What has happened to small businesses in America over the last 50 years? They’ve changed, that’s for certain. Let’s explore the one-mile linear microcosm that was my daily walking commute to grammar school back in the early to mid-1960’s to try to find some answers … and perhaps even some solutions that may be applied to small businesses today.

This post may now be found in its entirety at http://willimansett.com/.

When I started in business back in 1980, my primary client base consisted on smaller to medium-sized ski areas in the Northeastern United States. We produced collateral advertising for these clients, most of whom were struggling to hold their own, as their clientele increasingly felt that they had “outgrown” the smaller, more local mountains. The problem was that everybody had skied at one time or another at the “big” resorts in Vermont and out West. As disposable incomes increased, leisure time became more highly valued, and it increasingly seemed to make sense to book a flight to the Rockies or Europe. The small ski areas that have survived are mostly the ones that repositioned themselves within this market. They no longer saw themselves competing against the other nearby mountains but against the marketing of the bigger resorts elsewhere in the region or partway across the globe. As time has gone on, they have further redefined themselves, extending their seasons with golf courses and other non-winter attractions. The fact is that they are no longer just competing against the bigger ski resorts but against foreign travel, the cruise industry, and the full range of options that vie for the consumer’s leisure dollars.

When we offered marketing solutions to our clients in the ski industry, we closely examined what was being done at Killington, Vail, Stowe, Sun Valley, Park City, Aspen, Vail, Jackson Hole and others, including the big resorts in Canada and Europe. The same thing has happened with our clients in the amusement park and attractions industry, where everyone has visited Disney World and has come back with higher expectations. The same thing happened as well with our campground clients, where every camper has at one time or another stayed at a five-star resort. In every instance, the idea is not to present your business as something that it isn’t, but to present the unique advantages that your business offers that allow it to remain relevant in the overall scheme of evolving consumer expectations. You need to closely examine – and visit – the leaders within your industry, as well as industries that compete for the same consumer dollars. Then come back and see how you can apply the lessons learned to make your business hold greater appeal to both your existing clientele and an expanding base of prospects. In almost every instance, the issue is not size but the quality and level of services that you are able to provide. You know your clientele better than anyone else, so you should know exactly which services are the ones that they will most highly value and appreciate. Offer them those, with a smile and a personal touch!

I have explained in the past how to correct your business location on Google Maps; however, what do you do about getting your location corrected (or even listed!) on the GPS software that comes with many new motor vehicles or as after-market add-ons? Contact Map Reporter from NAVTEQ. This service allows you to easily take control of how your business is represented to the countless number of travelers who may be relying upon accurate guidance in finding their way to your door. NAVTEQ’s Map Reporter allows you to tell the company, the leading supplier of data to the GPS consumer products industry, where an update to a map may be necessary. Simply login, enter your address, zoom-in to the map interface, then report any of the following:
• Missing addresses or wrong locations
• Missing roads or incorrect road names
• Missing, incorrect, or defunct points of interest
• Traffic restrictions that should be added, corrected, or removed
Remember, it is ultimately up to YOU to take control of your business and to maximize every new tool that will help your business to prosper. This is one of those tools.

I am frequently asked to share my thoughts about banner advertising. Either the owners of a business would like to sell banner ad space as a source of revenue-generation on their websites, or business owners want to get their share of the “enormous” volume of traffic that will be generated by placing their own banner ads on high profile sites. These business owners have been sold a bill of goods about the fortunes waiting to be made through banner advertising, the Internet’s modern-day equivalent of the old story of the streets being paved with gold. Don’t fall for it.

If you are contemplating the placement of banner ads on another site, keep in mind that the people who are most likely to profit from your expenditures will be the people who will take your money to produce the ads or the hucksters selling the banner space with unsubstantiated promises of page views and impressions. If you are contemplating the addition of banner advertising to your own site, as a means of revenue generation, consider the costs of cluttering your site, with the result that both your website’s primary content and your business itself begin to hemorrhage credibility. It is a fact that websites with banner advertising have a lower trust factor in the eyes of consumers, with a corresponding decrease in perception as a source of either information or product reliability. The problem is that very few people are willing to admit to this “dirty little secret”.

As Marko Saric recently posted in his blog, “traditional banner ads take away from the user experience. They distract users and because of that users tend to ignore ads.” He goes on to reference the proven phenomenon called “Banner Blindness”. This term was coined by Dr. Jakob Nielsen back in August of 2007. For those who may be unfamiliar with Jakob Nielsen (and why his research is so highly creditable), he has been called “the guru of Web page usability” by The New York Times, “the world’s leading expert on Web usability” by U.S. News & World Report, “one of the top 10 minds in small business” by Fortune Small Business, and “one of the world’s foremost experts in Web usability” by Business Week.

