Dive into 2017 - A 5 Item Online To Do List for Your Business

The holidays are over, it’s 2017 and it’s time to get serious about your business.

Here are 5 things you can do online to help your business prosper in the coming months.

1. Google Reviews

Which businesses stand out to you on this Google result?  Probably the ones the with the big red stars right?

These stars come from Google Reviews and only those business with more than 5 reviews get stars.  Start by making sure your business profile is correct on Google using https://www.google.com/business/

Next you need to start asking past clients for reviews. The best way to get dozens of reviews? One at a time. The sooner you start, the better.  Here is a link to some simple steps for creating a URL that your clients can click to review.  I send an email to clients with links for Zillow and Google after every sale and most clients are happy to help.

2. Get the basics right on your website.

 Experts who specialize in “local SEO” (search engine optimization) emphasize the importance of NAP data on your site. Name, Address and Phone are critical data. Even if you don’t have the time or the money to update your whole site, make sure every customer can find:

• Your address

• Your phone number

• Your email

• Your hours

For 2017, you really should be able to access these from a mobile phone. A customer should be able to click to call or click to email from your website.

3. Resuscitate Your Blog

Haven’t added new content to your blog since March of 2016? You are not alone.

Don’t bring 2016’s bad habits along for the ride. Start 2017 off on the right foot by bringing some life back into your blog.

• Write a new post this week. It doesn’t have to be long, it just needs to be something. The one exception? Don’t write a blog apologizing for not blogging. Just get to work,

• Create a content calendar. This might be as simple as a list of twelve posts you will write this year.  Create draft titles for at least six of your articles.

• Call or email a friend, co-worker, vendor, past-client, etc about writing a few guest posts for you this year.  Bonus points if you can arrange to guest post for someone else.

4. Consider a Social Media Diet

Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Medium, Youtube, Pinterest, Linkedin....  Are they all worth your time?  How much business did each of these platforms contribute to your bottom line? How much time was spent on these platforms that could have been spent elsewhere?

If you don’t have a strategy in place for turning “likes” into profits, consider dropping some of these platforms and focusing on the one or two that make the most sense for you and your target customers.

5. Change Out Your Headshot

We all aged another year in 2016. For some that means, the salt to pepper ratio has changed a little more. For others, it means admitting that you really are bald.

Do you use a headshot on your website or in your marketing materials? How old is that photo? If it’s more than a year old, it’s probably time for a refresh. If it’s more than 5 years old... it’s really time to face the music.

A good headshot personalizes you for your clientele.  A good headshot shows them that you are a real person and gives them someone to like and trust. A glamor shot from 1990 with big hair isn’t going to win you any friends or gain you trust.

Geordie Romer is a real estate broker in Leavenworth with Windermere Real Estate and www.IcicleCreekRealEstate.com . He started his real estate blog in 2004 and regularly writes about and teaches small business owners how to improve their business online.