In the world of online marketing, you don’t have one or two competitors – you have tens if not hundreds. Try typing what your business is offering on a search engine, and those businesses are immediately your competition.
You need to have a solid strategy in making your business known to potential customers, whether they are intentionally searching for you, or whether they are casually browsing their favorite websites or social media apps.
Here are a few tips on how to grow the visibility of your small and local business.
Updating your business information on the web
Make your business information online prominent, accurate, and up-to-date – Have your business information appear on multiple online platforms, as many as possible. Also, you need to make sure that they are all updated and accurate, and they must be consistent all throughout these platforms.
Link your social media pages to your website – redirect your social media visitors to a landing page, so those who are attracted in pursuing your offers will actually have somewhere to go to find out more about your business, and potentially be more attracted in availing your products or services.
Updating your website
Include customer testimonials – let your visitors know that your business has actually already provided positive customer experiences. This will push them further in choosing your business over your competition, if ever they are still on the edge of doing so.
Check if your website works on smartphones and tablets – make sure your website looks good on mobile devices. Check that the text on your website is visible even on pocket devices. Make sure that the buttons are big enough for touchscreen navigation. Also check that all the web pages of your site renders correctly.
Check your website’s schema – having a correct schema for your website makes sure that top search engines, such as Google, understands how your website is constructed, and knows how to read your website’s content. If you’re not sure on how to do this, have a website expert check it for you.
Be accessible – don’t forget to include on your website different ways in reaching your business. Prominently display your phone number and email. If possible, include a chat box, which is better if operated by an actual human being. Include different contact forms on each of your website’s landing pages, that is specific on that page’s product or service offer.
Include a blog – having a regularly-maintained blog on your website will give positive points on your search rankings, which means more visitors. Make sure that your blog posts are relevant to your business. This will enable you to sprinkle in more relevant keywords on your website for increased searchability.
Do your homework on SEO – make sure that your website is readable to search engines, such as Google. This means having the correct title tags, meta descriptions, and alt tags. If you’re not sure on how to start with your website’s SEO, consider hiring a website expert to do this for you.
Collecting customer reviews
Perfect timing – ask your customer for a review if you detect that they are happy after a successful project or purchase, if they give your business a compliment, or even after you’ve fixed or corrected something that went wrong.
If you receive a negative review – be quick to ask them on how you can improve their experience with your business. Ask them what went wrong, and let them know that you will take this as a learning experience. Read more on how to handle negative reviews online.
Maintaining your social media
Be consistent with branding – after all, your social media should be an extension of your website. If someone clicks your website from your Facebook or Twitter page, they should feel that they went to the right place. Having consistent logo, images, and color scheme on your website and on your social media goes a long way for your brand consistency.
Post on your socials regularly – don’t have a build-and-forget attitude when it comes to your social media. If you post on a regular basis, it will make your visitors perceive your business as active and enthusiastic. Read more on how to fix your business’ empty social media.
Maintain a professional tone – this is not your personal Facebook or Twitter. Your social media enables your business to have a more casual communication with your customers, but it should largely be a marketing tool for your business. Avoid posting funny memes or text posts, especially if it’s not relevant to your business. Instead, use your social media as a way to remind your customers who you are and why they should choose you.
Try advertising – social media enables you to boost your posts in order for them to reach a specific target market. Most social media platforms offer advertising tools that are easy to use and are also affordable, so you can set your advertising budget depending on how many people you want to reach.
Consult a website expert
As you’ve noticed, some of the things mentioned on this guide are easy to do on your own. But some things may not necessarily be easy to do for those who are not too tech-savvy. Having a cohesive and comprehensive web presence for your business can be challenging, especially since technology is constantly evolving.
Hiring a web expert can help you alleviate time and aggravation, and you’re probably going to get better results. Celeste Graphics can offer you help on the online presence of your business. Inquire now for a free consultation.
Very true blog! When you have a eye catching web design you can immediate turns your clicks in to sales.
Very informative blog! Thanks for this you clearly show on how to increase exposure. I hope i can do this to my business.