The inside view from Larry Kutscher, CEO of Register.com

The web is a great way for small businesses to flourish during difficult times. As someone who has spent the majority of my career working with small businesses I'm happy to share some of what I've learned about making an impact online.

At Register.com we work with about one million small businesses and they have been telling us about how the market has changed over the past year. More challenging times are causing small businesses to take a closer look at how they spend their money and how they can best reach potential customers--and many have found the web is the answer. We have also found that our small business customers are turning to Register.coom for more than purchasing product: they rely on us for the help and advice they need to thrive in the current economic climate.

Here are some simple tips to consider when you're thinking about creating or expanding a website:

Maximize Your Brand's Potential
With a good, professional website your business can easily compete with the big guys in your industry. The power lies in the quality of your site. It's not difficult to create a site that looks great and offers customers the information they need in a clear, easy-to-digest way. With a site like this, your online brand can make your customers see you in a whole new light.

Develop an Internet Strategy
Regardless of your industry or the size of your business, you can leverage your website to find new customers, serve your existing customers, and convert more leads to sales. When deciding to make the jump online, take time to choose the proper domain name, upload all necessary content, and be prepared to keep the site fresh, with timely updates and deliverables.

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In these days of intense competition only the smartest businesses will survive, says Trevor Gay of Training Zone. The secret, he says, is to make changes to your business before you reach your peak.

I've been thinking about how businesses retain customers for repeat business. My view has always been that if you value your front line employees and stay in touch with customers--if you make customers feel really special--you won't go far wrong.

There are management consultants out there waiting to take your money by trying to convince you there is a technical, rational, 'systems' answer to all this. I disagree. I have always said (and written) that of course there is an important place for process in business, but passion is more important. The proportions should be a pint of process and a gallon of passion. In my experience the businesses that struggle have a gallon of process and a pint of passion--and the owners are left wondering why their business is not a hotbed of creativity in touch with front line staff and custtomers.
I am attracted to Charles Handy's explanation in his wonderful book The Empty Raincoat about the Sigmoid Curve concept. Professor Handy simply and persuasively argues that the best chance of survival in the competitive world of business is to launch changes and new developments when things are going well and profits and business expansion are both on a steady upward trend.

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Michael Hargis is Vice President of Customer Care with Careerbuilder.com, the U.S.'s largest job-search web site with more than 22 million unique visitors and 1.5 million jobs. The team that Michael leads won the Stevie® Award for Best Customer Service Team in the 2007 Selling Power Sales Excellence Awards (which is now called the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service).

We recently spoke with Michael about his start in business, how customer service works at Careerbuilder.com, and how the company uses customer care as a profit center.

Listen to our podcast interview with Michael Hargis...

Read Careerbuilder.com's winning entry in the 2007 Selling Power Sales Excellence Awards...

Learn more about the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service...

Blogs, or web logs, are all the rage these days. Each month in this space we'll point you to several blogs that we think might be of interest to you.

Fine on Media : The media and marketing world continues to shapeshift on a near-daily basis. No one knows where its going, least of all Media Columnist Jon Fine, but scoops, sharp analysis and wit help track the terrain.
23/6 : "Some of the news, most of the time", including hilarious 1 minute video of the 4/16 Obama/Clinton debate.
Onion News Network : ONN for diehard fans.
Webby Awards : Go here to vote for your own favorite blogs, websites, etc.