Entrepreneur.com

Rating Today's Top Tech For SMBs: Plug In Or Tune Out?

January 28, 2010 | Which 5 of the year's hottest gadgets, trends, and technologies make sense for your small or midsize business? And which 5 should you avoid -- at least for now?
By Scott Steinberg

The 6 Roadblocks To Pay-Per-Click Success

January 22, 2010 | To boost conversions and put the "Pay" in Pay-Per-Click online advertising campaigns, check to make sure these 6 roadblocks aren't standing in your way.
By Allen Moon

Top 10 Web Marketing Trends For 2010

January 14, 2010 | From social networking and e-mail marketing to search engine optimization and mobile, we tell you where to invest, what to test, and which deserve a rest.
By John Arnold

Crowdsourcing is Great For SMBs -- Except When It Isn't

January 7, 2010 | Marketing professionals are increasingly using the Internet to let customers create marketing campaigns. But sometimes the helpful crowd can turn into an angry mob.
By Carol Tice

Electronic Deposits Increase SMB Efficiency

December 29, 2009 | Making deposits without making a trip to the bank has a number of important benefits for small businesses.
By Joseph Benoit

New iPod Nano Has Business Uses, Too!

December 24, 2009 | More than just a pretty faceplate, Apple's fifth-generation iPod Nano successfully splits the difference between work and play.
By Scott Steinberg

5 Savvy Internet Marketing Strategies

December 18, 2009 | In the winner-take-all Internet era, you need to find a way for your company to stand out in the crowd. These 5 strategic tips can help your company focus on what will actually make a difference.
By Brian Halligan

How To Launch Your Web Site On Schedule

December 11, 2009 | If you want to build a Web site for your small or midsize business that's both on time and on point, you'll have to plan accordingly. Here are the steps you'll need to follow.
By Jennifer Shaheen

How To Make Your Business Mobile -- By The Numbers

December 4, 2009 | The best smartphones for small businesses in 8 different categories, the top 13 apps for SMBs, and 5 ways to differentiate among wireless carriers.
By Dan O' Shea

Dress Up Your Online Store For The Holidays

November 24, 2009 | These tips will give your customers--and your business--plenty of reasons to celebrate the season.
By Dani Babb

5 Steps To A Great Web Landing Page

November 20, 2009 | A well-conceived landing page for e-promotions and online offers sends the right signals about your company and helps online customers navigate toward making a purchase. Creating an effective landing page can be easier than you think.
By Mikal E. Belicove

10 Reasons For Small Businesses To Use Windows 7

November 13, 2009 | A no-nonsense rundown of why small businesses, especially, will find it worth their while to upgrade to Microsoft's new operating system.
By Scott Steinberg

9 Vital Statistics For Tracking Site Traffic

November 6, 2009 | The more you know about who visits your Web site and what they do once they arrive, the better able you'll be to turn visitors into customers. Fortunately, all the info you need can be found in these 9 easy-to-measure stats.
By Allen Moon

The Tech-Savvy SMB's Software Toolbox

October 30, 2009 | One small business owner shows how she uses technology to run her business -- and her life -- in the real world. What collection of technology tools and services do you use?
By Azita Arvan

Help Your Company Join The Twittering Class

October 23, 2009 | How to use social media -- Twitter, Facebook, Linked In -- to elevate your company's online cred.
By Mikal E. Belicove

5 Easy Ways to Optimize Your Web Site For Bing

October 16, 2009 | While Google still dominates search, Bing has quickly grabbed a significant market share. Here's how to make the most of Microsoft's search offerings. Hint: Bing looks for some different things than Google does.
By Allen MOon

Free vs. Not Free

October 9, 2009 | Chris Anderson, who literally wrote the book on "free," faces off with the tech gurus at 37Signals, who say "free" is the great sham of the digital age.

