When Cori Franco quit her day job as an attorneyfor a Miami law firm, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. But she never dreamed the worst recession in recent history would put a damper on her plans. But it did, and in 2008, when Franco opened Eanie Meanie, her children's clothing boutique in South Beach, the recession had already made consumers reluctant to continue shopping.

``I didn't realize how adversely the recession was going to affect my business,'' said Franco, who practiced law for more than a decade, most recently at Steel, Hector and Davis, which is now Squire Sanders and Dempsey. ``Small businesses around the country are looking for ways to survive during this tough economic time.''

Eanie Meanie, located at 110 Washington Ave., is a colorful boutique nestled south of Fifth Street. Franco, who financed her business with a home equity loan and personal savings, offers an eclectic selection of clothing for boys and girls, ranging from newborns to six year olds. But sales haven't lived up to her expectations, and Franco wants to use her website to generate much-needed revenue.

``I have a lot invested in this business, but I didn't know how well I would do online, so I created a site when I opened the store using a template,'' said Franco. ``I didn't put a lot of money into the design. And I didn't know how to promote it to generate more sales.''

To get Franco's online makeover started, BizBytes 101 called on Beth Zuckerkorn and Michael Goodman of PR agency Bitner Goodman in Fort Lauderdale. The company offered free advice to help Franco get started down the path to improved revenue.

``In order to increase sales, she's got to get traffic to her site,'' said Zuckerkorn. ``One way she can do this without spending a fortune is through organic search. She needs to immediately list all of her products on consumer sites like Google Shopping.''

Goodman suggests that Franco make simple changes to her existing website that will have a positive impact on her bottom line. ``I would like to see a featured item box that changes regularly, which can replace the box that includes About Us and Contact Us on the top right of the homepage,'' said Goodman.

``She also needs a special offer -- like `order by this date and receive free shipping' -- or some incentive, which is especially great for first time buyers,'' said Goodman. ``She can offer incentives to past buyers, too. I would also suggest creating a preferred shopper program as a great way to build more sales.''

If you're going to create a preferred shopper program for your online business, you must capture customer e-mail addresses. It doesn't work unless you do.

Remember that your customers are inundated with e-mails daily. When you communicate with them, do it with a purpose and give them information they can use. Reach out several times a week by e-mail with exclusive sales, featured items and special offers.

Franco should also incorporate videos or slide shows into her site. ``I'd also like to see more photos of kids modeling clothes or items versus pictures of the store,'' said Goodman. ``That really shows what Eanie Meanie is all about -- the kids and the great clothes -- and motivates parents to make a purchase.''

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