26 Small Business Websites You Can Trust |  | Visited: 491 |
|
|
| 5.0/5.0 (2 votes total) |
|
|
| | by David Jackson
April 27, 2010 |
With so many scams and rip-offs prevalent on the Internet, I decided to
compile a list of small business websites you could actually trust and rely on.
In order to compile my list, I surveyed hundreds of small business owners, and
asked them which small business services they used, trusted and would recommend
to others.
Whichever company received the most votes in each category are the companies
you see listed here.
I had two main criteria for a website to make my list:
- Proof of Customer Satisfaction. The service had to have legitimate,
verifiable customer testimonials. If I couldn't verify the testimonials, the
website was disqualified. It's that simple.
- Stability. The website had to have a verifiable online track record of at
least three years.
Following are the results of my survey, listed alphabetically:
1. Anti-Virus Protection
AVG
http://avg.com
Online since: 2006
AVG is a respected industry leader with award winning free anti-virus
protection, serving over 110 million customers worldwide. AVG's customers rely
on AVG to protect them 24 hours a day. Unfortunately, today's sophisticated
security threats go way beyond viruses, and only AVG has the protection arsenal
needed to combat the Internet's most serious online threats.
2. Article Distribution Service
Steve Shaw
SubmitYourArticle
http://www.submityourarticle.com
Online
since 2003
Neil Stafford of InternetMarketingReview.com calls SubmitYourArticle the
"Rolls Royce of article distribution services." SYA must be doing something
right, because Internet Marketing heavy hitters like Willie Crawford swear by
their service.
3. Autoresponder Service
Tom Kultzer
Aweber
http://aweber.com
Online since: 1998
Aweber is the undisputed "King" of autoresponder services. Their growing
team of knowledgeable professionals share a wealth of experience with the over
75,000 clients worldwide.
4. Blogging Platform
WordPress
http://wordpress.com
Online since: 2003
While Google's Blogger may be more popular, in terms of shear number of
users, WordPress is the runaway favorite blogging platform among small business
owners who responded to my survey.
5. Business Coach
Irene Leonard
Coaching for Change
http://www.coachingforchange.com
Online
since: 1998
Just like a good coach in sports can help athletes reach their potential, a
good business coach can help business professionals reach their potential in
their business and personal lives.
Irene Leonard is just such a coach. She has a sincere passion for helping
people achieve extraordinary results in their professional and personal lives.
Her extensive training and expertise makes her unusually well-qualified for
helping you identify and advance your goals.
6. Copywriting Service
Michele Pariza Wacek
http://www.writingusa.com
Online since
2003
Considered one of the most gifted direct response copywriters and marketing
consultants in the industry, Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) has a
well-deserved reputation for crafting copy and creating online and offline
marketing campaigns that get results.
7. Direct Mail Service
Valpak
http://www.valpak.com
Online since: 1994
Since 1968, Valpak has helped hundreds of thousands of businesses just like
yours attract new customers and keep their existing customers coming back for
more. In fact, last year alone, Valpak delivered over 20 billion offers in more
than 521 million familiar blue envelopes.
8. Domain Registration Service
GoDaddy
http://www.godaddy.com
Online since:
2002
No real surprise here. When it comes to domain registration for small
businesses, GoDaddy rules! Their combination of competitive prices and excellent
customer service are truly hard to beat.
9. Editing Service
Barbara McNichol
Barbara McNichol Editorial
http://barbaramcnichol.com
Online
since: 1997
Barbara McNichol and her team will add credibility to your small business.
They will expertly edit your nonfiction books and book proposals, speaker and
book promo one-sheets and articles, reports, blogs, ezines, ebooks and pretty
much anything else you need to have edited.
10. E-mail Marketing Service
Janine Popick
Vertical Response
http://verticalresponse.com
Online
since: 2001
Over 500,000 small businesses and non-profit organizations depend on
VerticalResponse to send their e-mail marketing campaigns. Whether you're
sending an e-mail newsletter to a few dozen subscribers or an e-mail marketing
promotion to thousands, VR simplifies your e-mail marketing to the nth degree.
11. Hosting Service
HostGator
http://www.hostgator.com
Online since:
2002
I've used several hosting companies in the past, but I've never experienced
the level of customer service that HostGator delivers. They take your business
seriously, and they're extremely pleasant to deal with.
12. Incorporation Service
Scott Letourneau
Nevada Corporation Planners
http://www.nvinc.com
Online since: 1997
Looking for a one-stop corporate planner that you can trust? Look no further
than NCP. They provide everything you need - and then some! By the way, don't
let their name fool you, NCP incorporates in all 50 states.
