If you have a website to help generate online exposure and sales for your business then you have probably already figured out that it cannot survive on its own without a little help. Luckily, this outside help is free, with the caveat that it can take up some of your valuable time currently used for running your business. However, there are 5 things you should take advantage of immediately to give your web presence a little marketing boost, which can make a world of difference for you.
The keyword to keep in mind is consistency. Anywhere your business is listed online should match how it is listed everywhere else on the web. Google is a stickler for how business information is gathered by its web crawlers because it wants to provide a consistent user experience for their audience so they continue to keep using Google services. Makes sense, right? These recommendations are also going to help your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) efforts so Google, and other search engines, can find your website and your digital content.
Here is what you should do right now to ensure your business’s website presence is consistent online.
1. Claim your Google My Business Page
Go here https://www.google.com/business/ and start following their guide. It’s very straight forward and easy. Once you are verified it will be much easier for anyone who is trying to Google your business to find it immediately, as well as for them to see your business contact information, store hours, and…..your website link!
2. Setup Social Media Accounts
Start with the Big 3: Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Make sure to keep all of your company info the same across every social channel you join. The idea is to make it as easy as possible for anyone to find you and stay engaged with your business. Optimize your branding graphics to stay consistent so you become easier to recognize.
Start posting at least once a day (but not much more so you don’t appear spammy) by sharing company updates/news, relevant content that your audience may be interested in, humorous photos, etc. For Twitter: learn how to properly use hashtags #. You’ll also want to consider other social media sites like LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram depending on your industry and what you feel works best for you. To schedule all of this simultaneously you should look to sites like Hootsuite to keep your sanity.
3. Basic SEO + WordPress – Why Both?
There are plenty of amazing website creation tools that you can find online but we personally love WordPress for the simple fact that its user dashboard is super easy to learn and use. Even better, it gives you the ability to download free extensions to help out with your SEO efforts. One of these extensions is Yoast SEO, and if you’re not doing anything for your SEO then at least use Yoast to help get you up-and-running on a minimal level. This plugin will help make sure your site is SEO friendly to Google and other search engines which constantly scour the internet for websites that play by the rules put in place by Google.
Yoast will even connect to your Google Analytics so you can see who is visiting your site, which keyword or phrase they search to get to you, where they come from, and a whole bunch of other data points that will help you fine tune the engine of your website so it is the best it can be. Websites are like cars and they require constant maintenance to keep running efficiently.
4. Start Blogging!
You’re now thinking to yourself, “But I’m not a writer!” Well, anything is better than nothing. Google’s search algorithms are reading your blogs, or lack thereof, and will show your website to users who are searching for keywords that may pertain to your business. But if you have nothing to show then you will have a harder time being ranked. This is why blogging is more important now than ever before.
Additionally, blogging accomplishes several things at once. First, it conveys to the reader that you are an expert in your industry. This creates brand trust and will encourage website visitors to keep you bookmarked and share your blogs with others. Once Google sees that other people are reading and sharing your content then their algorithm helps you move up within search rankings. This isn’t immediate, and once you stop blogging you can, and will, move back down. What’s the keyword? Consistency!
If you’re still having trouble finding something to write about, start small and write about what you know. Another idea is to write about how you solved a problem for a client or customer. Chances are, if one person has a particular pain point then others will too.
5. E-mail Marketing
Newsletters have yet to go out of style and it doesn’t appear that this is slowing down anytime soon. The most important aspect of a newsletter now is: can it easily be digested and read on a smart phone? More and more users are spending time on their phones these days and in the Digital Age people want their information in bite-sized chunks that aren’t tomes of information.
Find an e-newsletter service you are comfortable with. We enjoy MailChimp for its user friendly design that can assist you in creating some spectacular looking newsletters that appear consistent across any device. If your business is constantly changing with exciting updates then you’ll want to shoot for a monthly habit of sending out your info. Otherwise, a quarterly e-mail with various updates is fine too. With a service like MailChimp, you’ll also be able to track who is opening your e-mails vs. who is letting them bounce out of their inbox. That way you can find out what’s working in the e-mail and what your audience doesn’t like to see.
We hope this guide serves your purposes well. It will take some time and effort but the rewards are essential for fostering a great web presence for your business. If you’d like more information on what digital marketing can do for your business then please contact us today!
Hot Dog Marketing helps expert service providers and tech companies build their brands at the same rate they’re growing their businesses. We have deep expertise in branding and online marketing for both business-to-business service companies and local consumer service businesses.