In his study of banner advertising that first coined the term “Banner Blindness”, Dr. Nielsen summarizes that users rarely look at website display ads, and that the most common methods of increasing the effectiveness of banner advertising is to engage in deceptive practices to trick users into clicking, for example by incorporating fake “OK” or “Cancel” buttons into the ads. His earlier studies have shown that such online ads are either “very negatively” or “negatively” perceived by 94% of Web users, just 1 percentage point behind universally hated pop-up ads. His studies further concluded that, when users dislike online advertising, they “transfer their dislike to the advertisers behind the ad and to the website that exposed them to it.”

Getting back to Banner Blindness, Dr. Nielsen conducted extensive eyetracking studies that have conclusively proven that users “almost never look at anything that looks like an advertisement.” In a 2003 survey conducted by PlanetFeedback, only 8% of U.S. consumers responded that they trusted banner ads (right behind infomercials, but ahead of door-to-door salesmen, spam, and pop-up ads) and 53% responded that they were annoyed by banner ads.

Substantiating this research, a study published in BusinessWeek in November of 2007, titled “So Many Ads, So Few Clicks”, reports that “the truth about online ads is that precious few people actually click on them. And the percentage of people who respond to common banner ads … is shrinking steadily”, with the average click-through rate having fallen to 0.2% in March of 2007 after several years of decline. The results of this study have been substantiated elsewhere in other independent research. Consider this if you are an advertiser, or contemplate joining the pack, since most advertisers pay based upon the number of impressions rather than clicks. It doesn’t take a mathematician to conclude that these ads do not represent a very sound investment.

Finally, if you are thinking about adding banner advertising to your own website as a source of revenue generation, consider the professional advice of Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, who suggests that you “crunch the numbers” before jumping onto the bandwagon. Based upon a combination of monthly page views and the cost per thousand impressions that you might be able to charge for your banner advertising space, your site will have to be generating an enormous amount of traffic (in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of page views per month) before your site would begin to generate any sizeable amount of income from the sale of banner advertising space.

Consider the cost of compromising your online integrity through the use of advertising that users both ignore and find annoying. Whether you are thinking about selling banner ads or buying banner ads, there are simply far more effective ways of growing your business online.

Additional references:
http://gigaom.com/2008/10/14/what-if-you-ran-an-ad-and-nobody-saw-it/
http://www.techdirt.com/blog.php?tag=banner+ads

The following comments were my contribution posted earlier today as part of the discussion “What do you think are the most important marketing messages for outdoor recreation and travel for 2009?” on the LinkedIn Outdoor Recreation and Travel Industry Marketing Network group.

I think that a viable campaign might follow the concept of “Slow Down and Get Off the Interstate”. I’m not referring to “Easy Off / Easy On” interchanges, toll booths, or the McDonald’s / Exxon rest areas. When times get tough, we tend to search for nostalgia. For different generations, this has different meanings and relates to different historical times. In every instance, that nostalgia involves a time when the pace of life was far slower, with a great deal of enjoyment gained from simple things. With every news cycle reporting more job losses and criminal behavior from the Bernie Madoffs of society, people want to slow down and get off of this wild ride.

With belt-tightening an economic necessity along with that search for nostalgia, I suspect that families will be doing more together. Grandparents and grandchildren will travel together, siblings will revisit their childhoods through family reunions, and the providers of outdoor recreational services are positioned to provide the venues and amenities to make it all possible.

We do not know what the future has in store, other than change itself, in either the short or long term. Gasoline might be $2.00.9 per gallon or it might be $450.9 per gallon … and the cost of jet fuel might put the cost of air travel out of reach for the average American (if it isn’t already). Regardless of where the ride takes us, Americans will still spend leisure time together. It is the responsibility of the outdoor recreation and travel industry to persuade people to spend that vacation time “close to home” rather than “at home”.

With the outstanding value that family campgrounds, in particular, have to offer, a simple marketing messages sums it all up: “Slow Down and Get Off the Interstate” … and rediscover America, your family, and yourself in the process.

