Imagine if your business wasn’t listed in the phone book. You’d soon be out of business. The same holds true for online marketing — 97 percent of consumers use the Internet to search for local products and services today. And if the majority of your potential customers are trying to find businesses online, it’s vital that yours has a solid online presence. Most businesses fall behind in this area and rely more on social media and marketing than really solidifying their website and online presence. If you are worried about being left behind in the digital age, here are three tips to help your business maintain its competitive edge.
Create a Website
Only 51 percent of small businesses use websites. If you want to attract customers, you don’t want to be in the other 49 percent. Your website doesn’t have to be overly complicated. If you’re in the process of building one, it’s best to keep it simple. You’ll need pages that highlight you, your business, testimonials, contact information and a blog. Make sure you can be found easily. Check out Internet providers to host your Internet and make sure your page is responsive over all networks. Now that more consumers are using mobile devices to shop online, make sure your website is mobile responsive as well. People should be able to view your site on their phones and tablets as well as on their computers.
Make Your Website SEO-Friendly
Now that you have a website, you need to make it easy for customers to find you. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in. Eighty-nine percent of shoppers use search engines to find and compare products and services before spending any money. Websites that rank high on search engine pages tend to get the most traffic, so your website needs to be as close to the top as possible. By employing SEO strategies, you’ll make it easier for search engines to find you. One of the most well-known strategies is to plant specific keywords throughout your website. These would be the kind of keywords that people might type into Google or Yahoo when searching for a particular business.
However, this is just one example of a SEO strategy. There are plenty of online resources that can help you improve your website’s SEO. You should also consider hiring a digital marketing firm that specializes in SEO marketing to get you started off on the right foot.
Use Social Media
When videos and blog posts go viral it’s because of social media. These online platforms allow users to connect, communicate and share information. It’s a great way for businesses to market their products and build brand loyalty because it allows customers to interact directly with businesses. There are a lot of social media platforms out there, so be sensible in choosing which you will use. Managing a social media account can be time-consuming, and when you’re trying to market your business, time is valuable. If you’re just starting out, you should focus initially on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Facebook allows you to build a community around your brand, Twitter helps you connect with people one-on-one, and LinkedIn is great for networking and creating leads.
It’s important to remember that websites, SEO strategies and social media accounts need to be managed constantly. If you don’t update them regularly, they’ll lose their relevance. The online world is constantly evolving. If you want your business to maintain its competitive edge, it will need to evolve too.
Eileen O’Shanassy is a freelance writer and blogger based out of Flagstaff, AZ. She writes on a variety of topics and loves to research and write. She enjoys baking, biking, and kayaking. Check out her Twitter @eileenoshanassy.The post Tips to Boost Your Online Presence as a Small Business appeared first on SiteProNews.
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