How Startup Businesses Can Improve Their Online Presence
If you’re planning to get your own business off the ground, you may already be thinking about how you are going to market yourself.
No doubt you’re well aware of the importance of digital marketing – even if your operations are ‘offline’ it’s highly likely that you could benefit from having a strong online presence.
Digital marketing is proving to be increasingly valued it as people compete in crowded online spaces, so here are ways to help you stand out.
The basics: Website, social media
Before you build your online presence, you need to get online!
Build it and they will come: If your business sells goods, build a website so you can do so online. The dominance of e-commerce which was originally a necessity in the COVID-19 pandemic looks set to remain firmly in place. As well as an extra storefront, your own website also gives you the chance to spread your message to potential customers and clients.
Amplifying the message: Social media isn’t just for keeping in touch with your grandma and weekly dance trends. Get on as many platforms as possible and be sure to tailor your content to each one. Something that puts you in front of many eyeballs on TikTok won’t hit the right note on LinkedIn.
Next steps: Produce content, optimise for SEO
Now you have the foundations of your online presence, these are the ways in which you can begin to branch out.
What should you write? Commercial pages will need to be augmented with descriptive copy, while your homepage should deliver clear messages about what sets you apart from your competition. It’s not all the big sell, however, and don’t forget to assist visitors to your site just as you would those in person.
Make that content work harder for you: Infuse keywords into that commercial copy and try to answer as many questions as people searching for your offering might have. There are also many technical considerations to SEO, so enlisting the help of a specialist agency might reap rewards.
Lean on loyal customers: Word of mouth works wonders for any business and this can be applied to your online efforts. Asking satisfied customers to leave independent reviews on sites like Trustpilot of Feefo can feed back into your marketing efforts.
Sealing success: Paid media, reaching out
As online traffic (and hopefully sales) start to build, you can start to invest this into operations that can help feed into long-term growth.
Extra assurance: Paid media – be that PPC marketing or pay-to-play social media – can be easily tracked and modified to make sure that you’re in front of the people most likely to engage with your brand.
Are you planning to launch a new business in the near future? How are you approaching your online marketing efforts?
