Opportunities abound for new and old businesses when they establish an online presence. Surveys have shown that 74 percent of shoppers searched online before heading to a store to make a purchase. If your company has been a brick-and-mortar business for many years, moving into the digital realm can be daunting. These tips can help you to take the guesswork out of online marketing.
Build a Website
Building a company website is the very first step for any business interested in digital marketing. Your company website is the face of your business. Therefore, you must ensure that your official website presents a professional image, even if you plan to sell through other channels.
There are a variety of options for how you structure your company website. A clean and simple site will suffice for small businesses with limited products or services. However, if you have an edge in your field or unique expertise, do not shy away from featuring it on your website.
A great way to prove your authority in the industry is to integrate a blog on your website. Posts with helpful tips and in-depth knowledge show your potential customers that you know your stuff and that you are interested in improving their lives. This is excellent marketing.
The main purpose of digital marketing is to generate leads and drive conversions. Your website is the perfect vehicle for this. All your advertising and marketing campaigns should point to specific pages on your website where you can further emphasize your selling point.
Use Social Media
You use social media to keep in touch with your friends and family. Likewise, your business can use social media to connect with current and future customers. If your business is geared towards B2B services, having a profile on LinkedIn can help you network and make contacts.
If it is more towards the retail end of the spectrum, having a Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube account can introduce your products and services to a much wider audience. Users are now able to shop directly from these platforms as well, dramatically shortening the conversion process.
Just like your website, your social media accounts are important in convincing potential clients to choose you. Your social media accounts should build on your brand identity and engage with your target audience. Sometimes, all it takes is a little positive interaction to woo a customer.
SEO Works
You may have shied away SEO because the term sounds too technical. However, SEO or search engine optimization is a truly powerful set of actions that can greatly improve your digital marketing outcomes. SEO works, and many businesses reap its benefits.
The higher you rank on a search engine results page, the more website visitors and clicks you will receive. The top three results of a search typically receive most of the search traffic. Simply put, SEO is the process by which online marketing experts ensure that you achieve a better rank.
That said, it is easy to get swept along by unscrupulous SEO service providers and believe in the hype of overnight success. As effective as quality SEO is, it will not deliver immediate results. It will, however, give you effective long-term marketing and outstanding ROI.
Therefore, it is essential when investing in an SEO service to ensure that your service providers are committed to growing your organic search presence with legitimate and best-practice techniques. As your search presence increases, you will enjoy a boost in website traffic and conversions.
Location Matters
Local support can make or break a small business. If your business deals with a largely local clientele, digital marketing can help you to get noticed. Start by getting your business listed in online directories and the digital versions of local and regional magazines.
Then, make sure that your company details are updated on Google Maps. Google Maps is a powerful app that is used by the vast majority of mobile shoppers. It helps people in your area discover your business and lets interested parties find out more information conveniently.
Your Google Maps profile also allows customers to leave reviews. Do ensure that you are confident in the quality of your offering! Consumers will definitely be more attracted to a business boasting a five-star rating than one without a Google profile or any reviews.
Finally, you can create targeted advertising campaigns to make your business more visible to users who are searching in your area. Knowing that search users seldom click past the first few results, having pride of place at the top of the search results pane is a definite advantage.
So, there you have it. Some simple ways for you to move your marketing online and make the most of the huge digital browsing and shopping market. If you are still unsure, rest assured that the experts can help. Many online marketing agencies will be happy to lend you their skills and help carve out a niche for your business in the digital realm.