Digital Marketing can be daunting for small business owners.
Websites, social media, emails, blogs – the list is extensive. Here are the top 5 things a small business owner should know about getting their business online and noticed.
1. KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
Know who you want to sell to. This sounds obvious but very few business owners sit down and work out who they should be targeting. Most say, “Anyone and everyone”.
Work out what problems your product or service solves for your customers. What do your customers need a solution for? What are their wants and needs? What do they value? Are they looking for time savers, safety, reliability, ease of use? If you were selling to you, what would you want?
2. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS
Communicating with your customers comes in many forms and different audiences prefer different styles. Younger customers tend to use their mobile devises more and like to use apps with “push notifications”. This means sending information about new offers without a specific request. Older customers prefer a more personal approach, like emails.
Think carefully about how to structure your emails. Use a call to action in the subject line and keep the content short, interesting and specific.
Blogs are great on a website. It creates a personal insight into you, your team and your business. They add the human touch! Blogs also allow comments to be exchanged – which creates engagement from your customers.
Social Media can raise your business profile. Be warned though – these can be time consuming to upkeep. Choose one or two networks only. If you are after the younger market use Twitter or Insta. For the over 35 market – Facebook.
3.SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION (SEO)
What is Search Engine Optimisation? SEO is making sure your website is able to rank well in Google, Yahoo or Bing (Search Engines) with the aim being number 1. People don’t scroll – you know yourself when searching for something on Google – you look at the first page only…usually the first 3 listings. How often do you click through to page 3??
There are 4 main area that are important to consider with SEO.
Keywords:- These are the main words or phrases that your customers type into Google to find your product or service. For example, “battery powered lawnmower”. This keyphrase should be used throughout the page listing and in titles and meta-tags.
Content:- Google loves good content. Your content must help and inform your customer. The better the information – the higher your search ranking will be. Velvet Digital Marketing has great content writers who can help with your website ranking.
Structure:- Your website should have different pages for different subjects/ideas. All websites should have home, about us and contact us pages. Other pages should then cover one product or service per page. Think about how you want to promote these products or services.
Accessibility:- Smart phones make up around half of all Google searches. Ensure your website is mobile, tablet and laptop responsive. Your website should be accessible to everyone on every type of devise.
Get SEO right and you have free marketing via your website.
4. LEARN FROM BIG COMPANIES
Running a small business takes effort but like anything, the more you put in the better your results. Big companies like Apple, Nike and Toyota make it look easy. Look at their digital marketing strategies and see if there is anything you can learn and try in your own marketing. Maybe there are companies or competitors in your industry that have a loyal following. What are they doing to ensure the ongoing following?
5. TEST, TEST AND TEST
As with any marketing campaign ensure you track the performance in detail. With online campaigns Google make this easy with Google Analytics. If something is not working – Change It! Sometimes a small tweak makes a big difference. Don’t be afraid to change often until you get the result you want.
Never stop learning and adapting.
The digital world is constantly changing…
Keeping up to date online can be challenging. Why not allow Strathfield Web Design to manage your website and digital marketing so you can get on with running your business.
Call us today on 9742 5635 and see how we can help you.