StartupNation Blogs

If you want to increase your level of returning customers, there is one major thing that you need to take care of at the very beginning of every relationship - Expectations.
This may sound simple, but if you don’t spell out what you are going to provide for the money, you can run into major confusion [...]

As Halloween approaches, you’ll see spooky ghosts, goblins and monsters everywhere. But for many of us, the real scare comes from talking to media members.
If picking up the phone to pitch a reporter gives you the chills, here are three simple tips to make the experience less frightful:
1. Prepare.
Before calling a reporter, know what that person [...]

Many new clients tell me that they have a blog, but no one is reading it. Other clients ask me if they need a blog.
Well, if you have a blog, or are wondering if you need one, you may have these questions:
• What’s the point?
Before you start writing, figure out why you want to have a [...]

With the popularity of performance shows like “Fame,” “Glee,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” “Dancing with the Stars,” etc., it got me thinking. Ever see some of the performers warm up singing, “Mi, Mi, Mi…?”
Well, this could be the theme song on many of the Web sites I review these days!
Do You Fall Into [...]

Since many of you commented on my last blog entry, here are three more free tools to help you with your small business PR activities:
1. Help a Reporter Out
PR Pro Peter Shankman set up this great site at http://www.helpareporter.com/. Simply enter your name and e-mail information. And each day, you’ll receive a list of reporters [...]

Whether you are creating a new Web site or reviewing the one you already have, there are three key factors to keep in mind.
Are you guilty of these three Web site sins?
1. Visitors can’t get the information they need.
This is pretty obvious, but often overlooked. It can be enticing to use fancy videos, too many keywords, [...]

Do you really need a newsletter? Well, if you don’t have one, you are missing out on a cost-effective way to attract new business and provide loyal customers with valuable information.
Here’s how it works it three simple points:
1. Think about what your customers want.
How you can provide your customers with new and worthwhile information?
How can you [...]

The first thing that many new entrepreneurs think about when they hear “public relations” is sending out a press release. Sure, a press release can help build buzz online.
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But if you want a feature story written about your business, it’s essential to pitch specific media members directly.
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And with today’s economy, this can be a [...]

Are you getting results from your current, SEO efforts? If not, why not? I’ve talked to several CEOs lately who were not sure why their SEO activities were not bringing in sales.
After a closer look at their Web sites, here are some of the problems I found:
- The Web design team wrote the copy as [...]

On Tuesday, we heard from SEO guru, Heather Lloyd-Martin of SuccessWorks Search Marketing http://www.seocopywriting.com. Here are more of her valuable tips:
What is the best way for entrepreneurs to learn SEO and start using it?
The best possible scenario is if the entrepreneur can hire a SEO consultant to teach them the ins and outs. It is [...]