Online Ad Deals Are Still Clicking

October 2, 2009 | Lean times demand lean -- and mean -- marketing tactics. From ad networks to pay-per-click purchases, here's the inside story on 5 ways to make the most of your online marketing efforts.
By Carol Tice

How to Make Your Web Site Really Sell

September 25, 2009 | If your company Web site isn't converting at least 10% of its visitors, you need to read this now.
By David Port

Harness the Power of 'Freemium'

September 18, 2009 | Real-world stories that can show you how -- and when -- to start charging for your Web service. Without starting a riot.
By Johnathon Williams

Patent Problems Mean The Future Is... Later

September 11, 2009 | A backlog of applications at the U.S. Patent Office has innovation in a stranglehold. That means big problems for small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs.
By David Port

The Man Behind the Memes

September 4, 2009 | Internet content connoisseur Ben Huh -- the man behind icanhascheezburger.com, Failblog, and LOLcat -- explains our fascination with cat photos, cheeseburger hats and misspelled words -- and how it can lead to online success.
By Jennifer Wang

The Cost-- And Payoff -- Of Investing In Social Media

August 28, 2009 | Savvy SMBs are increasingly turning to social media -- from Twitter to Linked In -- as promising new ways to market their businesses. But which avenue is right for your small or midsize company?
By Lydia Dishman

5 Questions to Ask Your Web Developer -- Or Yourself

August 21, 2009 | If you want your Web site to work -- and keep working -- make sure you consider these factors before you start building it.
By Jennifer Shaheen

Boost Your Brand From The Inside

August 14, 2009 | Your employees are one of your business' best marketing assets -- so why not put them to work?
By Burton Goldfield

E-Mail Marketing Still Works

August 7, 2009 | Social media has its place among small and midsize businesses, but e-mail remains the king of online relationship marketing.
By Gail Goodman

Ramp Up Your Web Site Redesign

July 24, 2009 | Make the overhaul of your company Web site an event that attracts traffic--and customers.
By David Port

Web Site Maintenance Musts

July 16, 2009 | Keep your online business running smoothly with a monthly check-up of these crucial areas.
By Allen Moon

3 Keys To Making Your Web Site Trustworthy

July 10, 2009 | For small and midsize businesses without an instantly recognizable brand name, customer trust has to be earned. And it's not enough to run your business right, your Web site has to instantly convince potential customers they can trust you.
By Johnathon Williams

5 Web Replacements For Traditional Tech Tools

July 2, 2009 | New Web-based technology options like Box.net and Basecamp can help you get the job done quicker, easier, and less expensively. You've got nothing to lose but your resistance to change.
By Lesley Spencer Pyle

Online Marketing: What NOT To Do

June 26, 2009 | 13 things NOT to do when selling products and services online. Don't do these things. Ever.
By Guy Kawasaki

How To Measure Your Web Presence

June 18, 2009 | Web Metrics Guru says it's one thing to generate online buzz. It's another to know how to use it. These tools can help.
By Marshall Sponder

Using Social Media, Web 2.0 Tools To Recruit Talent

June 12, 2009 | Even in a down economy hiring top talent is tough. See how entrepreneurs are using social networking, blogging and other Internet tools to hire the best employees.
By Mark Henricks

Should Your Business Move To The Cloud?

June 5, 2009 | As cloud computing comes of age, the options, security, and pricing only become more appealing, but is now the right time to move your business into the cloud?
By Dennis Romero

Netbook Pros Vs. Netbook Cons

May 29, 2009 | Netbooks deliver ultraportable, lightweight computing at low price points. Consumers have been flocking to netbooks in droves, but do they make sense for your business?
By Lindsay Holloway

How To Make Sure Search Engines Find Your Business Web Site

May 22, 2009 | You may have spent big bucks designing and building a sleek, cutting-edge business Web site, but if search engines can't find you neither will your customers. Build your site right and the search engines will find you regardless of how fancy or simple your site is.
By Amanda C. Kooser

How To Create A Twitter Following

May 15, 2009 | Twitter is the latest social media craze and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, but your tweets won't matter unless you have followers. Guy Kawasaki shares his tips for building a following.
By Guy Kawasaki

5 Tips For Taking Business Video Viral

May 8, 2009 | Putting up an online video can snare millions of viewers for your business and the cost for you can be almost nothing. It's time to take another look at the business potential of online video.
By David Carnoy

Should You Ban Tech Gadgets From Meetings?

