As a small business owner, it’s more important than ever to have a solid online presence. Why? Because that’s where your customers are. In fact, according to Invoca, 81% of people research a company online before making a purchase.
So, how do you make sure your small business stands out online? Keep reading to find out.
Invest in SEO
If you want your small business to be visible online, you need to invest in SEO. SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of making your website more visible on search engine results pages. The higher your website appears in search results, the more likely people are to find it—and that means more customers for your business.
SEO can be a bit of a confusing topic, but it’s important to understand if you want your small business to succeed online. Here are a few tips on how to properly invest in SEO:
- Do your research. Optimizing your website for search engines is no easy feat – it involves a lot of trial and error to find out what methods work best for you. That’s why it’s important to do your research and find an SEO company that knows what they’re doing.
- Set realistic goals. It’s important not to set unrealistic goals for your SEO campaign. You may not see results overnight, but with patience and perseverance, you will see results over time.
- Be patient. As we said before, SEO is not a quick fix; it’s a long-term strategy that requires patience and dedication. But if you stick with it, you will see results.
- Don’t forget about social media. Social media is another important factor when it comes to SEO. Make sure you’re utilizing all the features social media has to offer, such as hashtags and tagging, to boost your SEO efforts.
Create Compelling Content
Another way to make your small business stand out online is to create compelling content. This could be anything from blog posts and infographics to eBooks and webinars. By creating content that educates, entertains, and engages your target audience, you’ll not only attract new customers but also build brand loyalty among existing ones.
If you want to take your digital marketing efforts to the next level, consider creating videos. Videos can be a powerful way to engage and connect with your target audience, and they can also help you boost your SEO efforts. In fact, according to a recent study, adding a video to your website can increase engagement by up to 80%.
So, how do you create videos that will engage and connect with your audience? Here are a few tips:
- Ensure your videos are relevant to your target audience.
- Keep your videos short and sweet. Most people won’t watch a video that’s longer than five minutes.
- Ensure your videos are high quality. You don’t want viewers to get bored or distracted by poor-quality visuals or audio. You may hire a digital marketing agency to ensure your videos are up to par.
- Use video to tell a story. People love stories, so use your videos to tell one about your brand or product.
- Use calls to action in your videos. At the end of your videos, include a call to action that tells viewers what you want them to do, such as
- Be creative and engaging. Use humor, storytelling, and other creative elements to keep viewers interested.
- Promote your videos on social media and other channels. Make sure you share them with your target audience on the channels they’re most likely to use.
Ensure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly
In today’s world, it’s not enough to simply have a website—it needs to be mobile-friendly as well. Why? Because more and more people are using their smartphones and tablets to access the internet. In fact, according to Statista, around 55% of internet traffic worldwide now comes from mobile devices.
Making sure your website is mobile-friendly is essential if you want people to be able to find and use it no matter where they are or what device they’re using. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools and resources available that can help you make sure your website is mobile-friendly—so take advantage of them!
If you’re not sure whether your website is currently mobile-friendly or not, or if you want to make sure it meets all the latest requirements, consider using a responsive web design approach. With responsive web design, your website is automatically optimized for all devices, from desktop computers to smartphones and tablets. This means no more separate websites for different devices—just one website that looks great and works well on all of them.
As a small business owner, you must have a solid online presence—and fortunately, there are several things you can do to make sure yours is up to par. From investing in SEO to creating compelling content and making sure your website is mobile-friendly, following the tips above will help you attract new customers and keep existing ones coming back for more.