Have You Networked Your Business Today?
by Peggy Ross

Who is the most important person that is going to get out there and network your business? Who is your biggest supporter when it comes to getting your business known? Who is your biggest networking resource?

That person is you!!

Yep, it is up to you to get your business going. 
From the day you had the idea, 
did the work and took the actions necessary to get it going to now promoting your business and website it is things you yourself do that will make the difference!
Most are so easy to do and will make a difference! You can easily be your own wham networking resource with just a few things to take into consideration and do!

The 1st thing to do is put a signature line in your email. So every email you send out has your business name, URL in it and a short description of your business keeping it short is best. Let them go to your website to see your business ~ let the 1 liner in your sig line help get them there!

Next would be make sure your website has a few things on it. I recently went to a website which the owner has had for a few years now and did a whole redesign of her site. Looks great! But she forgot 2 important things.
1 -There was no home page link back on every page of her site. Unless your expecting people to hit the back button on their computer make it easy for them and place a HOME link on every page.
2-She failed to add an Email Us or Contact Us on her website. Visitors often will want to email you and ask a question before the buy from you and not having a email link can be a costly mistake. This is a must have for at least the home page if not every page!
You can do it 2 ways.
1 is the regular email link such as we have
We have Contact us and linked to 
staff@networkofconnections.com 
Want to add a subject line? after the .com just put
?subject=XXXX ( xxx is whatever you want the subject line to say
staff@networkofconnections.com?subject=Link Exchange

The one above I might use for link exchanges so I know when I get it what it is before I open it.
Or, 2 -you could do your email as a form mail. This is good if you want the person to fill out certain information. You can ask for name and whatever you want. The bad thing about this way is that it will come to you from your website form and not have the persons email in it as it would it they sent it to you directly from your email link as above. I use both for different reason and find both useful.

3rd. Do you have a link exchange page on your site? This can be for banner or text links, or both. Links to other website should be within your area of business. 
Does that mean if you sell candles you should only exchange links with other candle businesses? NO! It does mean that you should exchange links with other work at home websites not only including candles but other ones also. Don't limit yourself but then don't add everyone who wants to do a link exchange either. Take the time to look at the other site who wants to do a link exchange and see if it has any non family friendly sites linked on it link page as that can hurt you in the search engines!
I recently received a link request from a site who sells cosmetics for acne at my site ChristmasFromTheHeart.com and it said we should exchange links as we have similar sites. I still am trying to see how they figure out how a Christmas Site is acne related!
Had they asked to exchange links here at NOC ( Network Of connections) Yes I would have but they just sent out emails they may have purchased from a list of established sites someone made up and sold for a few bucks. 
Don't be afraid to go outside your comfort zone! Have you been to another website you'd like to exchange links with. Email them and ask if they don't have a link request on their links page

4th -Join some groups and meet others who are also working from home online! This can be a great way to learn tips and ideas on how to network! There are plenty out there and most are good ones, but more important you need to find one your comfortable in and with!
And of course I have a few a highly recommend! ( smile!)
1-Themompacks.com has a great groups plus they have spin off groups for sales, advertising ops and filers. http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/themompack/
Plus the website is very beneficial to the work from home mom/ woman!
2- We here at NetworkOfConnections have a NEW yahoo group. http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/NetworkOfConnections/join
This group is for the work at home person who wants to network with others through link exchanges and sharing ideas. Our goal is to help each other find ways to grow our businesses through networking, advertising and making connections.
3- HomeSPunShoppes Yahoo Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homespunshoppes/join
The HomeSpunShoppes group is for work at home moms, stay at home moms and dads to network together and support each other in our online businesses in a friendly wahm networking group.

5th- Take a look at your website! No ~ a real look. Go to your website home page and use your mouse, right click it and see what the " View Source" shows.
Does it have a title? Description ? Key words? Key Phrase? Author?
When doing keywords some search engines like 15 of less keywords! So don't put the whole dictionary in your keywords! Pick out ones pertaining to your website and use them. Name your pages too. Don't let your visitors see "'newpage1" on your pages when they can easily be named.