May 1, 2009 | These days, people leave their smartphones out during meetings and text away, send e-mails, update Facebook profiles, and more. Is there a point when gadgets detract from meetings?
By Chris Penttila

4 Tools To Pin Down Your Passwords

April 24, 2009 | Managing a different password for every site, not to mention changing them periodically, can be overwhelming. Password tools can save you from password management headaches and keep your defenses intact.
By Lindsay Holloway

Make Your Business Web Site Social

April 17, 2009 | Using Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, a startup wine retailer in Massachusetts has found innovate ways to move real world activities online and grabbed more customer in process.
By Amanda C. Kooser

10 Tips For Running A Risky Business

April 10, 2009 | Cyndee Sugra, 30, started her digital design and marketing firm, Studio 7 Media, in the middle of the dot-com crash. Last year, her Los Angeles-based company hit sales of $8 million.
By Cyndee Sugra

Track Your Customers And Respond In Real Time

April 3, 2009 | By using real-time tracking tools, your business can respond to customers immediately and increase the odds of closing a deal. Using a tracking tool on business doubled the number of appointments scheduled with Web site visitors.
By Heather Clancy

Mac Or PC: Two Business Owners, Two Opinions

March 27, 2009 | Two business owners reveal why they like one system over the other. And while they respectfully acknowledge the advantages of both types of computer systems, they're pretty devoted to their Macs -- or PCs -- and won't even consider a switch.
By Lindsay Holloway

Make Presentations Go Virtual With Webinars

March 20, 2009 | Fight the high cost of gas and air travel with your own Webinars. They're great marketing tools for communicating with customers and can help fight customer attrition while earning your business repeat sales.
By Kim T. Gordon

How To Make Your Business Look Good Online

March 13, 2009 | Blogger John Jantsch explains how to build and maintain small and midsize companies' online reputations using sites such as Google, LinkedIn, Yelp, and Facebook. Because the only way to control what people say about your business is to be part of the conversation.
By John Jantsch

Meet Via Videoconferencing When Being There Isn't An Option

March 6, 2009 | Smaller businesses are looking to cut costs these days, and travel budgets are often the first items to be slashed. But you can still hold important meetings with employees and clients all over the world through videoconferencing. And some products are even within the budget of small and midsize companies.
By Heather Clancy

Barter Exchanges Attract Customers And Boost Sales

February 27, 2009 | Care to barter for business? Bartering has moved into the mainstream thanks to professional barter exchanges that provide a venue for swapping goods and services, getting rid of excess inventory, turning downtime into revenue, and attracting new business.
By Crystal Detamore-Rodman

Storage Goes Big -- But Not In Price

February 20, 2009 | Just when you were getting used to gigabytes, now there are even bigger ways to store and manage your data. Here are a number of storage options for your smaller business, whether you prefer on-site hardware, a portable option, or an online backup system.
By Amanda C. Kooser

Use Keywords To Get Search Results

February 13, 2009 | Put Google AdWords to work for your Web site and watch the customers -- and sales -- click in. It might take some practice to figure out the right word combinations, but the low cost of AdWords is a marketing tool small and midsize businesses may not be able to afford to pass up.
By Gwen Moran

SaaS Encourages Collaboration For Project Management

February 6, 2009 | By switching to a Software-as-a-Service-based project management system, Telizent Communications was able to join forces with its clients to work on projects together. Previously, Telizent's spreadsheet-based project management resulted in a disconnect between the company and its customers -- and delinquent accounts.
By Heather Clancy

