How Can I Start Marketing My Business Online?
You’ve built a decent product and have a small group of people on Facebook that will purchase it from time to time, but now you’re ready for a change. Time to leverage all those good reviews from friends and family into a fully formed business with quality digital marketing.
Sometimes it can be overwhelming about where to begin in the online business world. A quick Google search for ‘how to grow your business’ brings back so many results from huge international digital advertising agencies that you feel lost in the crowd. That is where we step in to help. We are a boutique digital marketing team that works closely with your brand to develop new online strategies. Want to know how?
Start With Your Brand
Do you want people to notice you online? Then build a better brand. Take the time to develop a logo and brand identity that is engaging and exciting. It should be imbued with the nature and theme of your company and what you provide. For example, the Twitter logo wouldn’t make sense with an excavation company, just as McDonald's golden arches wouldn’t look good as the flag for China.
Good branding requires the ability to step back and see your company from the distance your customers will experience. You want something that tells the story of who you are and what you do without shoving a bunch of material down anyone’s throat. Get your logo and color scheme completed and adaptable for all mobile screens, and you’ve got an excellent beginning.
Where is Your Website?
Few people you meet and describe your business to will ask for a business card. Instead, they want to see your online presence. Do you have social media? A storefront? A WEBSITE?! Without an online landing page to direct all your traffic, you are nothing more than a back-alley antique shop hoping against hope for a bus of aging tourists to happen upon its front door.
You need a fully immersive and engaging website that is mobile responsive and uses modern SEO techniques. These attributes use specific keywords to improve your rank on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. For example, your page title should be 'Carton Bobbleheads from New Jersey' if that is what you are selling and who you’re selling them to. If you list your name as 'Best Fried Turkey' instead, odds are you won't get the customers you expect.
Social Media is Your Friend
We get it. Social media is terrifying. It's easy to get lost in the mix between the widespread rumor mill and influencer overly white teeth. Stop worrying about being the best at every platform and delivering 20 items of content every day. Stick to one or two platforms that make sense for your brand and just post once per day.
It doesn’t have to be anything huge. People want to feel close to your brand. They want an engaging relationship so they can ‘feel’ how you are doing. They want to care about your progress and become invested in your identity. Sharing who you are, what you offer, and your average day is a good place to start. Worry about going viral after you have developed a fine working online machine first.
Go Where They Are
Your customers are going to drive your business future. They will help you decide what to offer and how to adjust everything from your prices to the color of the paper you use in the copy machine. To get that info, you need to go to the online places where they congregate. Join some Reddit boards, Facebook groups, or even TikTok hashtags and watch what your particular niche is interested in, in real-time.
The more you can reach your customers at their own hangouts, the better you will understand their needs and wants. That will help you grow your small business into a targeted powerhouse.
Still feel overwhelmed? Consider what we can do for you. We have years of experience helping small businesses make the leap from brick-and-mortar shops to a mature digital online presence. Our experts will listen closely to your needs and goals to build a fully customized website solution that your customers will love. Reach out today and let us help you grow your business online.
Fill out a contact form below or book a free consult with someone from our team.