Referrals from happy customers have always been the best method for generating new customers. The next-best source is well-written, satisfied customer reviews and testimonials, another kind of referral. Small businesses are uniquely positioned to obtain and leverage this form of referral being so close to their customers. This brief article describes how small businesses can obtain customer reviews and testimonials, why they work so well,

In today's ultra-competitive business environment, it is surprising that so many businesses still fail to take advantage of the free directory listings that can be driven by a fully optimized Local Business Profile. The term 'free directory listings' applies to local search engines, internet yellow pages, consumer review websites that focus on local businesses rather than products, local vertical search engines, and special directories like free 800 listings.