Why -- And How -- Your Company Should Go Green

January 30, 2009 | Take a look at your company's eco-friendliness from start to finish. And then talk to your employees so that you can devise a plan to aim for 100% greenness. Smaller companies have an advantage to going green, and it can even save them money and help gain business.
By Chris Penttila

The Secrets Of Female Technology Leaders

January 23, 2009 | Do women bring an extra something to technology research and development? Several women who helm their own tech companies describe the differences between how men and women work, why being a mother can add to their abilities, and how people of both genders can work together.
By Aliza Pilar Sherman

Calculate Your Finances

January 16, 2009 | Online calculators make it easy to model different scenarios for your business and personal finances. Here's some of the best -- and they're free.
By Scott Bernard Nelson

Netbooks Reach For The Next Level Of Portability

January 9, 2009 | Cloud computing promises a mobile utopia, but that mobility can be backbreaking if you're lugging around a chunky laptop. The latest generation of netbooks delivers an on-the-go form factor that's hard to leave behind.
By Mike Hogan

How To Encrypt Your Valuable Business Data?

January 2, 2009 | Keeping your business data secure is vital. Lose it and you risk the confidence of your customers, partners, and employees, not to mention the threat of litigation. Encrypting data can help you keep it secure, but how you encrypt makes all the difference.
By Heather Clancy

Marketing Your Business With Widgets

December 19, 2008 | You may already be using widgets on your personal home page or social network, but widgets also can be a powerful marketing tool for encouraging customers to engage with you.
By Gwen Moran

Taking Social Networking To The Phone

December 12, 2008 | Everyone is just so social these days, aren't they? So, what would happen if Ma Bell hooked up with Facebook? Their issue would probably look a lot like Ring Plus, a new IP phone service that's essentially your telephone on Web 2.0.
By Mike Hogan

Simple Approach To E-Commerce Means Bigger Profit Margins

December 5, 2008 | By using simple low-cost and free tools, business owners can quickly develop online stores with lots of functionality, but not run up big costs building and maintaining a Web site.
By Amanda Kooser

Cheap, Easy Tools For Productive Online Meetings

November 21, 2008 | Travel budgets are getting the ax, but a host of free and low-cost online tools make it easier than ever to hold productive online meetings that let teams collaborate and get things done.
By Heather Clancy

WiMax Holds Promise Of Improved Wireless Services

November 14, 2008 | With mobility becoming more important to growing businesses, Clearwire's WiMax offering holds the promise of fast, ubiquitous connectivity -- and maybe lower pricing. Just don't expect it anytime soon.
By Mike Hogan

9 Projectors To Make Your Presentations Shine

November 7, 2008 | Without a top-notch business projector, it doesn't matter how smooth your presentation or how stunning your PowerPoint, your audience won't get the full effect. Make sure you can wow your customers, partners, and prospects with the latest projector technology -- and seal the deal.
By Amanda C. Kooser

How To Outsource Your IT Staff On A Budget

October 31, 2008 | With businesses increasingly dependent upon technology, business owners see more and more resources dedicated to supporting IT. Fortunately, business owners can turn to a host of providers offering user-friendly management solutions that can reduce the need for IT staff.
By Lindsay Holloway

How To Boost E-Commerce Revenue With Community

October 24, 2008 | Building an online community can pull customers onto your Web site -- and keep them there. And the longer they spend on your site, the more likely they are to buy your product or service.
By Heather Clancy

Two Steps To Great Leads Without Cold Calling

October 17, 2008 | Every business needs leads, but not how to establish a steady flow of leads without cold calling. By creating a two-step lead machine, business owners can generate a wealth of qualified, permission-based leads.
By John Jantsch

3 Voice Recognition Solutions Keep You Working On The Go

October 10, 2008 | Many businesspeople don't use the applications on their mobile phones because they never master them and don't have time to keep trying, but a new generation of speech-recognition software and services and puts those applications within earshot.
By Heather Clancy

