The last several months have been good at 3LUXE. We successfully launched the site and have had the pleasure of reviewing some of the most amazing products in the world. Hundreds of thousands of visitors have hit our site and we’ve received some great feedback, but we want more… feedback.

To help us continue to “Simply find the best of everything,” please complete a short survey, that will enable us to continue finding and reviewing the best products and services on your behalf.

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Thank you,
Bill Worple

This article was originally published at American Venture Magazine.

There is nothing more exciting than starting a new business and that excitement grows with every success your business experiences. Unfortunately for most start-ups the transition from a great idea to a great business doesn’t always materialize. A key to success for any business lies in building awareness, this is especially true for new businesses. Thankfully we live in a world where we can make use of the web and the tools it offers to get in front of our target customer and begin building awareness.

Before you can build awareness for your business, you need to understand your customer. Who is your prime prospect? Are they local, single, parents, affluent, etc? By identifying your customer you’ll be able to better understand what they want and the best ways to reach them.

Once you’ve identified your prime prospect, build a website to start communicating with them. Many businesses wait to launch a site until the business is up and running, but by launching your site first, you start building awareness and more importantly gain an understanding of your customer. Two key elements for your new site should be web analytics and a blog. Analytics will provide reporting to understand what people are viewing on the site, the time they’re spending and who they are. You’ll gain valuable knowledge about where your visitors live, how they found your site and if browsing from a named network, where they work. You can spend thousands on an analytics package, but for most companies, Google offers a free solution that captures mountains of data at a price every start-up can appreciate.

Analytics can help provide meta data, but to create a personal relationship with prospects, start a blog. A blog allows you to tell your story. Share with your prospects why you think your business is great, let them know the progress you’re making and most importantly ask for their feedback. A blog is an open dialog with your prospects that provides them with an opportunity to ask questions, provide new ideas and give advice.

Next, create a survey on your site. The best way to find out about your potential customers is to ask; who are they, what do they want and how do they want it. The key to a good survey, keep it simple and short. Everyone has an opinion and when asked for it, they’ll share it.

This next item may surprise you; start advertising. Take advantage of your new website to understand what message appeals to prospects. By utilizing keyword advertising, a new company can spend as little as $5 to $20 dollars a day and effectively meet two objectives. First you gain an understanding of what prospects react to. You will learn what keywords they search and by creating different ads, what messages are most effective in gaining their attention (in this case a click to your site). I recently met an author who chose the title of a best selling book by running an adword test in Google. By running these campaigns, you’ll be more prepared to effectively promote your business and attract new customers when you launch. In addition to learning about your prime prospects you’ll gain the added benefit of building awareness for your company.

Finally, prepare a press release announcing the new business before launching. In the weeks prior to launch prepare a distribution list of publications, blogs, and shows, etc. that would have an interest in covering the business. Craft a release that will appeal to these outlets and future customers. When the time is right, send the release with a personalized message and be sure to follow up. PR is a tough business, but a mention or feature in the right outlet can go a long way in creating a buzz and attracting new prospects. In addition to your targeted list take advantage of online services like PRNewswire or PRlog, to upload your release to the web and gain a mass distribution for your news.

Following the steps above won’t guarantee success, but they will help you take advantage of technology and start building awareness and a customer base for your business.

All the best,
Bill