a business ad. Also ads stay posted for 30 days and automatically renew. This saves you a lot of time compared to Craigslist, where you have to repost every 7 days.

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