My local business is rarely or never found online
This is something I have heard regularly since moving my business and family to Sant Pere de Ribes.
Marketing your business online is getting harder and harder and can be a full-time job to get it done right and effectively. PLUS in a foreign town, it can be even harder – so where can you market your business? Which WhatsApp Groups should you be in? How much time do you have to let everyone know your news in all the platforms and groups? I-m exhausted just writing about it!
In today's digital age, establishing a strong online presence is crucial for any business to succeed. Having your business easily found online can significantly increase your visibility, reach, and ultimately, that success. Fortunately, there are several effective strategies you can implement to improve your online footprint:
1. If you have a website, optimise it
Ensure that your website is search engine friendly by incorporating relevant keywords, meta tags, and optimising elements such as loading speed, image titles and linking strategies. A user-friendly and well-structured website will make it easier for search engines to crawl and index your content, and subsequently for visitors to land on not just the Home Page, but the page they are searching for - making conversion rates much higher.
2. Like writing, create valuable and relevant content
Regularly publish high-quality blog posts, articles, or videos that provide valuable information to your target audience. This will not only establish your expertise and credibility but also improve your search engine rankings. If you don’t get on with writing, then speak to a content creator.
3. Enjoy being creative, use social media
Create profiles for your business on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Regularly update these platforms with engaging content and interact with your followers to build a loyal community. BUt choose the platfomrs wisely, don’t do them all if you have no audience there.
Speak to ASH Branding for help with setting up a well-designed Social image.
4. Want more local customers, implement local SEO
If you have a physical location, optimise your website for local search by creating and optimising Google My Business listings. This will help local customers find you more easily when they search for businesses in your area.
A little shout out to myself (!) speak to Square Vanilla for advice in this area.
5. Online directories and review sites
Register your business with online directories and review sites such as Yelp, Google Maps, and TripAdvisor. Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews, as these can significantly increase your credibility and visibility.
You could always consider joining our community , as links from your profile page will help the SEO on your website.
6. If you have some budget, consider paid advertising
Paid online advertising platforms such as Google Ads or social media ads allow you to target specific demographics and locations, ensuring that your business is seen by the right audience at the right time. Our take on this is slightly more reserved, paid advertising is fab for campaigns, quick user engagement, but not long-term strategy for SEO and link building.
7. Mobile optimisation
With more people accessing the internet through mobile devices, it's essential to ensure that your website is optimised for mobile. This means that your website should be responsive and load quickly on smartphones and tablets. Mobile optimisation not only improves the user experience but also boosts your search engine rankings, as search engines prioritise mobile-friendly websites.
8. Regularly analyse and optimise
Keep track of your website's performance through tools like Google Analytics and Search Console. Analyse data such as traffic, bounce rate, and conversion rates to identify areas for improvement. Optimise your website accordingly by making necessary changes to improve user experience and increase conversions. Feel overwhelmed by it all, start by looking at pages that are not ranking very high or the wrong page is being shown, this means the page is not quite right for the keyterm and needs adjusting.
9. Email marketing
Implement an email marketing strategy to stay connected with your audience and drive conversions. Collect email addresses through opt-in forms on your website, in WhatsApp groups or on Social and create a database of subscribers. Send regular newsletters, promotions, and personalised offers to keep your audience engaged and encourage them to visit your website.
10. Collaborate with influencers
Partnering with influencers in your industry can help increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your website. Find influencers who have a strong following and align with your target audience. Collaborate on content creation or offer them exclusive discounts to promote your products or services. Their endorsement can significantly impact your social media and website's visibility.
Got an idea, why not contact us to see if we could create something fun together.
As we all know, the list is endless when it comes to marketing your business. Pick your strengths and start there, do a couple of tasks each day and it will soon start making a difference.