13. Keyword Research Tool
Keyword Discovery
http://www.keyworddiscovery.com
Online
since: 2004
With a database of over 36 Billion searches tracked over a 12 month period,
KeywordDiscovery is the most comprehensive keyword research service available.
Not only can it can help you identify the keywords your customers are using,
it will also suggest related keywords you need to look at, common spelling
mistakes as well as how your industry keywords are impacted by seasonal search
trends.
14. Logo Design Service
Andre Le Roux
Biz-Logo.com
http://www.biz-logo.com
Online since:
2004
I've actually purchased several logos from this company over the last several
years, for my various websites. And I can personally vouch for their talent and
professionalism. Not only do they do great work, they do everything they can to
make sure that you're satisfied with the final product.
15. Marketing Consultants
Illise Benum & Peleg Top
Marketing Mentors
http://marketing-mentor.com
Online
since: 2004
Marketing Mentor is a growing team of experts with extensive experience in
marketing and business development.
Their mission is to help you learn the tools you need to market your
services, get your ideal clients, grow your business and create the necessary
work/life balance that is ideal for you.
16. Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Chitika
http://chitika.com
Online
since 2001
It's not exactly a secret that Google is the industry leader, when it comes
to pay-per-click advertising. But believe it or not, not everyone is in love
with Google's ppc services. So, I surveyed small business owners to find out
which ppc company, other than Google they preferred. I got my answer.
Chitika(pronounced CHIH-tih-ka), is a full-service on-line advertising
network serving over 2 billion monthly impressions, across more than 30,000
websites. If you're unhappy with Adsense or Adwords, Chitika is an excellent
alternative.
17. Payment Processing
PayPal
http://www.paypal.com
Online since:
1999
Again, no surprise here. When it comes to payment processing among small
businesses, there's PayPal and then there's everybody else.
18. Press Release Distribution Service
PRWeb
http://www.prweb.com
Online
since: 1997
Like GoDaddy and PayPal, PRWeb was a runaway winner among press release
distribution services.
19. Printing Service
Got Print
http://gotprint.net
Online
since: 2003
Got Print utilizes the most modern and innovative equipment and products in
the printing industry. In addition to having excellent customer service, they
use state-of-the-art Heidelberg Offset presses, producing the highest quality,
brilliant finished products that are also environmentally friendly.
20. Publicity/PR Expert
Dan Janal
PR Leads
http://www.prleads.com
Online since:
2001
Publicity expert Dan Janal and PR LEADS has helped more than 4,000 business
experts, solo PR firms, and small businesses get the publicity they need to grow
their businesses.
21. SEO/SEM Services
Stoney deGeyter
Pole Position Marketing
http://www.polepositionmarketing.com
Online
since: 2005
Pole Position Marketing is a proven and respected leader in the SEO industry
helping business of all sizes expand their online presence and increase their
return-on-investment. Bottom line: Stoney knows his stuff!
22. Shopping Cart
1ShoppingCart
http://www.1shoppingcart.com
Online
since: 2000
Used by over 25,000 businesses worldwide, 1ShoppingCart provides effective
online tools to help businesses large and small achieve success online. This,
combined with their excellent customer service has allowed 1ShoppingCart to help
small start-ups to multi-million dollar enterprises grow their businesses.
23. Social Media Consultant
Allen Mireles
Allen Mireles Social Media Consulting
http://allenmireles.com
Online since:
2002
Allen Mireles is a social media consultant who introduces companies to hidden
social media tips, tricks and strategies that will help them grow their
businesses. She has been involved in social media since 2006 and was recently
called one of "The Top 25 Very Smart Businesswomen to Follow on Twitter."
24. Virtual Assistant
Rosalind Harris
Instant Assistant
http://instantassistant.net
Online
since: 2006
I can personally vouch for this outstanding VA, having used her services on
numerous occasions. Roz provides friendly, personal and professional service
with great attention to detail.
25. Website Analytics
Google Analytics
http://www.google.com/analytics/
Online
since: 1997
Since I've been online, I've always used paid analytics services. But after
Google Analytics blew away the competition in my survey, I decided to try
GA...and I like it. I like it a lot. Great, great analytics.
I like everything about GA except the fact, it isn't real-time. There's a
significant lag time in the delivery of your stats. Call it nitpicking, if you
like, but I like having up-to-the minute stats. I just do. So besides GA, I also
use a paid service.
26. Website Design/Templates
Network Solutions
http://www.networksolutions.com
Online
since: 1998
No company makes doing business on the Internet any easier than Network
Solutions. Whether you need a professional looking website, hosting, e-mail or a
domain name, Network Solutions has everything you need all under one roof...at a
very affordable price.
| 
FEEDBACK
COMMENTS
EMAIL
PRINT
SUBMIT ARTICLE
RSS
Add comment
(Comments: 0)
