Modern marketing is definitely an online game, so you need to make sure your business has an online presence, and a good one. You should be marketing well and maintaining a good website. Here a few aspects of your company’s website and how you should be managing them.
Your Website
Most consumers start their search for a local business online, so if you want them to find you, that’s where you need to be.People also tend to judge by appearance, meaning they’ll have an opinion about your company the moment your site loads. Make sure your website looks good by choosing a good color scheme, and using images effectively. Make sure the images are relevant, don’t overcrowd the page, or leave it too bland.
The content of your site comes next. You should include your company details – physical address and contact info – and a brief description of your company and what you do. If you add a blog or newsletter, make sure you upload high-quality content on a regular basis.
Your site also needs to be user-friendly and easy to navigate. Keep the load time short too (there are a number of ways to do this), as more than a few seconds to load the page can put people off.
SEO
Search engine optimization is one of the major ways you’ll generate traffic to your website. SEO increases your “natural” search engine rankings, so when people search certain keywords related to your site, you’ll be in the first few results. As a local business, local SEO will help potential customers in your area find you.
Marketing
You have quite a few options when it comes to online marketing, though some of them are a lot less effective than others. Side ads and banner ads on other websites have become less effective, as the online community has grown used to them. Ad-blindness is the ability to consciously or subconsciously block out ads.
Pay-per-click advertising is somewhat more effective, as you only pay for actual results, rather than paying a fixed rate for an ad that may or may not be effective. It also makes it easier to track the results of your ad.
Social media marketing is arguably one of the best forms of digital marketing. Paid social media advertising allows you to better reach your target audience based on information the social network in question already has – age, gender, location, and interests.
Managing your own social media account is essentially “free” social media advertising. By sharing promos and competitions through your company account, you can quickly generate a following of potential customers. An incentive to share the post, like making sharing an entry requirement, will improve your reach with little or no effort on your part.
Marketing well will generate traffic for your site, and a good website will engage potential clients. Keep your website up to date, monitor your marketing to see what’s effective and what’s not, and make sure all of your online marketing links back to your website.