How To Take Your Business Blog Global

October 3, 2008 | For companies expanding internationally, a blog can be a valuable tool to establish a beachhead in a new market, but only if you do it right.
By Gail Dutton

8 Words That Turn Off Customers

September 26, 2008 | Words are at the heart of almost every form of marketing. Whether they're married to images or standing on their own, words stimulate ideas, emotions, and even our senses. Choose your words carefully, and sales will follow. Make the wrong choices, and customers will tune you out.
By Kim T. Gordon

Get In The Driver's Seat

September 19, 2008 | Keeping an eye on your growing business' critical operational factors can contribute to its success. Now, a new service provides that dashboard view of your company's metrics -- and they'll do it for free.
By Mike Hogan

Top 10 Ways For Growing Businesses To Jump Into Social Networking

September 12, 2008 | Social networking can seem like a waste of time for a growing business -- but only if you're not doing it right. Here are the 10 things your business should do to work the social networking scene and get the most out of your online presence.
By John Jantsch

Go For (E-Mail) Seconds

September 5, 2008 | E-mail marketing is an effective way to get the word out about your business. But often your customers miss that first e-mail blast. So, if at first they don't respond, send, send again.
By Gwen Moran

Social Shopping

August 29, 2008 | The growing social nature of the web is changing the world of online shopping. While shopping assistants, bargain finders, and product lead generation aren't new to the web, entrepreneurs are finding new ways to improve these tools to make the shopping experience more productive -- and profitable.
By Amanda Kooser

Managing Your Money: Social Networking At Your Service

August 22, 2008 | When it comes to managing your money, you don't have to go it alone -- social networking can help. There are a bunch of Web sites that will give you ideas on how to be smarter financially -- and will motivate you to take the necessary steps.
By Scott Bernard Nelson

Referral Madness

August 14, 2008 | Small and midsize businesses can gain referrals by marketing their business to customers every step of the way. Here are the seven steps you need customers to take toward making referrals and the tools you should use to get them going.
By John Jantsch

Mind Your Blogging Manners

August 7, 2008 | Bloggers can provide your smaller business with lots of great, free buzz. But if you want to take advantage of no-cost publicity, make sure to follow the bloggers' code of conduct.
By Guy Kawasaki

Shipping 2.0

July 31, 2008 | With a virtual warehouse service, all your smaller business has to lose are its rent and delivery costs. What it can gain are a larger daily run rate, cost savings, and peace of mind.
By Heather Clancy

Jump In: Big Opportunities in Online Video

July 24, 2008 | Online video is what businesses want -- and will soon need -- which means big opportunities for startups. But the time to get in is now, before the market leaders emerge.
By Amanda Kooser

Getting Close to Customers, Online

July 17, 2008 | New tech tools now let online retailers get to know their customers -- wherever they are. The result is more effective marketing and, ultimately, increased sales.
By Heather Clancy

Online Database Managers Make Collaboration -- and More -- Easy

July 10, 2008 | How to collaborate on and manage all the data that evolves in any company has always been a challenge for smaller businesses. But online database managers let businesses do it all cheaper and easier and now there are a host of options to choose from
By Mike Hogan

Tell It to Me Straight: Customer Feedback in the Web 2.0 World

July 3, 2008 | What better way to get feedback on your business than through your customers? A Web 2.0 tool enables your online business to get instant, effective, and credible customer feedback so you can respond to complaints and resolve disputes in a flash
By Heather Clancy

Web site Design That Works: Helping the Designer Help You

June 27, 2008 | The perfect Web site designer might not be in the perfect location, but these tips will help you span the distance between you and the designer to produce a Web site that works for your smaller business
By Amanda Kooser

Online Video: Show and Tell For Smaller Businesses

June 19, 2008 | With its ability to let customers do the talking, online video testimonials are one of the most effective ways for smaller businesses to get the word out about what they do. And with the recent spate of digital video products that have hit the market, it is now even easier -- and more affordable
By Heather Clancy

