By Brandon Rhodes
As more and more of the population begins to move online, harnessing traffic over the internet has become an essential component of a successful business model. Many large companies are now seeking out the services of digital marketing agencies, but the technical and financial barriers-to-entry are still too steep for many smaller businesses, who are already devoting a great deal of their time and energy maintaining their website. So, what should a small business owner, or any other do-it-yourself internet marketeer do? Read on to discover the steps you should take, and the mindset you should have to enter into the self-serve online marketing game.
Let’s look at a company where the owner manages, and retains control over the website, while managing the day-to-day work of the company. As is the case for many small businesses, the goal is already established: create customers and bring in some dollars. In this case, we don’t care if customers are just doing research online, and then calling, or if they’re buying online, we just want the business.
Our first concern is time. In a small business, where the owner functions as the manager, and the main concern is handling the work already on hand, there is little time to reach out and try to secure new business. A little bit of planning, therefore, means you’ll be able to get more clicks and interest for your valuable time. When it comes to small business marketing online, the name of the game is doing what you can with the time you have. So, some prioritization is in order.
Start with what you have on hand. Are you, or any of your employees outspoken about your field? See if you can get them to share their opinions in writing, or write down some of your ideas. Then take a look at some of the blogs or websites that you or your workers are reading about your trade. Offer them your views. A lot of websites and blogs jump at the prospect of a free post, and if it is coming from your business, most blogs will offer you a link to your site in return. If you have enough to say, consider adding a blog to your own site, offering some basic information to your potential clients. This will introduce some new customers to your business, and show them that you know your stuff!
This is helpful in several ways. Your website gets a link, which makes search engines like your website better, plus, you have just introduced your product or service to a whole new audience! Repeat, and you will begin to see your Google rankings increase, along with some new customers visiting your site.
Alternatively, small businesses with somewhat tech-savvy site managers would be wise to work with their own sites, to maximize their traffic, and the impact of the traffic they are getting. Start by doing some research on Google’s keyword tool. This will tell you how many people are searching for certain words and phrases, and how “competitive” that term is (how hard other sites are fighting to be number one!). Begin to include some of these keywords into your site, including page titles and headlines, and you will find that the traffic to your site, and your rankings in Google will increase. For more advanced options, there are several free websites that will check your site’s search engine optimization, and offer hints as to how to best utilize your website.
If you still have some time, expand your presence with a little bit of social media outreach. It is very easy to go overboard here, so always bear in mind the potential value when you begin to devote your time and resources to these flashy services. One basic example, essential for almost anyone, involves listing your business on local review sites, which will allow your happy customers to do the work of promoting for you. From there, consider the potential benefits of each site or listing. If you do not have time to spend online every day, then a Facebook profile for your business may not be the answer, as your profile may look “stale” to some prospective customers. On the other hand, a site where you can periodically upload a few photos of your happy customers or your completed work, and reach out to networks to show them off may be just the ticket.
Even though your small businesses may not be quite ready for a digital marketing agency, there are still some simple and cheap steps that even small players can take to boost their online image. Just taking a few minutes a day can improve the standing of your business, and help you reach out to a whole new community of customers.
Brandon Rhodes works for Response Mine Interactive, a digital marketing agency specializing in lead generating SEO and SEM.
Image courtesy of http://blogs.kingston.ac.uk
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