6th- Website content. 
Search engines link pages with not only keywords but also pages with content! 
BUT think of your customers 1st and the search engines 2nd!
Let's again say you sell candles. Put a short paragraph about your candles on the home page plus adding a candle care page shows your customers you care enough to show them tips on caring for their candles plus it is good for your website when it comes to search engines.

7th- Check your links! Most other work from home people if they visit your site will send you an email saying you have a broken link. BUT CUSTOMERS usually don't!
So check them. I try to check mine every month or when I work on or add a page.
* If you find a broke link here at NOC please let me know!

8th- Be good to your customers! I recently read a post on a group I am on where the person send out a few of her business cards with her orders PLUS a nice thank you note! The cards can be handed out to friends. Add a magnet and maybe it will end up on their frig.
The Thank You Note- Now this can be the special touch that sets you apart from others! I have ordered things and when I have gotten them of course I show them to my friends. Plus the few times I have gotten a nice thank you note I also show this to them! When you take the time to add a personnel touch it does make a difference!
Plus if you do it, even a simple but nice one and the customer shows a friend or sister then they have just networked your business for you! You can easily do one on your computer for pennies.

9th - Get listed on websites such as here at network of connections! There are in the past year or so many new wahm and work at home website and some offer some great prices for listing your website on them. Some are even free such as TheMompack.com and most just ask for a courtesy link back to them.

10th- CHAT! The reason that many of us don't is because we don't have a chat room or perhaps we don't know anyone and who wants to be the new kid on the block!
You Do! Chatting can not only be great networking for your business but you can make some great online business friends that way also.
When I was a manager with the former Christmas Around The World we had a reg. chat place we went to and most evening you would find a few of us in there. Yes while we talked about building our business, party games and such, we also over time talked about other things like our hubbies, kids, hobbies all of which pertain to life and in a way also to our business! So chatting can be informative, networking, fun and relaxing!

11- Don't get caught up in the website rankings so much that your business suffers!!!
Yes they do matter BUT.....Customers care about your products and services not your rankings!
Allot of newer people seem to love the whole Alexa rating thing. Yes Alexa can be informative in it's own way. BUT it is not where customers go to look for businesses to buy from! It is mainly a website/ webmaster tool and an affiliate program. When you see an Alexa box on a website and click on it to see the sites ratings you did 2 things. 1 is you just added to their affiliate program account and 2nd you also gave them a boost in their ratings.
( From ALEXA -Alexa Traffic Rank Button - put a traffic rank button or banner on your web site -- and make money too.)
The established sites with good and great Alexa rating do deserve them and didn't ask people to go vote for them like some of the newer people seem to be doing.
And most customers are regular people and not webmasters and will most likely not download their tool bar since yahoo, google and others have good search engines.
Ask your friends (without websites) how they find online businesses and websites to buy from! Most use the popular search engines if they don't get referred to one by a friend!

12- Start a newsletter for your website. Do a monthly or quarterly newsletter with tips in it. This can add to your email list of customers and potential customers! They don't have to be fancy and done in expensive programs. Yahoo groups can easily be used for a newsletter!

While I have numbered the things above to make it easier to read they are in no particular order of things to do. 
Do them all in the order and time that feel right for YOU!

You'll find once you start doing all or at least some of the things I have mentioned 
that your visitors to your site should increase! 
Why? 
Because you have taken the time to network your work at home business in many ways! All of which are simple and easy to do!

Good luck Networking!
Remember you are your best networking resource for your business!
Peggy Ross
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Copyright © Peggy Ross 2003. All Rights Reserved
You have permission to publish this article electronically
or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. 
A courtesy copy of your publication would be truly appreciated 

Email Peggy at Peggy@networkofconnections.com



Peggy is the owner of several websites
who promoting the work at home person!.
.NetworkOfConnections.com
ChristmasFromTheHeart.com
.OurCircleOfFriends.com
PenneyLanesTowneSquare.com
.FreeCandySticks.com