You've probably heard that on the web "Content is King", but what does this mean to local business? Some people would say "nothing". Those are the same people that will put up a site with basic company info and nothing else.

While this might help an existing customer who's forgotten your address and can't find the yellow pages, it may not catch the attention of the local consumer who stumbles onto your website. It certainly won't get you listed high in the search engines, which is what most people use to look for something, local or not. Just like any other site on the web, you need to offer something, anything, to interrupt your visitor's hasty exit from your site.

Some people feel that local sites shouldn't be promoted like other sites. Someone (Mr. Paranoid - see LBT survey results below) wrote: "You seem to focus on promoting a local business site to the web at large which, to my mind, is beyond the scope of this newsletter..."

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but there is only ONE Web and it's worldwide. Until it gets to the point where consumers skip the search engines altogether and just hang out at their local portal or community site, how else are you going promote a local business site? Is there another web that I don't know about?

Sure, your local business site ends up in the mix with lots of global sites. The same thing happens when you run an ad in a big city newspaper. Only a few people may be interested in it, but it appears in everyone's paper.

So it goes on the web. Yes, there are tools and services that will allow you to target local consumers. But for the average local business owner with only so much time and money, ordinary promotion methods will have to do.

1. you're on some sort of private community network,
2. you have a direct connection to the people you want to
   reach, or
3. my dream search engine arrives, that is, one that we can
   search by zip code...

• recipe of the month (current and archive)
• weekly special (offered only via website)
• signup for cooking tip of the month
• signup for contest or free food (remember the "California Tortilla" story? LBT issue #8)
• reprint of magazine or food critic reviews
• dining "mood"/atmosphere photographs

• customer testimonials
• uestionnaire to identify prospect's needs
• case studies of previous clients
• news about related technology
• signup for free report of interest to prospect
• articles you've written
• links to other resources of interest
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• Diet and exercise tips
• Articles on health and nutrition issues
• recommended books, tapes, resources
• electronic newsletter (or weekly health/nutrition tip)
• form for submitting comments or questions
• info about your background and credentials
• customer testimonials

• frequently asked questions
• self-diagnostic tools
• verifiable testimonials
• industry awards or link to BBB
• sign up for electronic newsletter or tip of the week
• car maintenance tips
• discount coupon for first visit
• articles or news clippings about the business
• form for submitting comments or questions
• customer testimonials