Online Data Storage: Keeping Your Smaller Business' Data Safe

June 12, 2008 | Storing your business data online means it's always available -- and it'll never get lost. And now there are lots of affordable options for smaller businesses
By Heather Clancy

Smaller Businesses Get Sold on eBay

June 5, 2008 | eBay is one of the few ways that anyone can launch a smaller business in minutes. With hundreds of resources at your fingertips, starting a business on eBay can be fast, easy, and nearly investment free. Here are nine steps to get you started
By Marcia Layton Turner

Storage Smarts

May 29, 2008 | Between employee information, customer payment numbers, internal files or the reams of e-mails you send and receive, your smaller business' data is vital to its existence. But data retention is not just about what you store, but how you store it
By Amanda Kooser

The Future of Customer Service

May 22, 2008 | Mobile technology is changing the way consumers search for answers. Here's how to make sure your smaller business is up to the task
By Sarah Pierce

Blog-a-Thon

May 15, 2008 | Your company's blog could be one of your strongest marketing tools. Guy Kawasaki, a serial entrepreneur, blogger, and venture capitalist, has eight ways to get you talking
By Guy Kawasaki

A Method to Their Madness: How Smaller Businesses Make it to the Top

May 8, 2008 | It's hard to remember now, but companies like Netflix and Meebo started out as smaller businesses. But by blazing their own trails, they managed to take on their much larger-sized competitors -- and win
By Justin Petruccelli

A Mobile Future

May 1, 2008 | The new technology of smartphones offers smaller businesses more mobility than ever before. And a peek into the future of smartphones indicates that this trend is only going to grow
By Steve Cooper

The New Rules of E-Branding

April 24, 2008 | Revamp your online brand and increase site traffic with these six guidelines
By John Williams

11 Internet Myths Debunked

April 17, 2008 | Think creating a Web site for your smaller business is too complicated? Think again. An expert sets the record straight and lets smaller businesses in on the simple truth
By Lindsay Holloway

Q&A With Scott Huegerich: Become the Key(word) Master

April 10, 2008 | For smaller businesses, the press release is often the best way to get customers to visit their Web sites. Including the right keywords in those press releases is crucial to getting that revenue-generating attention. Keyword expert Scott Huegerich has advice on how to get noticed for your news
By Rachel Meranus

10 Cheap Ways to Build Your Smaller Business' Brand

April 3, 2008 | From enhancing customer loyalty to leveling the playing field with larger size competitors, branding can be the key to your smaller business' success. There are lots of ways to effectively -- and inexpensively -- reinforce your company's brand
By John Williams

It's a (Web) Hit

March 27, 2008 | Get customers psyched about your smaller business by using all the Web has to offer
By John Jantsch

Automate Your Online Business

March 20, 2008 | These 4 easy steps will save you time, make you money, and free you up to run your business from anywhere in the world
By Mitch Meyerson

New Ways to Pay

March 6, 2008 | Want to close more sales without doing more work? Give your customers more ways to pay with alternative billing methods
By Francine Kizner

Security Threats From Within

February 28, 2008 | Few know as much about your IT security as your employees and former employees do. Here's how to safeguard your technology from the inside
By Michael Bruck

Web 3.0: How RIAs Can Get Your Smaller Business on the Next Web

February 21, 2008 | Rich internet applications are powerful tools that are bringing client server functionality to the Web and could dominate Web 3.0
By Frank Bell

Gauging Customer Satisfaction: The Importance of the Online Survey

February 14, 2008 | A little feedback can lead to major developments in your business -- and a positive impact on its bottom line
By Steve Oriola

IM Security Threats: How to Protect Your Business

February 6, 2008 | Instant Messaging has become an effective business tool. But its increasing popularity means that it too is now more vulnerable to attack
By John Magee

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