Tagging Facebook pages in posts to your friends’ walls

Having a hard time promoting your Facebook pages? Finding it difficult to get other people to see your pages when you can’t post on your friends walls while using Facebook as one of your pages? Here is the problem and a work-around.

Problem: You have Maine Simple Webs as a page under your  profile of JW Phoenix. You log into Facebook using your JW Phoenix profile and then switch to using Facebook as Maine Simple Webs page. You can post updates to your own Maine Simple Webs wall but you cannot write on anyone else’s wall. You can’t even write on your own profile wall of JW Phoenix.

Here is the work-around.

Log into Facebook using your JW Phoenix profile. Post to your wall and tag your page in your wall post using the @ symbol like this: “@Maine Simple Webs is working on . . . ” When you type the “@” and the first few letters of Maine Simple Webs, you will see a list of matching Facebook names pop up. Select the appropriate name by using your arrow down key. When the name you want is framed in blue, hit your enter key on your keyboard. You can also just click on the name you want from the pop out list. Your page name is now in your post with a blue box around it. Continue writing your post and tag a friend in the same manner: “Maine Simple Webs is working on a website called www.jwcleaners.me for @Julie M. Watkins.”

How to tag a friend in a wall post when using Facebook pages

Again, when you type the @ and the first few letters of your friend’s name, you will see a popup list of people’s names. Select the name from the list and hit enter or click on the name you want.. You will see the name in the post with a blue box around it. Finish writing and click on Post to post to your wall. You should see your Facebook page and your friend’s name in your post as hyperlinks. Now your post is on your wall and on your friend’s wall. Your friends and your friend’s friends can all see your post and are able to click on Maine Simple Webs to see your page. The image below shows what your post looks like on your wall (I put a URL in my post so Facebook is showing a preview of the website).

Here is the post on your Facebook wall with your friend tagged.

Here is what the post looks like on your friend’s wall:

A Faceboook post on your tagged friend's wall with your page tagged

I suggest that you make your posts interesting and interactive and not just post for the sake of posting to get your name out there. Ask a question, create a survey, post a picture or video or post real news about your Fan page so people will be interested and eager to respond.

Be sure and let me know if you find this tip useful. Thank you!

Written by Julie M. Watkins of Maine Simple Webs. Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved.

Biggest challenges facing small businesses today

What is the biggest challenge facing your small business?
(polls)

In today’s economic market, starting, running and growing your small business can seem pretty overwhelming. It is always demanding and each day brings new challenges and opportunities. Many of the challenges faced by small businesses are common across time such as cash or working capital, and minimizing risks. However, when the economy sinks into a downswing, other factors can weigh in to affect your small business and its growth.

According to Huffington Post’s Board of Directors, who come from a number of different businesses and locations, the biggest challenge facing small businesses today are:

• A feeling of uneasiness – If you tune into the news, stories abound about the US Debt, changing weather patterns, Middle East unrest, market swings, stolen identities and other overwhelming reports. These stories can leave you feeling on edge. Turn off the news and focus on your business. Rob Adams, Director, Texas Venture Labs at the University of Texas
• Cash or the lack thereof – Nothing matters more than cash and when times get hard, the old adage, “Cash is king” is never more true. Small businesses don’t have as many resources to tap into to access cash.Tate Chalk, Founder and CEO, Nfinity
• “I am” risks – Most small businesses do not spend enough time on identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks as they pertain to human resources, financial capital and the economy. Lawrence Gelburd, Lecturer, The Wharton School
• Uncertainty – Government regulations, taxes, and Washington’s “partisan games” are stalling the economy. Clint Greenleaf, Founder and CEO, Greenleaf Book Group
• Shrinking customer base – Customers are conservative in their spending and growth from existing and new customers isn’t growing quickly. Small businesses are spending a lot of time on trying to address this issue without competing solely on price. Jennifer Hill, Startup Advisory and Venture Lawyer, Gunderson Dettmer LLP
• Negativity – Banks, big business, and government are stubborn and each looking out for their own interests. Everyone needs to work together “to identify challenges and find solutions”. Rieva Lesonsky, Founder and CEO, GrowBiz Media
• Focus – With the economy in a downslide, it is easy to lose focus and worry about things beyond your contol. You need to keep an open mind and look for opportunities to present themselves. Stay informed but emotionally detached and listen to your customers. Keep moving ahead and focus on what you would like to have happen. “So you think, so shall you be.”Bob Parsons, Founder and CEO, The Go Daddy Group
• Perception of a recession – People think it is hard to start a business in a recession but it is always hard to start a business. Perhaps it is easier when there is less competition. Tom Szaky, Founder, TerraCycle
• Getting up in the morning – Increasing government regulations are forcing big businesses to seek new and creative ways to keep more of their money in their pockets. While they are figuring out how to move out of the country and pay less taxes, the little guy has a huge opportunity to swoop in and steal a piece of the market. Be bold and stay light and quick. Hire temps and consultants and steer clear of employees. There has never been a better time to grow. Phil Town, Investor and Author of Rule #1 and Payback Time

This article was modified from “What Is The Biggest Challenge Facing Small Businesses Right Now?” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/15/small-business-challenges_n_927279.html).

Small business resource: the three main parts of a website

What is the main reason why your business does not have a website?
(polls)

Getting a website can seem like an overwhelming process to the small business owner who is busy running his or her small business. However, having a website for your small business is extremely important. According to data from Nielsen Online Custom Survey and WebVisible, Inc., 2008, only 44% of small business owners have a website, yet 82% of consumers use search engines to find local businesses. If a consumer doesn’t find your business website online, he or she will go with your competitor, simply because they do have a website online. To help small businesses move forward into the world of online marketing, here is some basic information concerning the three main parts of a website: the domain name, the content or the website itself, and hosting services.

