In May 09, did an interview with Vonetta Booker-Brown the creator of www.SmallBizSanity.com. Vonetta interviewed me for her upcoming eBook for aspiring entrepreneurs, and asked if I could share my story. Of course you all know I’m an open book, so I was more than happy to do so. We spent a great deal of time talking about the BIG Question that I often get asked, “How do I do it all?” How do I manage all my websites as a work at home mom?Click here to listen to the interview.

What happened to the days when all you needed was a snazzy business card, an impressive resume and a firm handshake to represent yourself in the business world? Those days are almost as passé as getting TV reception using a “rabbit ear” antenna. Just as there is digital TV revolution afoot nationwide, Crain’s New York reported in 2007 that 20 million African Americans were on the internet. Now you need those same interpersonal skills in addition to the ability to communicate online.

“In today’s information/technology age you need to be online in some shape or form if you want to be able to communicate with most people,” says LaShanda Henry, web developer, entrepreneur and graphic designer. “Whether it’s the television or magazines or newspapers, every industry is seeing that more and more people are going away from traditional media and moving to the internet.” One of Henry’s businesses Multiple Shades of You Online is a web portal that promotes and highlights African American web content.

While millions have embraced going online for shopping, networking, socializing etc, many professionals still wonder just how far they should go. Does every business or professional individual need a website? What about Twitter and blogging etc, aren’t those activities good enough? In a recent interview with TNJ.com, Henry suggested that small businesses and professionals create a website of their own.

“You definitely need to have a space,” asserts Henry. “Twitter is great, as far as social networking, but I think the secret to social networking is that eventually when people build relationships with you, you want to invite them on to your primary space so that can’t necessarily be Twitter.”

Continue Reading: Does My Business Need a Website?

Make Money
If you aren’t making money right now, you are at the beginner stage. You should start with the following information:

1. Create Your Own Business
Option 1: Startup Sista Guide to Creating Your Own Business
Option 2: Web Tech Online Course: Starting an Online Business
Option 3: Review My Online Business Guide

2. Learn My Money Markers Concept, which is a part of my Plan to Profit Guide to Online Business Success

Make More Money
If you are making a little money, but not as much as you want then you should start with the following information:

1. Learn my Plan to Profit System to Online Success

2. Learn How to Generate More Traffic to your business

3. Learn How to Generate Income for Affiliate Programs, Adsense, and Ad Sales

4. Learn How to Sell Your Knowledge and Skills. Become an Information Entrepreneur

Make Extra Money
If you are interested in increasing the profits in your existing business or simply making extra money online, review the following information:

1. The Secret to Sales

2. Making Money with Affiliate Programs, Adsense, and Ad Sales

3. Email Marketing Strategies

4. Information Marketing

When I talk about keeping it steady, I am referring to the different things that you have to do to maintain and increase your income as a small business owner. Nobody likes making money sporadically or having dry spells. You don’t want to be like the account who is fine during tax season, but broke for the rest of the year.

If you want to keep it steady, you need three things: Regular Money, New Money, and Extra Money

Regular Money

I define regular money as money that you get on a regular basis from your customers. Your customers should always be coming back to you for more. How to you get regular money?

1. Use eMail Marketing to Build a Relationship with your current customers

2. Use Blogging to maintain communication with your customers

3. Create Residual Income by selling your products and services on a subscription based cycle. Example: Create Your Own Membership Subscription Website

New Money

I define new money as money you receive from new customers. If you want to always get new customers you have to work on creating regular marketing campaigns that will bring you a constant flow of new traffic. How do you get new money?

1. Start with Great Service: Learn my system to pleasing customers so that they can bring you referrals.

2. Learn How to Use Social Media Marketing to find new clients at little to no cost

3. Learn the art of Marketing Your Business and Attracting New Clients

4. Discover the Secret to Sales

Extra Money

I define extra money as money that you make in addition to your primary source of income. Are you interested in making extra money?

1. Learn How to Sell Products to Your Customers and Earn Residual Income

2. Learn How to Turn Your Knowledge into Information Products (eBooks, coaching, etc)

3. Learn How to Make Extra Money from Blogging, Writing, or Creating Media Online

If you want to tap into your selling power:
1. Learn My Plan to Profit System
You have to learn how to create a plan and please customers, so that you can start making profits.

2. Discover the Secret to Sales
In addition to learning how to please people; you need to know how to promote yourself. The Secret to Sales Free Report provides you with practical, easy-to-follow, low cost solutions to marketing yourself and your business.

3. Ask Me a Question
If you need a specific answer, visit Ask LaShanda and send me your question.

Related:
1. If you haven’t already done so, download and read my eBook, Turning Clicks into Cash, How do I Start Making Money Online

2. Watch the What’s Working Now Webinar for Women Entrepreneurs

3. Find out What’s Not Working With Your Website

I often talk about entrepreneurs who are all clicks and no cash. They either pay for advertising or work really hard on promoting their website, but some how they still can’t seem to make any sales. If you are all clicks and no cash, it could be that your website does not include the basic components required to actually make sales.

