Posted on: 22 November, 2001
Author: Bob Osgoodby
It has been said that person's ... is the most ... they have. Good, Bad or ... whatever it is, itwill shape their life, as well as their future. Many people whostart a busin It has been said that person's reputation is the most importantthing they have. Good, Bad or Indifferent, whatever it is, itwill shape their life, as well as their future. Many people whostart a business fall into the "Indifferent" category, as theyhave not had time to build one. This is one reason people whoare starting a business hire a spokesperson. It is normallysomeone who is well known, and respected in his or her field.If you intend to do business on the web a good reputation isextremely important. The web is a difficult medium to pursue abusiness on if you are unknown. That is why it is importantto have a web site that gives your prospective customersinformation about, not only your business, but you as well. Ashort paragraph or two with a picture will go a long way.But that is just the beginning. You must also be known on theweb as a person who is knowledgeable in your field. There are anumber of ways to do this, and exposure is the key. How can youget your name in front of people as an expert.Some go the "spam" route, which is a mistake. You might get tobe well known, but most people have a dislike for this type ofemail. You just may be building a "bad" reputation, and wind upbeing someone they consciously avoid. I receive informationconcerning recasting my home mortgage, on a daily basis and theseare the last people I would do business with.Writing articles is a good way to get known. Publishers have anongoing need for fresh articles and normally welcome submissions.A search of the web will quickly find publications, which wouldbe suitable for your submissions. You should also publish yourarticles at web sites that allow submission there. Manypublishers frequent these sites looking for content for theirpublications. A good place to start is Rozey Gean's site at:http://www.marketing-seek.com where you can easily submit yourarticle.Publishing your own newsletter also helps. It doesn't have to belong or involved, but it should be published on a definiteschedule. There is a lot of different thinking on how frequentlyit should be published. Some people think that a monthlyschedule is a waste of time, as people may forget who you arebetween publications. Some feel that weekly is OK and others,myself included, feel that the more exposure you have the better.Whatever frequency you select, it is imperative that it ispublished on a regular basis. If it is once a week, pick a daythat it will be published and stick with it. If you are notgoing to publish in any given week, be sure to notify yoursubscribers in advance so they don't wonder what happened.Building a subscriber base is normally a slow process. Youshould have a sign-up process on your website. You can useeither a form for this or have them send you an email. A form isthe preferred way as it is immediately identifiable as asubscription when it is received. If you don't use a form, thenat least list your email address with subscribe in the subject soit doesn't get "trashed" with the rest of the spam you receive.Use something that will immediately identify it as a submissionlike mailto:[email protected]?subject=Subscribe - this way itwill automatically insert the word "Subscribe" in the subject ofthe email.Whatever route you take on your road to building your reputation,probably the most important thing to remember is that the memoryof most folks is short, and there are thousands of new prospectsbecoming available everyday. If you hope to do business on theweb, you must not only build a good reputation, but you must bevisible to your prospects on an ongoing and regular basis. Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com