My friend Gene called me on my home phone to ask for my business phone number, in order to pass it along to a potential customer. Gene is one of the brightest, more insightful people I know, and he has a website for his own business. But it did not occur to him to simply give the potential customer my web address.

Lesson learned: Not everyone in my world is Internet savvy. Levels of experience dip and sway from people who use email and do nothing else on line;  who surf but don’t bookmark;  who buy online but don’t know how to search online.  These people are merely inexperienced—some even want to remain inexperienced. But they are still potential customers!

As sure as SEO techniques are essential within your web site talking up your site is essential, too.

When you are talking with anyone who might bring you business—be it a colleague, a networking associate, a potential customer or your Aunt Ruthie—make sure you:

State your web address.

Say your web address out loud, even if you’ve just handed someone your business card.

The best possible web address is either your own name or the name of your company. For example, my company is Blue Ribbon Writing.  I say my company name then I add “And my website is at Blue Ribbon Writing dot Com.”

If your URL is not your name or company name, it’s even more important to say it out loud.  Explain how it’s spelled and if there are hyphens or underscores. Perhaps you need to add “remember, it’s dot net not dot com.”

Make no assumptions about another person’s Web savvy

Check the person’s level of experience with the Internet.  Be direct or be subtle; it  doesn’t matter as long as you’re polite.

If you say “SEO” and their brow furrows, you’ve got information. Ask if they shop on line, if they’re on LinkedIn, if they use Fandango or read SFGate—their reaction will tell you plenty about their ease or unease around the Internet. Many people are not sophisticated Internet users.  (Not so long ago, neither were you nor I.)

To the novice, give more information and lessen its complexity.  For instance, I don’t usually say the “www” when I give someone my web address.  But to the non-savvy, I’d spell it out completely.

Let people know that you want them to visit your website.

When you’re discussing business, be straightforward:

• “Please tell SoAndSo to visit my website; Blue Ribbon Writing Dot Com.”
• I have much more information posted on my website. It’s Marissa Berger Dot Com.”
• “The pet sitter I use is excellent!  Her phone number and email address are on her website, which is  Whiskers And Tails dot US. That’s dot US, not dot Com.”

I did get in touch with the potential customer Gene referred to me.  We’re working on web content for her new site. She’s another Web novice  becoming savvier.  And I’m a Web aficionado happily learning better ways to promote my business by talking about the Internet.