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Business Maker launch empowers budding small business owners with a guided ‘one-stop shop’

By Iravati Hingne Yahoo Small Business Product Management

Yahoo Small Business has taken the confusion and guesswork out of starting a small business, clearing the way for new entrepreneurs to confidently take their ideas to market and start finding customers. With today’s launch of Business Maker, small business owners will now embark on a guided journey as they start and grow their ventures through a unified dashboard that is personalized for their needs.  This mobile-first platform walks  small business owners through an intuitive step-by-step process and highlights logical next steps for launch and growth.

Business Maker moves away from the concept of an app marketplace, which typically creates more work for business owners as they have to review multiple solutions to every problem, create multiple accounts and learn a variety of interfaces just to start managing their solutions. Instead, Business Maker customers are guided on their path to success, with products recommended specifically for them, based on factors that include their industry, their stage of growth and their goals. Business owners also get assistance via to-do lists, content, and expert advice which all helps them efficiently manage the products and focus more attention on actually running their business. 

Yahoo Small Business has partnered with industry-leading software products that businesses need, and has integrated them into Business Maker to  allow a seamless exchange of data in a secure and reliable environment. With the options for free trials and customizable plans at competitive prices, Business Maker equips small businesses with essential tools to run their business efficiently and securely. 

Key Platform Features & Benefits

Unified Dashboard:  A single dashboard to view and manage all the products in a centralized location accompanied by  analytics 

Industry leading solution providers: A growing ecosystem of hand-picked partners for best in class solutions

Simple billing: Customers get a single bill for all  products purchased through Business Maker. 

Single sign-on: Customers can access all their Business Maker products with one login ID. 

Support: 24/7 support is available via phone and through content in product.

Who should use Business Maker

Whether you are a first time entrepreneur thinking of starting a business , a seasoned business owner looking to upgrade to new digital systems or a brick and mortar business trying to increase your visibility, Business Maker will help speed your journey and reach your goal. 

The following products are currently integrated within Business Maker.

Online Presence:

Having an online presence is critical for any small business; a professional website helps store your business information online, drive traffic and convert sales, boost credibility, and more. YSB’s Online Presence package includes an easy to use Website Builder, a free Domain and 5 email boxes.

Legal Package:

This product enables small businesses to legally incorporate their business. Customers can quickly transform their idea into a business via our reliable, fast and simple process. Our trusted partner, Legalinc will file all the paperwork; it takes less than 20 minutes to fill out the questionnaire. The following services are included:

LLC, C-corp or nonprofit

Federal Tax ID (EIN)

Business license report

Registered Agent service

Point of Sale:

YSB’s home-grown mobile Point of Sale solution enables customers to take multiple forms of payments (credit, debit and cash) anywhere and anytime. An intuitive user interface designed to enable efficiency, combined with the security and trust of PayPal’s payment processing capability, will enable customers to easily manage their inventory and catalog and perform checkout and easy returns

LocalWorks:

Localworks gives a small business the ability to increase visibility of their business and to stand out from the competition with easily managed profiles in more than 60 top online directories. Customers can enhance listings with photos, videos, menus; easily create promotions and drive more traffic. Centralized analytics and monitoring tools help measure performance of the listings

Business Plan Creator:

The quick and easy Business Plan creator helps a customer plan their business and stay on top of things. It enables a small business to think through every aspect of the business and helps them make sound decisions throughout the lifecycle of the business. 

And this is just the start. Our product portfolio for Business Maker will continue to grow and address the growing needs of a small business, with new products and services planned to be added in the coming months.

How to Get Started:

Begin your journey with us by completing a short onboarding questionnaire and get your personalized product recommendations. You have the choice of selecting a recommended bundle of products or build your own or a free trial. Pick an option,  checkout and begin using Business Maker!

We will continue to enhance our product portfolio with new products and services; meanwhile we hope you enjoy using Business Maker. We are excited to have you start your journey with us - ready, start, grow!

Visit https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/businessmaker for more information.

