How Small Online Businesses Can Compete with Larger Businesses with Bryan Eisenberg (5:37) Dr. Ralph F. Wilson , Web Marketing Today - Jan 11, 2011

In this video interview Internet sales and conversion expert Bryan Eisenberg gives hope to small businesses that don't think they can compete online with the "big boys." But small businesses have some built-in advantages, says Eisenberg.

1. Small businesses can be much more nimble than larger companies. This enables you to monitor trends and respond immediately, where a larger company might take a week to call a meeting.

2. Small businesses can be much more customer-intimate. For example, Zappos.com empowered their employees to create a good customer experience for their customers. As a result, customers kept coming back and the word spread from customers to their friends. In addition, smaller businesses can speak personally to their customers, rather than in some kind of "corporate-speak." When you speak in an "authentic" way to your customers, they really respond. Eisenberg encourages small businesses owners to share their passion for their business on your "about us" page. Find a compelling way to tell your story.

3. Finally, small business can make themselves accessible to their customers, with links to e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and phone numbers.

But despite the advantages small businesses have, larger businesses continue to learn from continual testing and analytics that raise conversion rates higher than many small businesses can achieve. Eisenberg says, money and brand can buy larger businesses a lot of forgiveness for their mistakes.

Bryan Eisenberg is a principal in Bryan & Jeffery Eisenberg and Associates. He communicates principles of conversion growth through speaking for companies and industry seminars. This interview was recorded at the Search Engine Strategies (SES) Conference in Chicago in October 2010.