![Internet Marketing for Small Business [LNIM094]](https://www.latenightim.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/small-business-internet-marketing.jpeg)
In this episode, Mark replays his talk from Social Media Marketing World 2015 on internet marketing for small business. The presentation covers how to use your website as more than an online business card, with practical advice on search engine ranking, conversions, lead capture, email list building, and autoresponder strategy.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
- Why treating your website like an online business card is leaving money on the table
- How to match offers with buyers using your website content
- The fundamentals of organic search and social media traffic for small businesses
- Why your email list is your most valuable business asset
- How to build effective autoresponder sequences that convert
Show Notes
Mark was invited to speak at Social Media Marketing World, the premier social media conference run by Mike Stelzner and the Social Media Examiner team. His talk, “How to Automate Your Sales Using Your Small Business Website,” addresses the core challenge facing most small business owners: their website exists but does not actively generate leads or sales.
The presentation covers several key areas:
- Website fundamentals — going back to basics and making sure your site has valuable content that serves your customers
- Matching offers with buyers — the big idea of aligning what you sell with what your visitors are looking for
- Rich product descriptions — why detailed offer pages outperform thin descriptions
- Traffic strategies — organic search versus social media, and why Facebook followers should become email subscribers
- Customer avatars — creating detailed profiles of your ideal customers to guide content creation
- Email list building — capturing addresses, delivering value, and building trust
- Autoresponder sequences — engaging subscribers with questions, calls to action, and eventually asking for the sale
The audience Q&A covers Mark's favorite autoresponder tools, how Google handles curated content, platform recommendations for WordPress, and advice for revamping existing websites.
What Has Changed Since This Episode
Mark delivered this talk in spring 2015 and aired it in December 2015.
Social Media Marketing World ran its final conference in 2024. After more than a decade as the premier social media marketing event, SMMW held its last in-person conference. The Social Media Examiner brand continues online, but the conference era has ended. The advice Mark delivered on that stage, however, remains fundamentally sound.
Email marketing platforms have evolved dramatically. In 2015, Aweber was a top choice. By 2026, platforms like ConvertKit, Drip, and ActiveCampaign offer visual automation builders, behavioral segmentation, and AI-powered optimization that make sophisticated email marketing accessible to solopreneurs.
Google's algorithm now heavily weights E-E-A-T. The SEO basics Mark covers are still important, but modern search rankings require demonstrable Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Small business websites with genuine expertise and original content have a real advantage over generic competitors.
Resources Mentioned
Related Episodes
Listen and Subscribe
Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or subscribe at latenightim.com/internet-marketing-podcast/. Have a question for Mark? Call the digital recorder at 214-444-8655 or drop a comment below.
