If you run a small business, you’ve no doubt seen the side effects of an ever more connected world. As more consumers come to exclusively rely on the internet for their goods and services, businesses, especially small businesses, have to find ways to adapt. As any internet marketing service can tell you, getting your company online can help you tap into the $1.5 trillion web users are expected to spend on eCommerce this year, as estimated by eMarketer. However, building a website and listing your products isn’t going to be enough. You have to learn effective internet marketing strategies if you want to succeed.
Four Small Business Internet Marketing Tips
- First Thing’s First: Make a Plan
- Claim and Optimize Your Business Pages
- Maintain a High Quality Blog
- Get on Social Media
As Search Engine Land writes, the worst thing you can do when trying to market your business online is to try to find success without a plan. You need to figure out what exactly it is you want to accomplish and how you’re going to accomplish it. Just as you would when dealing with a client, lay out a list of deliverables, their costs, and when you want them completed. Do you want a website, blog, and social media profile? Figure out how much time and resources each will cost on an ongoing basis. Doing so, you’ll greatly increase the effectiveness of each.
If you have a physical business location, it’s likely that Google, Bing, and Yahoo! have already pulled your address and phone number into a “skeleton.” As Inc.com points out, these skeletons are rough, non-detailed business pages that each of these search engines list for your company. If you’re looking for a simple internet marketing strategy, claim these pages for your own. By claiming each page, you can optimize the copy and improve their marketability. As an added bonus, all of these pages are free.
You may have seen the phrase “Content is King” around the web. This refers to the idea that writing high quality marketing content and publishing it on your business website can greatly increase your small business internet marketing success. In fact, according to Inbound Writer, 61% of web users say they are more likely to buy from companies that make an effort to offer custom, engaging content on their blogs. Even if you only make one post per week, your blog can be a powerful magnet for new customers.
Social media platforms are home to more than two-billion web users, according to Statistic Brain. By using these free platforms to connect with your customer-base, you can show them how much you care, and you can show them that you’re more than just a marketer. Sharing interesting content about your industry, engaging in conversations with your customers, and responding to any concerns in real time proves your use, greatly improving you revenue potential, according to Social Media Today.
You don’t have to keep watching as your customers take their dollars to the internet. By following these small business internet marketing tips, you can draw in more customers and find success in the Internet Age. More research here: paraduxmedia.com