I was recently part of a discussion in LinkedIn’s Guerrilla Marketing Tips for Small Businesses group to which I belong. The question involved how to compete in a David vs Goliath scenario where a large national chain opens a location in your local service area. In this instance, the discussion was started by the owner of a small computer repair company (let’s call it “HKR Computer Repair”) who had a big computer repair franchise (let’s call them “Nerds R Us”) open in his backyard. He expected to prevail in the long run but was afraid of the short-term impact upon his business. He wanted to know how to compensate for such a large presence and not lose cash flow. The following was my response:

You are likely to experience some short-term loss as a result of the money that they will spend to launch their new location. In the long run, nothing is easier than competing against Goliaths. You’ve already identified some of the weaknesses in the instance of “Nerds R Us”. In general, you should have a major competitive advantage against a big outfit with high overhead and a “one size fits all” business concept. You know your market. Do your customers want to communicate directly with the knowledgeable owner of a business or some kid who’s just finished 48 hours of training the week after he quit his job at Starbucks?

The vast majority of my company’s clients are successfully competing against the Wal-Marts of their industries. Sometimes it requires the redefinition of a business in order to better capitalize upon the Goliath’s weaknesses or market segments where the Goliath cannot possible compete. Although not one of my clients, I like to relate the success story of a family hardware store that has found its niche while most similar businesses simply roll over and die as soon as a Home Depot or Lowes rolls into town. South Fork Hardware has been in business in South Fork, Pennsylvania for 60 years, and they have transformed themselves into the tire chain specialists of North America. Home Depot or Wal-Mart can’t afford to sell tire chains. They couldn’t possibly maintain the inventory of all of the necessary variations and sizes in their thousands of retail locations. South Fork Hardware, on the other hand, through one centralized location, can supply any set of tire chains imaginable and ship the same day. Admittedly, there is not an enormous market for tire chains these days; however, when you own the market, the lion’s share of a specialized market can be extremely profitable. Do a Google search for “tire chains”, and you will see that www.tirechain.com (South Fork Hardware’s URL and new business persona) comes up at #1. Alternately, do a “type-in” of www.tirechain.com or www.tirechains.com , and you will see how they have come to “own” their market.

As a side note, I have purchased three sets of tire chains from South Fork Hardware over the last 10 years. Do you see how I am unintentionally promoting their business? Your customers will do the same. Particularly when people are dissatisfied with a product or service, they spread the word. It should be easy for you to weather what is certain to be a fast-moving storm. Your business should continue to thrive long after Nerds R Us has moved out of town (perhaps because they couldn’t face your competition).

Did you ever think that maybe they hadn’t performed the proper market research before opening their new location? They could be in for a big surprise when they discover that they have to try to compete against a well-established competitor, HKR Computer Repair!

The number of links from established websites (including search engines and directories) helps to determine the search ranking of your own site. An extremely small investment of time on your part can immeasurably enhance your site’s search engine position. You’re no doubt familiar with Woodalls and Trailer Life, but there is a growing number of smaller, independent campground directories. In total, these sites can send you plenty of traffic, along with improving your own site’s link relevancy! Most of these sites offer free links and quick submission forms. Directories that only offer paid listing options or do not include online submission forms may not be included in this alphabetized list. Simply take a few minutes to click through the links. Remember to search for your site at each search engine or directory before submitting your site. If your site is already listed, do not resubmit your listing.

All Campgrounds
http://www.allcampgrounds.com/
http://www.allcampgrounds.com/state.html
(Choose your state to add URL)

America On Wheels
http://www.americaonwheels.com/
This is one of my newest finds. An excellent directory, with hard-hitting reviews.

CampUSA
http://www.campusa.com/
http://www.campusa.com/cu_submitcamp1.html

Camping-USA
http://www.camping-usa.com/

Campgrounds By City
http://www.campgrounds-by-city.com/
http://www.campgrounds-by-city.com/add_a_campground.php

CampRate.com
http://camprate.com/
Your campground is probably already listed, but follow the links to confirm your listing,
submit a listing (if necessary), and to check for consumer reviews.

eCampsite.com
http://www.ecampsite.com/
http://www.ecampsite.com/register/campground.php

Leisure and Sport Review
http://www.lasr.net/
http://www.lasr.net/addAttraction.php?Request=RV Parks
Another new find, with a nice, clean look.

Recreation USA
http://www.recreationusa.com/
http://www.recreationusa.com/rusaquote.html

Recreational Vehicle and Campground Directory
http://rv-directory.com/
http://rv-directory.com/cgi-bin/pseek/addurl.cgi?cid=77

Re-QUEST.net
http://www.re-quest.net/
http://www.re-quest.net/add-url.htm

Road Camping
http://www.roadcamping.com/
http://www.roadcamping.com/rv/add_my_campground.html

Roaming Times
http://www.roamingtimes.com/
http://www.roamingtimes.com/controlpanel/index.htm
(Follow the simple procedure to see if you are listed. If not, follow the links to submit the form.)