First and foremost, I want to tell you that building a website is not about reinventing the wheel or showing the world your creative side. You don’t need to build an eCommerce site with a big image of a store in the background, to make your site “look” like a store. You don’t need your buttons to look like shoes and you don’t need to use every color in the rainbow to get people’s attention. When I design websites (here is one I designed), I like to look at the big boys and follow their lead. Amazon and Walmart don’t need to create a landing page that looks like your entering a store and listening to elevator music, so why do you?

My first big tip is to design your eCommerce website like the ones that you buy from as opposed to some “idea” or “ambiance” that you are trying to create. Here are a few web design standards to keep in mind:

1. Have a clear and visible menu on the top of the page and/or in the left or right sidebar.

2. Search boxes are often on the top right hand corner or at the top of the right sidebar.

3. Main pages generally feature brief text, images, new products, and/or updates. Avoid adding too much text to your main page. Only use text or images that give viewers a clear, precise, and eye-catching understanding of your business.

If you want to know all 15 of my suggestions on fixing your website so you can increase your sales, download and read my eBook: Selling Your Products and Services Online. Here is a $10 Discount Code: BW15.

If you are in the process of designed or redesigning your website, and you are trying to build a professional looking eCommerce Store on a budget, I suggest trying Homestead Web Hosting, they have a ton of templates, you can try them for free, and you don’t have to worry about spending thousands on a web designer.

- Lashanda

Are you socially self promoting your business online, but finding it hard to turn friends into customers? Are you blogging, twittering, and everything in between, but not seeing the profit return on the time you are spending online? LaShanda Henry, BBWO Founder and your resident Web Business Expert would like to show you how to self promote your business online. Let’s talk about what you are doing wrong, so you can start getting it right!

How to Promote Your Business Using Social Media

Related Resources:

1. Online Course: Social Media Marketing

2. Online Course: Blogging

3. Online Course: Create Your Own Social Network

Here are my Getting Started Suggestions: Ask, Read, Watch, Interact. You decide where you want to start.

Ask LaShanda
If you are in need of answers, ideas, reviews, or direction ask me a question.

Read
LaShanda’s Web Business and Marketing eBooks
Small Business Articles and How-to Guides on Business Women of Color
Smart Business Tips in the Smart Business Sista Newsletter

Watch
LaShanda’s Web Business Videos on Youtube
Web Tech Gurl Online Courses in Internet Marketing and Web Business Solutions
Business Women of Color Webinars for Women Entrepreneurs

Interact
Promote Your Business and Services on Black Business Women Online
Share Your Story on Successful Sista Profiles
Learn How to Use Social Media Tools to Promote Yourself and Your Business

In my mad dash for new customers, I soon realized that I was leaving my old ones behind. I was horrible with respect to handling requests in a timely fashion and answering emails when I got questions. I thought I was doing the right thing, because my focus was finding new people. Funny enough, while I was driving myself crazy trying to get more buyers, I was ignoring the buyers I already had. It took me awhile to get a clue, but when I did, everything changed for the better.

I switched priorities and started focusing on paying customers first. I respond to all customers timely and professionally, even the ones that get on my nerves. I always focus on providing people with quality products and services and then put aside time to get new people. Sure enough, the new strategy worked wonders. By redirected my focus away from blindly marketing to catering to my existing customers I increased my return visits, referrals, and cash flow!

Don’t you want to stop chasing new money and start tapping into the money and customer base that you already have? If you learn nothing else from me, take the time to learn the following:

1. How to Please Potential Customers and Your Existing Customers Online
2. How to Use eMail Marketing to Build a Relationship with your current customers
3. How to Use Blogging to maintain communication with your customers

If you think my strategies can work for you, you can also benefit from Learning Richelle Shaw’s Marketing System. Richelle shows you her 3 R’s:
1. How to Retain Existing Customers
2. How to Reactivate Old Customers
3. How to Get Referrals

To learn more about Richelle’s 3 R’s (Retain, Reactivate, Refer) and my 3 Ps (Plan, Please, Profit) download our report: Secret to Sales

Recent Question:

I recently encountered a sort of “nightmarish” issue. I signed up for Yahoo’s Site Solution so that I could create my own website with the intent of selling products online.

I just found out that Yahoo’s Site Solution does not support any type of shopping cart feature; it only supports PayPal’s “Buy Now” buttons, which means customers will only be able to purchase one item at a time.

Are there any good do-it-yourself type web hosting companies–that you know of–available to help someone who wants to start selling online without giving up a large percentage of their monthly sales to the web hosting company?

Any suggestion is greatly appreciated.

My Response
I use Hostmonster when I build websites. However, if you don’t have a design or if you aren’t going to design the website yourself, I recommend HomeStead for Beginners creating their own website and/or interested in creating their own eCommerce, Online Store Build a website in minutes! Try free or sign-up for our $4.99mo. limited time offer.