Seth Godin has a simple, cost effective answer to get your small business on-line and part of it involves the host for this blog. TypePad isn’t perfect but it is very good and simple to use. I’m using it as it’s literally a one stop, no hassle solution for web hosting and content creation*. I know of an organisation that looked at building their own blogging infrastructure, believe me they have the resources, but couldn’t beat TypePad for cost/benefit so why should a small business even try?
If you have, or know someone who has, a small business that needs to get on-line read on!
Seth's Blog: Memo to the very small
What should my local chiropractor do? Or the acupuncturist? Or the pet store? What about that small church or mosque?The web has changed the game for a lot of organizations, but for the local business, it's more of a threat and a quandary than an asset. My doctor went to a seminar yesterday ($100+) where the 'expert' was busy selling her on buying a domain name, hiring a designer, using web development software, understanding site maps and navigation and keywords and metatags and servers...
These are businesses that have trouble dealing with the Yellow Pages. Too much trouble, too much time, way too expensive. So, should local micro-businesses just ignore the web? Or should they become experts in the art of building and maintaining a website?
We're talking about people who don't like to tweak. About local businesses that are struggling to be found by people a block or a mile or five miles away. Entrepreneurs who can't be bothered to understand typography or HTML. Why does my dog's vet have such a lame website? Why do basement waterproofing sites sit moribund? Do they all have to become experts and spend the money--or sit it out and lose out?
I think there's a third way, one that gets them just about everything they need, takes an hour or two a month and costs about $60 a year…
* There are others, but I haven’t used them.
