Part 2 - Do I Still Need a Business Web Site?

As we saw in Part 1, in spite of the popularity of social networking sites, a business still needs a web site to survive online. That's just the beginning, though.

Fresh content is essential for web site success. New content keeps visitors coming back and is important in search engine rankings. Below are some ways to keep your web site from becoming dead weight:

* Change the content on your home page periodically
* Keep operation hours and addresses updated
* Add a blog to your site and add new posts at least twice a week
* Add informational content for customers that is related to your product or service

Never, never, never load your site with key word repetition and fluffy content. Google has recently implemented an upgrade that is, at the time of this writing, severely penalizing sites that use such practices. Be smart, write for your audience, and update your content often.

Why It Matters

Some business owners lead double lives. They have a separate set of "business" ethics, apart from their personal lives. For some, anything goes when trying to make a buck. It's okay as long as they go to church on Sunday.

Small business owners sometimes engage in activities that harm or deceive customers. Stretching the truth about products, pushing the envelope when it comes to truth in advertising, and making promises that cannot be kept all seem like standard business practices. The problem is that running your business in the "standard" way is not good enough, not for you and not for your business.

There are fundamental ways of treating people, whether it is during the course of business or in our personal lives. Telling the truth, showing respect, making things right, and caring are as important in business as they are anywhere else.