Narrator: A few years ago, Avery Swartz, a tech-savvy business owner, found herself staring at a screen, completely defeated. The problem wasn't a complex web server or a new social media algorithm; it was accounting software. Her company had outgrown its old system, and the migration to a new one was proving to be a nightmare. Despite her expertise in the digital world, the core concepts of double-entry bookkeeping were a foreign language. After weeks of frustration, she finally sat down with a bookkeeper who patiently walked her through the fundamentals. The moment the concepts clicked, the software became a tool, not a barrier. This experience sparked a powerful realization: technology is supposed to make things easier, but for many small business owners, it's a source of confusion and anxiety, especially when it comes to digital marketing.

In her book, See You on the Internet, Swartz channels this empathy into a comprehensive guide designed to demystify the online world. She argues that the key to success isn't knowing every new app or trend, but having a simple, repeatable framework to turn digital chaos into a clear, goal-oriented strategy.

Narrator: The book's central argument is that without a structured approach, digital marketing feels like a confusing, expensive, and time-consuming chore. To combat this, Swartz introduces a simple six-step framework: Set your goal, choose your Key Performance Indicator (KPI), measure your starting point, take a leap (execute the plan), measure the results, and learn from the outcome. This cycle transforms marketing from a series of random actions into a deliberate, data-driven process.

The cautionary tale of Leena, a real estate broker, perfectly illustrates the danger of ignoring this process. When a new, ad-free social media platform called Ello emerged, Leena jumped on the bandwagon, driven by a fear of missing out. She posted daily for weeks, trying to generate interest in a new property. The problem was, she had no goal, no plan, and no way to measure success. She was just shouting into a void. After two months of wasted effort and zero correlation to property inquiries, she abandoned the platform, frustrated.

In contrast, a local health food store applied the framework to a Facebook ad campaign. Their goal was simple: increase in-store sales. Their KPI was the number of daily customers. They measured their baseline at 50 customers per day. Then, they took the leap, running geo-targeted ads with a "Get Directions" button. By measuring after, they found the campaign brought in five new customers daily—a 10% increase. They learned from this and ran a second campaign with a promotional coupon, which boosted daily customers by another 27%. Leena acted on impulse; the health food store acted with intention. This framework is the compass that ensures every digital marketing effort is pointed directly at a business objective.

Narrator: Swartz is unequivocal on one point: every business needs a website. It is not an optional extra or something that can be replaced by a strong social media presence. Relying solely on platforms like Facebook or Instagram is, in her words, like "building your castle on someone else’s land." Those platforms can change their algorithms, decline in popularity, or even shut down, leaving a business stranded. A website is owned property, a central hub that a business controls completely.

This is a lesson that Christian, an insurance broker with a thriving 25-year-old business built entirely on word-of-mouth referrals, had to learn. He didn't think he needed a website, but his clients started telling him otherwise. They wanted a simple link to share with friends and colleagues, a digital storefront that would lend credibility and make referrals seamless. His offline success was undeniable, but in the modern world, even the strongest referral-based businesses need a professional online home to validate their reputation and facilitate growth. The book stresses that this home base begins with securing a professional domain name and email address, foundational elements that reflect the quality of the business itself.

Narrator: Once a business commits to building its digital home, Swartz explains that a modern website must be built on three essential pillars: it must be mobile, fast, and accessible. The story of Brent and Nisha's Irish pub illustrates this evolution perfectly. They launched their first website in 2006 using Flash, which was visually impressive but quickly became obsolete when Apple products stopped supporting it. In 2011, they redesigned it using WordPress, giving them more control. But by 2016, the site had become slow and clunky on phones. Their third redesign prioritized a mobile-first experience, recognizing that the majority of users would be visiting from their smartphones.

This isn't just about user preference; it's about survival. Google now uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it ranks the mobile version of a site first. Speed is also a critical ranking factor; a slow-loading site will be penalized in search results. Finally, accessibility—designing for users with disabilities—is both an ethical imperative and a legal necessity. This means using clear fonts, providing alternative text for images, and ensuring the site can be navigated without a mouse. A website that fails on these three pillars is like a beautiful storefront with a broken door and no wheelchair ramp—it fails to serve the very customers it's trying to attract.

Narrator: "Content is king" is a well-worn marketing phrase, but Swartz argues that authenticity is what truly builds a loyal following. Businesses must throw away the generic "elevator pitch" and learn to tell their unique story. The book shares the example of Debra, a lawyer who left a large corporate firm to start a boutique practice in her community. Her initial website was filled with dry, impenetrable legal jargon. It was her office assistant who suggested she rewrite the content to tell her personal story: why she left the rat race and how she is passionate about helping people in her own town. This shift in tone transformed the website from a sterile brochure into a magnet for the exact type of clients she wanted to attract.

This authentic approach must be balanced with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It's not about "black-hat" tricks like keyword stuffing, which the book warns against through the story of a business owner whose site was penalized by Google for such practices. Instead, it's about understanding what your ideal customer is searching for and naturally weaving those terms into your valuable, story-driven content. The goal is to write for humans first and search engines second, creating content that is both discoverable and deeply resonant.

Narrator: Social media and email marketing are powerful tools, but they require a strategic approach. The book highlights the story of Annie, who dreamed of leaving her banking job to open a bake shop. Instead of taking a huge financial risk, she started small, renting an industrial kitchen and documenting her entire journey on a Facebook page. For two years, she shared her passion, her behind-the-scenes process, and her entrepreneurial struggles. She wasn't just selling cakes; she was building a community. By the time she opened her storefront, she had a built-in, loyal customer base that was invested in her success.

Email marketing, Swartz notes, is an "old school" tactic that still works incredibly well because it's a direct line to the customer. Unlike social media followers, an email list is an asset the business owns. The key is to provide value, not just promotions. Whether it's a landscaping business sending garden care tips in the off-season or an airline offering exclusive flash sales to subscribers, successful email marketing answers the recipient's question: "What's in it for me?"

Narrator: The final piece of the puzzle is measurement. Without it, all other efforts are just guesswork. Swartz emphasizes the importance of using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to track and nurture client relationships. She tells the story of Lucy, an organic farmer who knew every customer at the farmers' market by name. As her business grew, this personal knowledge needed to be transferred into a system so her team could provide the same level of service. A CRM acts as the business's scalable brain, organizing customer data and interactions.

Furthermore, businesses must move beyond "vanity metrics" like follower counts and page views. While these numbers can feel good, they don't necessarily indicate progress toward a business goal. The book advises focusing on engagement and conversion metrics available through tools like Google Analytics. By tracking how users find the site, what they do when they get there, and whether they complete a desired action (like filling out a form or making a purchase), a business can gain real insights to refine its strategy and drive actual growth.

Narrator: The single most important takeaway from See You on the Internet is that effective digital marketing is not about mastering every new platform or chasing fleeting trends. It is about establishing a simple, repeatable framework—Goal, Plan, Execute, Measure, Learn—and applying it with discipline. This process grounds a business's online efforts in its core objectives, transforming what feels like an overwhelming obligation into a powerful engine for growth.

The book's ultimate impact is to give small business owners permission to be strategic rather than frantic. It challenges them to stop asking "Should I be on TikTok?" and start asking "What is my business goal, and how can my digital efforts help me achieve it?" By focusing on this fundamental question, any entrepreneur can learn to navigate the digital world with confidence and purpose.