Now that your business is online and open for custom, your focus will be how to grow it. You need to make your business as visible online as possible so that potential customers can find the products and services that you offer. You can’t leave it to chance. There are so many businesses that offer similar products that you need to stand out from the crowd. Here are three ways to boost your business’s visibility online and grow your business.
- Social Media
You will no doubt have social media accounts specifically for your business, but are you using them successfully? Each platform where you have an account needs to be considered individually for their merits and suitable content curated for each one. The temptation is to replicate the same content across the different platforms, but this can restrict your businesses reach. Instead, create a social media strategy that uses a mix of content across the different platforms that are linked by the message that it conveys; this encourages brand supporters to connect via the different platforms and allows you to target different demographics.
Social media is great for:
- Increasing visibility and strength of your brand
- Building relationships with key influencers and customers
- Developing your industry network
You need to always be careful about what you post. While social media can be used to reinforce your brand positively, one wrong comment can damage reputation. Always take time to understand the nuances of the interaction and assess the best course of action to take.
- Blogs
Having a blog section on your website can be used to attract more visitors. The posts that you publish should not just be restricted to directly promoting the goods and services that you offer – think outside of the box. ‘How to’ guides, alternative uses or industry-relevant news can further the reach of your website. For example, a bridal business should publish content about venues, wedding entertainment and honeymoon destinations; topics that are relevant to the target audience and your sector.
Other people’s blogs can also be used to benefit your business if you share their target audience demographic. Blogger outreach services use metrics to qualify whether a blog would be a good fit for your business so that relevant content can be created to point visitors to your website. It takes time to develop relationships with influencers and so this is a strategised method for boosting website visitors to your site.
- Responsive Web Design
Most people use a mobile device for internet search. Google has amended its algorithms to rank websites that are optimised for mobile search higher than those sites that are designed purely for desktop. It is worth your time and resources investing in a website that is responsive to mobile search with clear calls to action. Your site needs to guide visitors from the landing page, to the products and through to checkout seamlessly. Always look at your site from a customer’s perspective, and remember, simplicity is key!
Growing your business is more than offering more products. You need to be proactive in making your business visible online. Your first step should always be about understanding who your target audience is. Once you are armed with this information, you will be able to target them more successfully – where they hang out online.
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