What is the #1 way consumers look for products and services today? If you said the internet, you’d be right. But having an online presence in the form of a website isn't enough. You need a strategic Internet marketing plan, so follow these 5 steps to get started.
1. Create an Excellent First Impression
Your website is the face of your business online, and consumers will use it to make a snap judgment about your business. Fun fact from Google: More than half of all mobile site visits are abandoned when the pages take more than 3 seconds to load. That means your site needs to provide what visitors are searching for quickly and efficiently.
In order to achieve that, you need to give visitors the best impression and user experience possible. That means your website should be:
- Professionally designed
- Reflective of your brand and quality of service
- Mobile-friendly
- Easy to navigate
- Filled with clear and helpful content
Your website is your chance to connect with your audience and create a potential client pool. A poor UX experience will drive customers away, while a top-performing site will promote your business and build your brand. Once your site is created, run tests and UX strategies to continuously make your site better, faster, and user-friendly.
2. Improve Your Ranking on Search Engine Results
According to a recent survey, 97% of internet users use search engines as their top choice to find information about a local business.
Considering how often people turn to search engines like Google and Bing, your business can’t afford to have a poor search presence.
To make your company more visible, improve your search engine optimization (SEO) performance by using keywords that signal to algorithms of your page content, and run paid search ads to build your brand name.
The more effectively you do these two things, the more likely you are to reach page #1 of the search engine results pages also known as SERPs. The higher your page’s content rating, the more searchers will choose your website when browsing. It’s a known fact that if you’re not on the first page of Google, you may as well be on the last page. SEO efforts help you reach your rank goals while providing stepping stones to better content on your site.
3. Take Advantage of Online Reviews
Online reviews are the new word-of-mouth review.
Instead of just asking friends for recommendations for a good plumber, hairdresser, or restaurant, more people are now jumping on to Yelp and Google Reviews, where a low star rating or too much negative feedback will turn potential consumers away.
Reviews play such a significant role that a 2021 study found that 93% of customers consulted online reviews before purchasing a product and 94% of products bought had an average of four stars or higher.
While you can’t control what people write about you online, you can get more proactive about improving your online reputation:
- Set up profiles on review sites and respond to both good and bad reviews in a professional manner to show customers you care.
- Include links to your review site profiles on your website to help visitors know where they can rate your business online.
- And most importantly, offer amazing customer service that inspires people to leave you a 5-star rating.
Being active on social media is a great way to attract more customers online.
4. Be Active on Social Media
It’s no secret that people are addicted to social media. In fact, 1 out of every 5 minutes spent online is on a social media site or app.
So if you think social media isn’t relevant to your business, think again.
Sites like Meta, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn are great places to raise awareness about your business and engage with current and future customers.
Because of the unique nature of social media, brands and businesses are in a position where they have space to tell their story. Almost every company has a personal thread to it and that’s what people like to know. Interacting with your audience and helping tell why your business makes a difference in people’s lives can build a unique connection you can’t otherwise have.
And one of the best parts about advertising on social media? For the amount of people you can reach, it’s pretty cost-effective. Where you don’t need to spend in a dollar amount, you do need to spend on consistency. Having an active social media presence takes time and effort but pays off in the end.
Improve your social media presence by using your profiles to share engaging content (company updates, links to blog posts, videos, etc.), and by running ads that target people you’d want as new customers.
5. Diversify Your Media Mix
Consumers spread their time across numerous digital platforms—and your digital advertising plan should reflect their habits!
Diversify your digital advertising media mix to get the best exposure and return on investment. If you’re advertising online, try running different types of ads in different places—Google, Bing, Facebook, YouTube, etc.
A digital advertising expert can help you determine the best strategy for your needs, as well as how much of your budget to allocate to each source.
Using a variety of ad channels will help get your business seen in more places, and finding the right balance of spending will help you get more money back from your marketing campaigns.
Ready to get started on these 5 tips? Scorpion is here to discuss your plan for improving your online presence, attracting more business, and getting the most out of your marketing efforts. Get started today!
