They say it takes a village to raise a child, but what does it take to own a small business? Well, in this day and age, it takes a good idea, some good networking skills, and a strong online marketing strategy—among other things. But out of those, the newest and one of the most important is your online marketing strategy. You want to be able to answer the question “Can my customers find my business online?” with a resonating “Yes!”
When your current and potential customers Google you, they’ll want to see your social media pages, reviews, and website. They’ll want to see your hours of operation and phone number come up easily. And they’ll want all of this information to be presented to them at the top of the search results. Online marketing can help with all of these things. Here’s how.
Your Website
Your website is the best way to house all of your information in one place. You can add your menu if you own a restaurant or items for sale if you own a store. You’ll want to include your hours of operation, location, and contact information and a little bit about you and your business, the latter you can put on an “About Us” page. If you plan to take online orders, you can use your website for this as well. If your company falls under the service industry like if you own a barbershop or are a pet groomer, you can list all of your services and their prices too. Lastly, your website is also a great place to display any positive reviews and testimonials you’ve received from your clients.
Social Media
Social is the future. If your business isn’t on social media yet, chances are your potential customers either a) won’t learn about you or b) won’t feel encouraged to shop from your business. Social media is an easy (and rather affordable) way to engage with your customers, improve your SEO standing–which we’ll discuss in just a moment–and add an extra spot where customers can look up your business information. It’s something your business should definitely take advantage of.
SEO
Search engine optimization, more commonly referred to as SEO, determines where your website ranks in Google searches. For example, let’s say you’re a landscaper. If someone searches “landscaping,” you’ll want to be in the top organic results. In this example, organic means not paid for. Usually, when you Google things, the organic results come right below paid advertising. That’s where you want to be. A few good ways to do this is to register your business with Google (so your hours of operation and all that good stuff pops up to the side of the search results), write and post quality content on your website (such as blogs, infographics, and videos), and have a strong social media presence.
All of these practices can put your business at the top, but starting and maintaining these practices can be difficult, especially if you have your hands full with other aspects of your business. In this instance, outsourcing your online marketing to AGI Marketing Solutions is in your best interest. Call us today for more information!
