Keith Shirley

Congratulations to Martin Delaney and Ann Egan on receiving their certificates for courses they did with the Laois County Enterprise Board. There were, of course, a lot more people at the event but those were two of the people who took part in the Internet Marketing course I presented. I would have had a picture with me in it but I’m afraid it was out of focus. You’ll have to wait a little longer to see how I’ve changed since my profile picture was taken.

Martin is a business and executive coach at Empowerment Coaching and Ann runs the Roll n Bowl Entertainment centre in Portlaoise. It was great to be able to catch up with both of them.

I know I’m biased because I run them but I currently recommend Internet Marketing courses to any business owner that is serious about their website. Even if you are only in the planning stages it can help you avoid the mistakes that end up meaning your website is not reaching full potential. It’s hard work getting a good website in place and it needs to provide a return on investment.

Internet Marketing / Search Engine Optimisation is one of those areas that can seem really daunting at first. If you start doing your own research on the Internet you are likely to find hundreds of sites with info – many of them confusing. There are a number of things that you can do as a business owner to make sure your site is not getting lost in the crowd. People spend a fortune on developing their website but then don’t test it or promote it. When I see websites that lock out the serach engines through bad design I tell people it’s like have a beautiful shop full of products and leaving the door locked.

If your local Enterprise Board or Skillnet program does not currently run a marketing course – then tell them you are interested. They need your feedback. If you can’t wait for a course and can afford professional assistance then there are numerous companies specialising in this area. One Carlow company, T2, is currently pushing their search engine optimisation services and have been offering coupons to the members of the Carlow Chamber of Commerce for an initial consulation. Tell them I sent you and you might be lucky and get the first one for free.