In order for a business to be successful in today's digital world, it has to have a strong online presence. In fact, according to Entrepreneur, 2.5 billion people log onto the Internet every day. This constant activity provides online marketers with a multitude of opportunities to attract new potential customers. Here are some tips for getting found online.
Content Strategy
Whether you own a dog walking service, a coffee bar or a gym, a solid content marketing strategy plays an important role in your company's online presence. By providing valuable, targeted content, you can naturally boost your search engine rankings. Furthermore, you can establish yourself as a trusted resource and a leader in your field, which will help you attract new potential customers.
For instance, if you own a cafe, you may want to post regular articles about new products, trends in the industry or perhaps even lifestyle-related content that would be of interest to people who enjoy coffee and pastries. By providing this type of targeted content, you can attract your desired audience to your website and encourage them to forge a connection with your brand.
Social Media
When Facebook and Twitter were in their infancy, many business owners did not see social media as a necessity. But now we're living in a time when, according to We Are Social, almost 30 percent of the global population is using a social media service of some sort — and that number jumps to 74 percent of Internet-using adults when you look at the U.S. alone, notes the Pew Research Center. A strong social media strategy has become essential to your company's success. In order to get the most out of this content, you need to post updates frequently and keep your audience in mind. If customers feel that your content is helpful or interesting, they will be more likely to share it. When users engage with your clickworthy content in this way, they boost your business's profile among their friends, which will help you expand your reach.
Listings Management
According to Search Engine Watch, recent research from Google found that 50 percent of mobile users are likely to visit a brick-and-mortar store after conducting a local search, versus 34 percent of computer or tablet searchers. As such, listings management is another huge factor in your online visibility, especially if you're looking to find more local consumers via organic search. Therefore, it's important for you to make sure that your address, hours, official website and even menu data (if you're in the food service business) is correct across listing services like Google, Yelp! and Yahoo. If your listings are incorrect, out of date or simply nonexistent, consumers searching for local shops or restaurants will be less likely to find your website, which can cost you valuable business.
As technology, search algorithms and social media platforms are constantly changing, it can be somewhat daunting to try to figure out the best way to promote your business. Though it won't happen overnight, you can work toward getting found online by having a solid content marketing strategy in place, updating your social networking profiles frequently and ensuring that your listings are correct.
