You’re the best at what you do. Your product is completely unique and your customer service is on a whole new level. Well, maybe you’re just pretty close to making these assertions or even if you’re still finding your way but you still know your business will be a success. None of this matters in the slightest if you’re invisible online
Assuming you’ve already starting from the point where you have a basic online presence, including a website and social media accounts, what simple steps can you take now to cut through the noise and more eyeballs on your pages?
Going by a quick internet search there are some 1.5 billion websites in existence around the world, however only around 200 million of these are actually active. And if you factor in that around 48 percent of the world’s 7.4 billion population are using the Internet, the challenges and opportunities are striking.
First things first, you’ve got a great website, but how is anyone going to find it.? According to the 2018 internet trends report, the average user spends 5.9 hours per day online, up from three hours per day in 2009. So let’s talk about attracting these users to your website and start converting visitors into customers. What you need is a marketing strategy and that doesn’t mean hiring an agency for dollars. Instead, think about your consumers and what they want and how you can provide benefit to them. By stepping into your users shoes you are already on the way to increased engagement and sales.
Everything you post and everything you say should be directed at meeting these needs. The truth is that if you provide information of value then it will get shared and the more it gets shared, the more people will be tuning in so your marketing plan should be multi dimensional, blending a diverse mix of content across multiple platforms. Think blogs, images and video, plus if you’ve got enough expertise about a particular topic or market to be considered a Subject Matter Expert, reach out to the leading online platforms or communities in your field and offer to provide an article or commentary on current and topical issues in your field. It’s not something you can expect to charge for but if you can strike a chord with a new audience that can draw a bunch of new visitors to your website who are interested in what you do.
An alternative strategy is to identify people who are recognised leaders in your market. Not direct competitors but others who you can establish a symbiotic relationship with. Call them influencers if you like. Anyway, it won’t hurt to gently massage their ego. Offer to host their content on your pages, or conduct an interview with them or provide a discount on your product or service for their registered users. Share their content regularly as well.
Once you’ve got a nice mix of content across various platforms it’s time to repurpose that content on all the networks you are present on. Not all your customers are going to be followers of your Facebook page or even know how to use Twitter, so don’t be concerned about repeating yourself and repost your content, along with any quality feedback across all your social media pages.
When all is said and done, if we are really talking about getting your website noticed in the place where most people are looking, that place starts with a G and ends with an E. Over a billion people are actively using Google’s search engine, which processes some 40,000 requests per second. Understanding how to get your business towards the top end of Google’s search rankings is better covered in a dedicated blog post – or series of them – but there are a few straightforward steps you can take and it also won’t hurt to brush up on your search engine optimisation skills at the same time. As you may know, Google’s bots are constantly scouring the Internet for new websites, looking for new content to categorise and rank. What they are really looking for is regular, relevant content so if you stick to your initial marketing plan then you’re on the right lines, especially if you keep in mind the idea to write for your customers and think about what inspires them and what frustrates them. Otherwise, look to include a few choice keywords, but remember to use them naturally and even as a way of staying on topic, rather than repeating them unnecessarily. Also think about your page names and headers and consider again what your customers are going to be thinking about when they are looking for you online.
Lastly be sure to take advantage of the Google My Business feature. It’s simple and straightforward to set up and by plugging in your address and location it neatly syncs with Google Maps. It can also display your opening hours and allow users to post reviews, so it’s a great way to connect with customers. For getting found online in a local search it’s hard to beat and free as well.