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Provider Yahoo Small Business Advisor

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Brainstorming a Domain Name

What’s in a name? Would pumpkin pie, if referred to by any other appellation, smell less like a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves? Of course it wouldn’t.

Similarly, your website will still be the same, regardless of the designation you give it. However, like pumpkin pie, the label you attach does establish a certain set of expectations on the part of the general public. Thus, it is indeed prudent to choose carefully when brainstorming a domain name.

1. The Group Method

Brainstorming must be conducted with a completely open mind.  Setting parameters limits your thinking. Get a group of people together who have a good idea of what you’re trying to accomplish and let them throw out whatever names pop into their heads—while you do the same. Don’t discard anything they say; write everything down on a whiteboard so the entire group can see it. This way, ideas will build upon one another.

Once you’ve exhausted the group, go through the list to see what resonates. Keep in mind; well over three hundred million domain names are already registered. Stopping at just one is folly as it’s likely to be taken. Try to come up with a list of at least five acceptable ideas.

2. The Conversational Method

Again, approaching the topic with an open mind, you’ll sit down with a friend or colleague who has an understanding of the nature of the site. With this strategy, you’ll just toss out ideas to one another until something strikes you both as being viable. Again, you’ll need to generate more than one, so try to come up with at least five upon which the two of you are in full agreement.

The strength of this approach lies in the ability for the two of your to instantly recognize a good name when it’s hit upon. This can work better than the first method for people who prefer to work in a less chaotic fashion. You can also work this approach with a name generator more readily. The danger here is you could overlook something fun.

A rowdy crowd tends to be a bit more creative.

Additional Thoughts

Stay away from existing brand names. Their owners will get around to serving you a cease and desist order at some point. Avoid stuffing keywords in the name too. Exact domain matches tend to be frowned upon by Google’s search engine.

With that said, if you’re trying to buy a website domain, you’re in Pasadena, your name is Paula and you sell pumpkin pie—”PaulasPasadenaPumpkinPies” does have a nice ring to it. It’s also available as of this writing.

Whatever you think of, make it simple to spell and easy to remember. Don’t be afraid to go quirky either—some the best domain names had no meaning until they were applied to a business. Be careful to avoid secondary meanings though.

Ultimately, brainstorming a domain name is simply a matter of getting rowdy with a bunch of your friends around the idea of coming up with another name for pumpkin pie.

If you are looking to buy a website domain or find beautiful website themes, Yahoo Small Business is here to help.

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Provider Yahoo Small Business Advisor

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Local Listings Are Your Online Storefront

When a physical store or small business service opens, installing the store’s sign on the front of the building is a seminal moment that is often captured with photos, celebrated with posts on social channels and toasted with cold beverages. But for most small businesses, a street-front sign is unlikely to dramatically increase foot traffic and it’s a lucky coincidence for someone to run across your business at the same moment they need your service or product.

What’s more likely is that a prospective customer will start their search for a business like yours by opening a laptop or pulling out a phone and doing a local online search. The results they get will usually be a mix of relevant websites and listings for local businesses. Appearing in these local listings is key to you getting these customers into your store or shop, and how your listings appear is as important as a physical sign over your doorway.

Appearing in a local listing search puts you front and center with a customer who is actively looking for a business like your. Your listing tells them where your business is located, when you’re open, what you specialize in, and puts them one click from being able to call or email you.

Which local directories are important?

There are a variety of directories that provide local business listings on the internet. Some will be sites you know, such as Google, Yelp, Yahoo, and Foursquare, while others may be less obvious, such as Superpages (the online version of the proverbial phone book) or TomTom (listings used by navigation devices). There are more than 60 different directories, some catering to networks of websites and others to specific devices.

So, which local directories should a small business focus on if they want to attract new customers?

The short answer: as many as you can. Why? Because unless your small business already has so many customers that you can afford to ignore large parts of your market, you want to be sure you have an opportunity to be discovered by as many potential customers as possible. The most important directory is the one that a local customer is searching in right now, and since you can’t predict which directory that will be, your best plan is to ensure you have complete and accurate local listings in all top directories.