RV-Clubs.us
http://www.rv-clubs.us/
http://www.rv-clubs.us/rvcampgroundlisting.php

RV-Coach Online
http://www.rv-coach.com/
http://www.rv-coach.com/company_register.html

RV Family Fun
http://www.rvfamilyfun.com/
If your park is not listed, click on the “Add Campground” link in the upper right.

RV Mechanic
http://www.rvmechanic.com/
http://www.rvmechanic.com/current_category.2104/links_list.html
(Choose your state to add URL)

rvNetLinx
http://www.rvnetlinx.com/
http://www.rvnetlinx.com/wpsubmitsite.php

RV Park Hunter
http://www.rvparkhunter.com
If your park is not listed, send an e-mail to:
submit@rvparkhunter.com

RV Resources
http://www.rvresources.com/
http://www.rvresources.com/addsitenew.php

RV Toads Campground & RV Park Directory
http://www.rvtoads.com/rvparks/
http://www.rvtoads.com/rvparks/addproperty.php

RV-Travel.info
http://www.rv-travel.info/
http://www.rv-travel.info/addyourpark2.htm

RVZone
http://www.rvzone.com/
http://www.rvzone.com/SuggestASite.cfm

The Outback Guide
http://www.modernoutback.com/
http://www.modernoutback.com/addlisting.html

Travel & Tourism Guides by WorldWeb.com
http://services.worldweb.com/
http://services.worldweb.com/tourism-edit.html?mode=pickcategory

Travelhops
(Based in New Zealand, an international directory of travel resources.)
http://www.travelhops.com/
http://www.travelhops.com/submit3.asp

TravelLibrary
(Another international directory of travel resources.)
http://www.travel-library.com/
There are separate listing categories for “Campgrounds” and “RV Parks”
This first link is for the Campground submission form:
http://www.travel-library.com/formaccomodation/35.html
This second link is for the RV Park submission form:
http://www.travel-library.com/formaccomodation/38.html

USAtourism.ca
(A Canadian directory of US vacation travel destinations)
http://www.usatourism.ca/
(Click your state on map to add URL.)

WorldWeb Lodging & Accommodations Listings
http://www.usa.worldweb.com/
http://www.usa.worldweb.com/WheretoStay/index.html
(Select your state and follow the links to see if you are listed or to add your site or correct your listing.)

Two Bonuses: “Pet Friendly” Directories & Wi-Fi Hotspot Directories

Every campground has some sort of pet policy. If you consider your campground to be “pet friendly” by one definition or another, you should do your best to let people know.

DogFriendly.com
http://www.dogfriendly.com/
http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/general/forms/rvform.shtml
(Free listing. Paid advertising options.)

PetsWelcome.com
http://www.petswelcome.com/
http://www.petswelcome.com/milkbone/pawframestore.html
(Free one-month trial listing. Fee if you choose to continue beyond the trial.)

A recent survey showed that wi-fi access is a more important factor than the presence of a swimming pool when choosing a campground. Prospective campers, particularly those who find you online, will go out of their way to stay at a campground with wi-fi Internet access (particularly if it is free). If your campground offers wi-fi, go to the following site and be sure that you’re listed.

Wi-Fi Free Spot
http://www.wififreespot.com
http://www.wififreespot.com/form/form.html
(Free listings of campgrounds offering free wi-fi.)

Particularly in challenging economic times, it is important to not simply sit back and wait for business to find you. Take a proactive role to insure that your campground continues to thrive in both good times and bad.

Since its inception in 1980, Pelland Advertising has specialized in serving the needs of small businesses with growing pains and limited budgets. One of our key niches has been the family camping industry, for which we have designed and produced literally hundreds of brochures and related four-color process collateral advertising projects, with clients which include many of the leading family campgrounds from throughout the Northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. Since the mid-1990’s, Pelland Advertising has provided website development services for many of those same clients, while concurrently producing several of the Internet’s leading online commerce websites for clients from within a much broader range of industries. The company also provides a wide range of instructional, consultational, and search engine optimization services for a full range of home-based small businesses, primarily concentrated within the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts. Our campground industry clients include the Northeast Campground Association, the Pennsylvania Campground Owners Association, the Maryland Association of Campgrounds, and National ARVC’s National School of RV Park & Campground Management. Some of our other highly recognizable clients include the Mark T. Wendell Tea Company, the Mayhew Tool Company, Smith’s Country Cheese, and Storybook Land.

Our purpose in creating this blog site is to share our expertise in an open forum, providing an exchange of the latest in useful information covering topics including:

• Search engine optimization
• Web design tips
• Site submission resources
• Consumer-generated web content
• Web analytics

I encourage your feedback and contributions and hope that this is the first step in what will become a rapidly growing and valuable small business resource.