Boosting Your Business

The internet has revolutionised business in many ways. If you do not have an email, or website, you are considered to be "out of date", as is any one with that does not own a mobile phone. A website, or at least an internet presence, can benefit most businesses, as can actively using websites to generate business.

There are many free online tools that can give businesses that upper hand, or edge over its competitors. These tools enable you to be more effective, for little, or no cost other than your time. Such tools include:

• Facebook: Facebook is a social utility that helps people communicate more efficiently with their friends, family and co-workers in a trusted environment. Once an account has been created, users can post information, communicate with others, upload an unlimited number of photos and share links and videos. Others can only view the information a user has uploaded, once the user has accepted them as a friend. Facebook accounts are becoming extremely popular for businesses, entertainers and even politicians. It provides an arena to promote your business, display your products (ie: in the form of photos) and post relevant information, such as updates to your web site, release dates for new products, details of suppliers who sell your products etc. More recently, users have been linking their Facebook accounts with their Twitter accounts, to ensure automatic updates occur;
• Twitter: If you aren't familiar with Twitter, it is one of those things, like MySpace, that sounds totally ridiculous and stupid when you first hear about it. But once you start using it, you realize its potential and just how much fun it is. Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co-workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages. Once an account has been created, users can post relevant messages and information, which is viewed by followers. A follower is someone who has shown an interest in your Twittering and has chosen to follow you. Each time you make a new comment, your followers will be able to read that information. Similar to Facebook, it is an excellent arena to promote your business and post relevant information, such as updates to your web site, release dates for new products, details of suppliers who sell your products etc. The aim is to increase your followers, thus promoting your business and knowledge. Generally, the more relevant information you post, the more followers are attracted;
• Blogs: a blog is a personal online diary, daily pulpit, collaborative space, political soapbox, breaking news outlet, collection of links, your own private thoughts, or memos to the world. It gives you a voice to the world and raises our profile to a wide audience. A blog is a website where you can write information on an ongoing basis. Create your own blog, or comment on another's blog and become an expert in your industry by posting relevant and useful information. If you maintain a regular and useful presence, people will continue to return to your blog to read your information, thus promoting your business, knowledge and skills. You may also be able to capture the details of your readers, enabling you to direct market products and services. Post your web blog link on your business website, at the bottom of your email signature and on other people's websites to advertise its location. Quick and easy is www.blogger.com. Another good site is www.wordpress.comthat has a lot more features, although it is more complex to use;
• Online Discussions Forums: online discussion forums are similar to interactive newsletters and are generally made available only to clients, or particular groups of people. They provide an arena for online discussions and the sharing of similar interests. They also provide you with an opportunity to attract interaction and response to your comments. Internet forums are interactive and so generally run for short periods of time, or until the topic is exhausted. Two good free online forum tools include www.quicktopic.com and http://www.portbb.com/;
• Wikis: a wiki is a collection of web pages designed to enable anyone with access, to collaborate with others, contribute, or modify content. A wiki can be made available to al limited number of users, or to the entire internet community. The encyclopaedia Wikipedia, is one of the best known wikis. A good example of the use of wikis is in a team environment, where there is a need to share and work on files. A wiki removes the need for one user to make amendments and email the document to the next user for their input and so on, which h could cause confusion as to who was working on the file, or what version it was. Another good example is the ability to collaboratively work with clients in a wiki environment. Some popular wikis include www.pbwiki.com, www.wikispaces.com, www.wetpaint.com and www.netvibes.com all of which have some great functionality;
• RSS Feeds (or really simply syndication): is a set of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated work, such as articles, blogs, new headlines etc. An RSS document includes text, publishing dates, and author details. You may see the RSS icon in the top right hand corner of your Internet Explorer.An RSS feed benefits both the publisher, enabling them to get their work out to subscribers instantly and automatically, and the subscriber, keeping them up to date and ahead of the pack.However, RSS feeds can be complex to orchestrate, using html code. Consider using www.feedforall.com, which will remove the headache of having to hand code an RSS feed. There are also a number of free RSS feed tools, including http://www.feedity.com/ and www.rapidfeeds.com;
• VOIP (or voice over the internet): is software that provides free calls from computer to computer, with the most well known software being Skype. Skype also allows you to video conference, using either a built in camera on your laptop, or a webcam plugged into your computer. Skype is particularly useful for group discussions, or teleclasses, where participants are either unable to all be in one location at the same time, or remote;
• Online Surveys: online surveys are a great way to engage clients and obtain new information, or feedback about your service, or product. They can also position you as in a leader in the field, as you obtain the thoughts and ideas of others. Online surveys are quick and easy and once you have received the completed forms (electronically), it is just a case of exporting the data, as opposed to data entry, or retyping.A good free online survey tool is www.surveymonkey.com;
• Online Event Calendars: online event calendars provide a public noticeboard for you to advertise your upcoming event, seminar, or information night. Online event calendars are generally state specific, with two really good websites for South Australia being http://www.eventssa.com.au/ and www.eventspool.com.au. In most cases, you can list your event details for free;
• Podcasts: a podcast is a pre-recorded audio, or video file that is distributed over the internet via download and is played back using a computer, mp3 player, or iPod. It is a great way to share your message and is relatively easy to produce. All you need is a computer and microphone. Once completed you can either post the file on your own website (and then post an update on Twitter, or organise an RSS feed), or you can post it on other websites, such as www.podcastalley.com, a website hosting pod casts on many different topics. www.mypodcast.com is a great free way to create your own podcast;

Whilst there are many free tools out there to assist you in boosting your business, be mindful to do your research and homework. Many free websites, including those listed above, run advertising alongside the web pages. Some also limit the features of the software, requiring payment for access to the full, complete version. The more harsh websites flood your computer screen with advertising and tracking cookies, which are annoying and in some cases, harmful.

Many more free online tools, plus information and advice is available from http://smallbusiness.edublogs.org;

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