Every small business needs a marketing strategy to develop a constant pipeline of qualified leads to convert into sales. Just building a website does not mean that you will attract visitors and get more customers.
Let’s consider some tried-and-true strategies that can help you successfully and affordably market your small business online in an ever increasing digital world.
1. Update and Maintain a Current Web Design
If you haven’t had a professional web designer evaluate and update your site in 3 or more years, it’s definitely the time to do so.
Not only do design styles change, but the technical aspects of improving your online presence and getting more visitors to your site are constantly shifting. Search engines such as Google generally update their algorithms at least once a year (if not more).
One of the key variables that Google considers in its search engine strategy is the “freshness” of the content available on the site. How often is your site content updated to reflect changes in your business, your industry or your marketing message? Sit down and actually read your site content and if you believe it’s a little stale, so will Google (as will potential customers).
A modern, updated business website reflects your commitment to putting your best foot forward in a drastically competitive online marketplace. Take a look at competitor sites to determine how your site stacks up design-wise.
2. Employ Search Engine Marketing and Optimization
More likely than not, some portion of the traffic to your website arrives there from search engines like Google or Bing. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a hugely important tool in making this happen.
Simply put, SEO uses technology to improve the chances that your content will get noticed. SEO consists of multiple strategies, actions, and best practices, all of which have the end goal of improving your website’s position in search engines.
By optimizing your site and content for local SEO, you can increase your chances of appearing in these local mobile search results and reaching more of your target customers. You can use Google My Business profile to better boost your brand awareness in your local area.
3. Use Email Marketing to Build an Opt-In Email List
Email marketing is a tried-and-true digital marketing strategy to allow you to build a personalized relationship with customers and continue to “nurture” them well after their first purchase.