When you host a national call-in radio show, you hear from all kinds of people.
There was the renowned photographer who asked me how he could keep the classy photos he takes of his wife safe and private. Spoiler: Don’t just upload them to iCloud or Google Photos. Tap or click here to securely store private pictures.
I spoke to a woman whose daughter was being followed and molested. I’m proud to say I connected them to the right help and the man responsible has been brought to justice. Tap or click for the spooky details. This nightmare could happen to anyone.
I’m proud to say I built my own multi-million dollar business with no debt and no investors. It’s rewarding for me to help the many small business owners who call and need help getting their business off the ground or overcoming a major hurdle. I was there myself.
Here’s my advice from the trenches:
1. Know your competition
Unless you really go rogue with a brand new product or service, your customers already exist and are spending their money elsewhere. Competitive research is one of the best ways to get a feel for what is and isn’t working in your industry.
It’s also a smart way to get in touch with your customers’ needs, including what they expect to pay and how much you can expect to make.
Find a handful of companies that do what you’re hoping for and study them. “How much can I learn here?”
• Study their websites. What stands out and what is not so great? Visualping allows you to monitor website changes over time. With this free tool you can enter a website that you want to track and receive email alerts every time that website changes. You’ll know if your competitor made an excellent copy of the new landing page or shared photos. Tap or click a direct link to try it out.
• Follow your competitors on social media and subscribe to their newsletters. Note any posts that generate a high number of comments or shares.
• Sign up for Google Alerts for your company name, your competitors, and a meaningful industry term or two. Tap or click here for the steps to set up a Google Alert. I suggest you go with weekly notifications. Daily alerts can get overwhelming.
Get my trusted small business advice straight to your inbox. It’s totally free. Try it here.
2. Brand yourself with a memorable domain
A strong web presence is essential; The first step is securing a great domain name. You want something that is easy for you to remember, clear and concise. Nobody will remember a six-word URL.
Doctors, lawyers or other professionals who use their names for their business have an advantage. Hey, my website is Komando.com.
How much does a domain cost you? Let’s take GoDaddy as an example. For a .com address, you spend about $19.99 annually and only pay a cent for the first year. You can get a .me email address for $6.99 for the first year, then $21.99 annually thereafter. A .biz URL requires a two-year purchase for a total of about $37.
Of course, the best domain idea means nothing if it’s taken. Namech_k shortens the process for you. Submit your idea and see if it’s registered or open. We’re not just talking about .com or .net either. It searches for .us, .info, .biz and much more.
It also scans social media sites to see if your preferred name is being used there as well. Consistency is key because it helps people find you a lot quicker. That’s why I’m @kimkomando on all social media platforms and I definitely invite you to follow me. For pro tips on using Namech_k, tap or click here.
3. Speaking of websites, make yours smart
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is about more than just keywords getting you to the top of Google search results. An optimized website is lightweight, loads quickly, and is narrow enough to prevent a visitor from getting stuck in a broken drop-down menu.
When in doubt, you can hire a professional developer for a site audit, which can uncover frustrating flaws that turn customers away. You can also run these free online tests to identify your website’s top issues.
A common problem is the design of your website. Remember that mobile performance is just as important as how your site looks on a desktop monitor. Today’s website building tools make it easy to create a website that looks good and works well on any device.
Weebly’s plans start at $12 per month. Wix starts at $22 per month, or $27 if you accept payments online. Squarespace starts at $23 per month, or $27 if you’re taking payments.
It’s worth poking around to see what these monthly fees get you. Squarespace’s business plan, for example, includes advanced website analytics and a year of professional email through Google. Wix gives you access to dropshipping inventory and 100GB of storage.
4. Don’t forget about email marketing
I’ve been in email marketing since 1995. Back then, I was sending out one email a week. Today, my team produces a dozen different emails with millions of monthly sends that have an average open rate of over 50%. Tap or click here to try my free tech and digital life newsletters.
I had to find ways to make it work back then. Today there are tools that make creating and sending beautiful, compelling emails a breeze. Here are some to consider:
• Mailchimp: Send up to 10,000 emails per month (2,000 per day) for free. Paid plans start at $11 per month and include email templates and custom branding.
• Constant Contact: Billed by the number of email addresses imported, starting at $9.99 per month for up to 500. Up to 2,500 email addresses are $35 per month.
• Emma: From $99 per month for up to 10,000 contacts. You can add up to five users and set up an email automation campaign to recruit your new customers.
• HubSpot: Ideal when you need a powerful marketing and contact hub. The free plan is robust and you can add up to a million contacts. Paid plans with support, automation, and custom branding start at $45 per month for up to 1,000 contacts.
5. Make it easy to get paid
Traffic increases, but you don’t make more money. Your customers could run into a wall.
Are you frustrated with an inconvenient payment method? Is there a technical error preventing them from completing the sale? Go through the entire checkout process yourself, using a VPN or an incognito window to see your website as a visitor would. Watch out for anything that isn’t going smoothly.
If your payment processing options aren’t up to date, consider these:
• Square: Pay a flat fee plus a percentage of the sale. The costs depend on the type of transaction. For example, a customer who enters a card number online will cost you 3.5% of sales plus 15 cents.
• PayPal: The PayPal checkout works in a similar way. A standard credit card payment is 2.99% plus a 49 cent fee.
• Stripe: Pay 2.9% plus a 30 cent fee for card fees.
6. Only pay for what you need
There’s no escaping some expenses, but I bet I can save you a little money with this gem: there are free versions of the most popular paid software out there that are just as good.
• Instead of Microsoft Office, try LibreOffice or Google Docs and Sheets.
• For editing photos I like GIMP, Pixlr X and Canva. Tap or click here to see the pros and cons of each option.
• DaVinci Resolve is an excellent free video editing software.
• Audacity is a free audio editing program used by professionals.
That’s not all. Here are 9 free software knockoffs that work better than the really expensive programs.
7. Get advice from other professionals
The Federal Small Business Administration has more resources than you might think. Use this link to find free or low cost training or business advice near you. If you’re just starting out, you’ll also find guides on how to create a business plan, register your business, and go about day-to-day operations.
SCORE can also connect you with business mentors who can help you start or grow your business – and it’s free. The non-profit organization operates the nation’s largest network of volunteer business experts. You can get help by email, phone, or video if there is no chapter where you live.
I want to help you
You can also contact me. I get emails and calls from small business owners every day and I’m happy to help. email me here I have read them all myself.
Listen to the podcast below if you want to learn more about my business and life. I was interviewed about the ups and downs of my success and there were a lot of tough questions.
PODCAST CHOICE: An intimate conversation about business, life and loss with Kim Komando
I started my company more than two decades ago. I had no investors and I took on no debt. I’ll be honest – the first few years were a struggle. However, I accepted the fight and fought through some of the most difficult times of my life to find peace. In this podcast I share stories and talk about times in my life that I don’t often share.
Watch my Kim Komando Today podcast on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast player.
Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name “Komando”.
Learn about the latest technologies on The Kim Komando Show, the nation’s largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and shares advice on today’s digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. Visit her website at Komando.com for her daily tips, free newsletters and more.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.