UALR’s Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will offer “Online Marketing in a Day” from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, in advance of the holiday buying season.

The daylong seminar at UALR’s Donald W. Reynolds Business Center at University Avenue and 28th Street will give participants the knowledge they need to establish and enhance the online presence of their business.

Registration fee is $50. Because of limited seating, pre-registration is required. For more information, call 501.683.7700 or visit asbtdc.org/training.

“Even businesses that don’t sell products online need to have a strong online presence to appeal to shoppers who use the Internet for research before making a purchase at brick-and-mortar retailers,” said Gwen Green, one of three seminar instructors. “According to eMarketer, 46 percent of smartphone owners used their phone to research a product before buying it in a store during the 2011 holiday season.”

The day will include sessions on five topics:

• Get Listed Locally. How businesses can claim their free online listings to increase the chances of potential customers finding them when they search for their products or locations online.
• 10 Tips for Better eMarketing. Ways to make email marketing more deliverable, trackable and effective.
• Social Media for Small Business. How to effectively manage social media marketing activities and what not participating in social media could mean to small businesses.
• Search Engine Optimization. Tips to dramatically increase online visitors and sales by optimizing each page of a business website to attract qualified customers.
• Take Your Website Mobile. Ways to optimize a business website to reach potential customers who are viewing the site on a mobile device.

ASBTDC’s Maradyth McKenzie and Timothy Lee will join Green as instructors.

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested in advance. Contact McKenzie at mgmckenzie@ualr.edu.

The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center program is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration and the UALR College of Business. ASBTDC assists startups, existing businesses, expanding businesses and innovation-based businesses statewide through a network of seven offices.