Premier SEO Firm Provides Advice During National Small Business Week

RICHMOND, Va., April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The American economy cannot thrive without the entrepreneurial spirit that is shown by small business owners each day. The number of businesses in the U.S. with fewer than 20 employees totals more than five million. The owners of those companies provide jobs, pay taxes, and innovate every day. To acknowledge their spirit and hard work, each year the President of the United States issues a proclamation that sets aside National Small Business Week. This year, the celebration is being held from April 9-15.

In honor of National Small Business Week 2006, NetBaldwin, LLC, one of the east coast's leading Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing firms, is providing a list of tips to help startup and small business owners improve their use of the Internet.

"These days it's essential to have an Internet presence," said NetBaldwin CEO Laurie Baldwin. "However, just building a website and putting it 'out there' isn't enough if you want to be successful."

Baldwin says whether your company is small or large, in order for the Internet to work for your organization, you have to make an effort. That means making sure customers or information-seekers can actually find your site, and that the site is up-to-date and usable when they get there. If those requirements aren't met, the website may as well not exist. Having amassed a great deal of information about the best and worst sites on the net, NetBaldwin has compiled the following list of "Five Steps to Having a Successful Internet Presence."

1) Update, update, and then update again
Making sure your website is updated regularly is important for a number of
reasons. The first is that it will create repeat visitors by giving them
a reason to come back. Additionally, search engines will check your site
regularly, and if your pages are exactly the same, that can affect your
search engine ranking negatively.

2) Join the blogosphere
Creating a web log, or blog, on your website, is a great idea. Not only
does it help solve the problem of how to update your site, it can also
help draw more people to your little corner of the web. Helpful content
can help you gain return visitors. Plus, since nothing can match a blog
for keyword count, it can also help your search engine standing!

3) Keep it simple
One of the biggest mistakes made by web novices is making the site too
complicated. Adding animations and dynamic content like news and stock
tickers can increase your page's load time. Also, buy your own domain
name and make it easy to remember. If a user has to wait too long or has
a hard time finding you, he might take his business elsewhere.

4) Be responsive to your visitors
Just like a business owner who wants to be successful wouldn't ignore a
customer who visits his brick and mortar store, you shouldn't ignore your
online visitors. If you offer a "contact us" page on your site, make sure
someone is responding to the emails and phone calls that result.

5) Seek professional help
Doctors exist because not everyone has a medical degree. Similarly, not
everyone has experience with websites. If you're not an expert at
building or optimizing your website, admit it to yourself and seek
professional help.

About NetBaldwin

Based in Richmond, Virginia, NetBaldwin, LLC is one of the top Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firms in the Mid- Atlantic region, and is among the fastest growing in the nation. NetBaldwin uses best of breed SEO/SEM tactics and technology to deliver measurable results to clients such as Children's Wear Digest, Lumber Liquidators, and Christian Children's Fund. Founded in 2003, NetBaldwin was a finalist for Richmond's 2005 and 2006 Emerging Technology Company of the Year award. For more information, please visit http://www.NetBaldwin.com.

CONTACT: Steve Mullen, +1-804-382-0017, Steve@EndGamePR.com, for NetBaldwin, LLC