Inaccurate listings hurt your business

Situations you want to avoid include having a local customer look for a business like yours, only to find a list of area competitors that excludes you from consideration. Equally as bad is when a listing for your business appears, but it has inaccurate information, potentially prompting the customer to call a disconnected phone number or telling them you are closed on Saturdays when in fact you’re open seven days a week.

But wait, if the listings are for a business I own, why are some showing incorrect information?

There are a variety of reasons for inaccurate listings and some can keep a small business owner up at night. Some directory listings start out wrong and are created by directories that scrape the internet for information and create local listings based on what they find. This can result in the listing containing a phone number assigned to a former employee and an address that was only used for a special event.

Other times, the information pertains to an older location, a set of services you no longer offer or business hours that you’ve long ago expanded. Unfortunately, all too often the incorrect information was provided to the directory by a villainous competitor trying to get an advantage by making sure your business is cast in a poor light for customers searching online. Other times the inaccurate information comes from an online user who sees your listings and thinks they are correcting a mistake. When a few people make the same “correction,” the new information can end up becoming part of your listing, even if it’s inaccurate.

Add up all these possibilities and it’s no surprise that the unmanaged directory listings for a lot of small businesses end up being inconsistent and frankly confusing for prospective customers looking for you online.

Consistent local listings direct customer to your site

With more than 60 different directory sites out there, is it important that they are all accurate or should a small business owner focus on just those sites that get the most visitors?

The answer is that providing consistent and accurate information across as many directories as possible is important for two primary reasons.

Consistency can help you appear more often when people search for your business. Search engines are constantly crawling the web and compiling information that they believe pertains to local businesses. When they find inconsistencies, it reduces confidence in that information and could result in your listings being pushed further down in search results -- making your business harder to find online. Having information about your business that is consistent across the web can be one of the quickest ways to start improving your search ranking.

Every customer is potentially a valuable one, and you don’t want them going to a competitor just because they can’t find you on one of the small directories. You never know which potential customer will end up establishing a long-term relationship with your business, perhaps referring a profitable slew of friends and family who also become customers. And just as you can’t predict precisely who those folks will be, you can’t be certain that they only use Yelp or Google when looking for local business and services. Extending your local listing to a wide swath of local directories is like casting a broad net that increases your chance of finding new customers.

When it comes to attracting new customers, as well as helping existing ones connect with you, having local directory listings that are accurate across the web is as important as any other marketing you might do for your business. Creating and updating those listings can be time consuming, but there are some online tools that can make it painless and will pay dividends with new customers and increased sales.

Writer’s bio: Dan Breeden is the head of content and communications for Yahoo Small Business. Prior to that he was the editorial director and a writer for publications around the Pacific and has written for such publications as the Los Angeles Times, The Mercury News, Honolulu Advertiser, Maui News and Inc.com. Find him on LinkedIn.

Dan Breeden

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Provider Yahoo Small Business Advisor

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Cheap Ecommerce Websites: Great Features & Design, No Hefty Price Tag

Fact or myth: In order to run a fully featured ecommerce store, entrepreneurs must purchase an expensive plan.

This common misconception is simply not true!

Yes, it is important to do your research and choose a plan with all the functionality you need. But it’s also entirely possible to launch a cheap ecommerce website that’s responsive, scalable and flexible enough to grow with your retail business.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most important features for ecommerce entrepreneurs to consider when searching for the ideal platform.

Simple, Effective Web Design

You want to focus more on commerce than coding. Good news: Advanced design experience is no longer a prerequisite for customizing a web store. Ecommerce templates make it easy to customize your website with photographs, copy, and links totally unique to your business.

As you’re creating your website, always focus your efforts on the user experience. Combining a clean layout with easy-to-understand navigation helps customers find exactly what they want and need. This boosts the likelihood of making a sale and earning a return visit. After all, a shopper frustrated by a confusing site will simply exit your site or jump to a competitor.