A domain name is the part of the web address after the “www”. In http://www.wordpress.com, the domain name is “wordpress.com”.

Example of a domain name

The “www” tells you it is on the World Wide Web and the “com” is the extension which usually refers to a business. Other extensions include: .org (non-profit organizations), .info (information websites), .us (US based websites), .me (Maine based websites), .net (technical websites or a network of such), as well as many, many others. When you decide to get a website, your first decision is what to have for a domain name. Most businesses choose their business name as a domain name. Domain names have to be registered annually through an approved Registrar. Registrars charge anywhere from a few dollars on up for their annual fees. Whenever you buy a domain name, always make sure your contact information is used for the Registrant Name, address, phone number, and email address. This ensures that the domain name belongs to you if you ever decide to move your website from one hosting company to another, your domain name will go with you.

Each website has to have content. This content is generically referred to as the website. Content consists of links, text, and images as well as other content which is categorized in sections called pages. The content is not limited as far as the Web is concerned and can have from one to an unlimted number of pages. Links to these pages are in a menu that serves the same purpose on the Web as a Table of Contents does in a book. Most companies charge for website creation based on the amount of content involved (number of pages, number of images, amount of text, etc.), the techical expertise needed to create the content and the design of the website (the way it is laid out or formatted, colors, special menu effects, etc.). Some websites incorporate special effects such as Flash elements, animated graphics, videos or other effects, which will add to the cost of website creation. Most companies charge a one-time fee for creating a website. Once the website is created, any updates or changes are charged on a per request basis.

Once you have a domain name registered and a website created, you have to have a hosting service. Hosting is like renting space on a special computer connected 24/7 to the Internet. Hosting costs vary according to the amount of space your website requires, whether or not you are selling products, how much traffic (visitors) your website gets, etc. Most hosting companies offer monthly, quarterly and annual hosting plans with discounts available for people who purchase annual hosting. Some companies offer free web hosting, but your website will be forced to have advertising on it not controlled by you. Also, free web hosting usually limits the amount of your traffic your webiste can have and the amount of server space available for your content. Most small business websites require 50MB or less of server space.

Many website designers offer all three services as a convenience to their customers. Customers, however, are not obligated to purchase all three elements from the same company. Whether you choose to have one company provide all three services or you choose a different company for each service, know which Registrant has your domain name registered and make certain that your domain name has your name and contact information listed as the Registrant. When you sign up with a company to create your website, make sure your website and its content belong to you. If you decide to change companies later, you do not want to have to pay to have another website created. The same is true with your web hosting services. If you decide to transfer your website to another host, make sure all parts of your website belong to you so they can transfer smoothly over to your new hosting company.

Just remember, your domain name is your special name on the web and is written as http://www.yourbusinessname.com. You have to pay an annual registration fee for your domain name and it doesn’t have to end in dot com. Make sure you are listed as the owner of the domain name. Your website is the content which is laid out in pages of text and images with a menu that links to each of the pages. You pay a one time fee for the creation of your website and updates are usually a “pay as you go” service. Once you have your domain name and website, you have to have your website hosted in order to make it available to the online community. Hosting is a recurring service in which you are “renting” server space on a computer connected 24/7 to the Internet. Hosting services are paid on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. These three main elements are required to put your business online.

Copyright Julie M. Watkins of Maine Simple Webs 2012 – All Rights Reserved. If you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to contact her by using the contact form found at http://mainesimplewebs.com/index.php?id=contact-us.

Are Local Businesses Lost to the World Wide Web?

About four years ago, I moved from my long time residence (20 years) in the small town of Brooks, Maine to Frankfort, another small town in Maine. Shortly after arriving in Frankfort, I went online to find a couple of local businesses such as a hair dresser, snow plowing company and a company selling firewood. Since this was 2008 and the Internet had been in existence for many years, I expected to find some local businesses which could provide me services. I was quite surprised to find no business in my search results for snow plowing or firewood in my area. I found a couple of hair salons online in Maine, but none local to me.

In 2010, I moved again. This time I moved to the small town of Palmyra right outside of Newport, Maine. Newport markets itself as the “Crossroads of Maine” because routes 7 and 2 intersect there and I-95 passes through the town with two exits to the town. Once again, I needed local businesses. In particular, a hardware store, a lumber supplier, and again, a hairdresser and someone to supply firewood. With the two main north/south highways and the a main east/west highway passing through the town of Newport, I thought surely I would find the local businesses that I needed online. I was pleasantly surprised to find two local hardware stores and a lumber yard. However, I still did not find a listing for a local hairdresser and someone selling firewood. Even in broadening my local search to include other towns within the county, I did not find the local businesses I needed.

I constantly note local businesses which I see daily in my travels, then I search online for these same businesses. Many of them do not appear to have websites. If they have websites, they are not coming up in the search engines for local search terms pertinent to their goods and services. As a local consumer, I find this mildly disturbing. I am not the only consumer who uses the Internet to search for local businesses. With the proliferation of mobile devices and the wide availability of Internet access, approximately 82% of consumers use the Internet to search for local businesses, yet only 44% of local businesses have a website (Data from Nielsen Online Custom Survey and WebVisible, Inc., 2008).

I want to know, are local businesses lost to the World Wide Web? To the 56% of local businesses which do not have a website, why don’t you have one? Is there anything web designers can do to make it easier for business owners to obtain a website? As a business owner, do you use the Internet to search for products and supplies for your business? I would really like to know the answers to these questions. Please feel free to contact me and let me know your thoughts.