That’s where experts like Steve Smith come in. Smith, founder and president of GrowthSource Coaching, a California-based enterprise aimed at educating clients how to improve their business savvy, works with two types of professionals: business owners and executives and senior management personnel in larger companies. No matter with whom he consults, Smith’s goal is to help the client “get beyond skill deficiencies and narrow viewpoints that aren’t serving them as they seek to succeed at their companies.”

Marketing one’s business is an essential aspect of a successful enterprise, says Smith. With that in mind, he offers concrete tips to entrepreneurs designed to bolster the visibility and success of any endeavor. He says it is imperative small business owners:

• Understand the market they’re in so they can determine their niche. Then the entrepreneur should strategize how to dominate that niche
• Make a thorough evaluation of their known competitors to determine if there are any unmet needs. Those previously untapped or underserved needs should be highlighted in various marketing efforts, including the company’s web site
• Analyze as many review web sites pertaining to your industry to see what consumers say about what they like and don’t like about a service, a company, etc.

“See what people tend to gripe about” about your industry and use that information to steer clear of those deficiencies, says Smith.

Smith also advises entrepreneurs to keep their former customers in mind for future transactions. He suggests perusing a list of clients from the past year, for example, and then contacting them to ask if they will participate in a survey regarding your company. Make sure customers are offered an “open-ended survey to ask what they liked and didn’t like about” dealing with your company.

He calls this type of market “the most effective way to determine value,” but it does at a cost. In fact, Smith suggests outsourcing this task since it’s not easy to hear negative comments from clients. Dealing with a third party might also encourage people to be more honest than if they are asked to provide feedback directly to the company owner, says Smith.

Just like there are proactive steps small business owners can and should take to market their enterprises, there are definite no-nos when it comes to promoting one’s company that should be avoided.

Smith says the most common mistakes Smith says he sees small business owners make include:

• Spending a lot of money on marketing accessories, such as web sites and Google ads, before they have created an appropriate strategy for their business

• Handing over control of your company’s marketing to someone else

“Marketing and sales are the only two activities that drive revenue for any business,” he says. As such, control of marketing should remain with the company owner.

“This way, you’ll do a better job of explaining your ROI expectations to people you hire or contract to do your social media, web site development and maintenance, ad words account and more. If they are not delivering what you need, find people who will without fear of losing control of your marketing,” says Smith.

Another error small business owners often make is expecting their marketing efforts to have immediate payoffs. “Depending on the type of business you have, it could take from six months to one year to see any sustainable traffic from it. You must be prepared for this by starting early and staying the course,” Smith says.

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Tami Kamin Meyer is an Ohio attorney and writer.