A year ago.

A presentation on digital marketing from Rich Henrich and Paul Gonzales of Rook SEO (now Rook Digital) was scheduled for the first week of March 2020. Stay-at-home orders hadn’t yet been put in place. That event was the first of many that we had to cancel or postpone in 2020. At the time, we explained that we chose to postpone out of “an abundance of caution.” Several people who’d registered for the live, in-person event suggested that we were giving in to fear by postponing and ultimately delivering the presentation online via Zoom. Little did any of us know that a year later we’d still be navigating the messy world of COVID-19.

Pivot.

Over the past year, businesses of all sizes have had to adapt in order to survive. Some businesses were forced to close. Some were supposed to close, but instead operated in secret. A few operated “illegally” without trying to hide it at all. Many others, including retail stores and restaurants, had to quickly learn how to implement online ordering with pickup or delivery options. The challenges faced by businesses over the past year simply cannot be overstated.

Doing business online has been important for many, many years. But it has become even more important recently, as online spaces become more saturated with the presence of local businesses. It is no longer enough for potential customers to walk down the street and pop into a store to see if the item they want is available. Customer behavior is shifting, and customers want to find what they need online. Amidst this added online competition and the sheer necessity of an online presence, we opted to invite the experts at Rook Digital back for the first Small Business Comeback Forum of 2021 to offer in-depth e-commerce training.

We recorded the series for those who weren’t able to attend in real-time. Getting Online, Embracing e-Commerce is a three-part series; each session is about an hour long. You’ll learn how to skillfully manage the online presence of your business. You’ll also learn some of the better-kept secrets of digital marketing, like how to (legally and easily) keep track of your competition.

Each session lays the foundation for the next.

Part 1: Introductions and History. You can begin to master the art of “being found” in online search if you understand why search engines work the way they do.

Part 2: Google My Business and Reviews. The best things in life are free, and learning to leverage free Google tools is a smart decision.

Part 3: Social Media (Facebook). Are you ready to take advantage of more free tools for your business? Learn how to use Facebook to host your own business page and to get ideas for effective ads and content.

Bookmark these videos and come back to them as often as you need them. Contact the experts at Rook Digital to see how much your business could grow with the right digital presence. If you have other questions about your business expansion or growth, contact us.