It’s also crucial that your website works just as well on mobile devices as it does on a desktop computer. Make sure your theme is compatible with smartphones and tablets. For example, 62 percent of people who shop on their mobile phones say the ability to see product pictures’ is important. You need to facilitate a speedy, highly visual mobile experience to capture m-commerce revenue.

Allows Room for Growth

Choosing a scalable ecommerce platform will help you avoid “growing pains” like slow loading, shopping cart glitches and downtime. Your store must be able to handle traffic spikes and rapid growth. The most obvious consequence of store downtime is lost revenue. But there are other ramifications to consider, like damage to your reputation and shopper frustration.

Facilitates Secure Payments

You are responsible for handling and protecting your customers’ payment data. Compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a must. These security standards ensure all companies accepting, processing, storing or transmitting credit card information maintain a secure environment.

Choosing a platform with built-in cybersecurity measures, like Yahoo Small Business, reduces the chance your customers’ information will fall into the wrong hands. It also reassures shoppers in the moment, driving trust and sales.

Responsive Customer Service

Buyers expect responsiveness from sellers. Anything less will reflect poorly upon your store. Phone and email support provide a necessary foundation for your customer service strategy. But live chat is starting to become customers’ go-to for asking questions. According to Kissmetrics, 77 percent of customers who used online chat said it positively influenced their attitude about the retailer.

Choosing a platform that allows you to initiate live chat during the shopping experience— either as a core feature or as an available app, or plug-in—will help you retain sales and boost customer loyalty.

Luckily, you can get the best of both worlds: all this functionality and a cheap ecommerce website. Learn more about Yahoo Small Business plans and features today!

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    Provider Yahoo Small Business Advisor

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4 Things Newbies Miss When Building a Small Business Website

Launching your first small business website is an exciting experience. As soon as you see your logo on the screen, things begin to feel a little more real. It’s not just some ephemeral idea anymore. It’s a real company with a real website!

But slow down a second. There are a few things newbies miss when crafting their first small business website that can impact success. Over the years, web users have come to expect certain things from the sites they visit. If you don’t meet these expectations, they are more likely to leave your website and find a competitor. And you don’t want that.

Below are a few suggestions to keep in mind when building your website.

Keep Site Navigation Simple

Anyone who visits your site should know exactly how to navigate it. It doesn’t matter if it’s their first time or fiftieth, everything should be clear and simple. This is easier to accomplish than it sounds. All you need to do is take a moment to anticipate user behavior. If someone visits your site, what would they be most interested in?

If prospective customers are finding you for the first time, they are likely interested in the products and services you have to offer. Don’t hide these important links at the bottom of your page. Include them in the top banner for higher click-through rates (CTR). Another good idea is to include a search bar at the top of your page. That way, web users can find what they need right away.

Make Your Contact Details Available

Then again, your visitors might just want a way to get in touch with you. Be sure to include a phone number, email address and physical address at the top of your page. You should also include this information in your “About Us” or “Contact” pages, along with a brief description of your company’s background and offerings.

Without this vital information, your website could look sloppy and cumbersome. After all, who wants to spend 15 minutes looking for a phone number?

Tell Customers Where to Get More Information

Today’s consumers want to stay engaged with the brands they love. They are interested in the latest news, offerings and updates you have to share. But most folks won’t want to visit your site every day. Instead, they’d prefer to have updates delivered to them.

To do this, you’ll need to set up an email subscription campaign and social media presence. Don’t make your customers or clients search for these outlets. Simply include an email subscription box and social media buttons on your homepage.

Avoid Clutter

Last but not least, you’ll want to avoid clutter. Use plenty of white space to break up content and images.

It’s also important to prioritize only one or two features on a page. Some fledgling web developers want everything to “pop.” But if everything “pops,” nothing stands out. Then everything just turns into a visual mess. So instead, try drawing focus to one or two calls to action (CTAs). Examples include “Read Our Latest Blog Post” or “Click Here for Your Free Quote.”

Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to keep your bounce rate low.

For more helpful hints on crafting your small business website, visit Yahoo Small Business. We can set you up with an affordable and easy-to-build website template today!

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Provider Yahoo Small Business Advisor