Creating a Community

Creating a community online is more than creating a few static pages on your website, and leaving it sit for months at a time. It’s about creating a site that people look to for information, and always has the information that is relevant.

Take a look at your site from the perspective of your client. Why do they come to your site? Why would they come back?

Let’s start with some large company examples. Amazon is amazing at creating a community. They have every book on file ever created. Then they make recommendations based off of your searches. They encourage people to review the books, and set up databases based off of those reviews. Their community is growing larger every day, and it’s a great way of keeping people connected.

As a small business, you can’t take on the type of community that Amazon has, but you can learn from them. Start with simple things. Create a poll or survey, and send the link to your clients to get them involved. Set up a form that people fill out to request information. Create a blog – they are increasing in popularity every day. Start a newsletter feature. Newsletters don’t have to be long – just informative. Take whatever your business is, and put it into a short, informative tip.

Wedding planners can provide a quick tip on how to keep under budget while planning a wedding. Florists can provide quick tips on current holidays, and give suggestions for flowers to use at an event around each holiday season. Use your imagination, and create something new on your site every few weeks. It doesn’t take long to build a strong community if you make it a priority.