How much do you benefit personally from the World Wide Web? Most of us will admit to spending hours of our day surfing the Internet. If you consider how valuable the Internet is to you, just imagine how successful your business could be if you knew how to make the most of the web. If you’re new to business or you’re not familiar with online marketing methods, here is a handy guide to get you started.
Step 1: getting your website up and running
Your website is your virtual store. It should be accessible, simple to use and easy on the eye. If you don’t already have a website, it’s time you got one up and running. The majority of people access the Internet on a daily basis, and if you’re not offering online services, you’re missing out. When you’re designing your website, use a style, theme, and template, which reflects your business and what you do. Avoid adding long paragraphs of text, and don’t make the pages too busy. Clients want to be able to do whatever they’ve come to your website quickly and easily. Use images, infographics and video clips to capture the attention of users. They’re much more visually appealing than text.
Once you’ve designed your website, you’ll need to think about hosting services, and then promoting your site. Click here to find out more about web hosting, and make sure you’re getting a competitive price and an attractive package. You want people to notice your website, and also to be able to find it. The next step is enhancing your online profile.
Step 2: attracting clients to your website
To make sales, you need people to see your spectacular new website. So, how can you do this? There are lots of different ways to drive traffic to your site. One of the most effective concepts is SEO or search engine optimization. The aim of this form of marketing is to propel your website up the list of search results when somebody searches for something using a site like Google. If you’re on page 104, nobody is going to see you. If you’re on page 1, you’ve got every chance to attracting plenty of interest. You can also use the power of social media. Today, any of us have multiple accounts. As well as using social media to connect with our friends, we also use platforms to find services in our local area and shop online. If you see an outfit you like on Instagram, for example, you can click on a link and buy every item within seconds. Make sure you tie all your accounts together. Include links on every site, and encourage your followers to engage with you on multiple platforms.
To make your social media campaign a success, you need to adopt a forward-thinking approach. People don’t want to see the same old posts over and over again. Be original, be different, and highlight your USP. Make sure the content is relevant to your business, but have fun with your posts. Post videos, funny memes or photographs. Update your followers on a regular basis, but don’t bombard them. If you get 50 notifications from the same company every day, you’re going to stop following them fairly swiftly. Give your followers something in return for their attention. You could run competitions or offer an incentive for those who place orders or book a table online, for example.
Step 3: embracing mobile technology
Most of us spend a considerable amount of time on our phones today, so it’s essential to ensure that you’re moving with the times, and embracing mobile technology. If your website takes ages to load or you can’t see the images properly, this will put some users off. Designing a mobile-friendly site will enable potential customers to access the site on their phones without any issues. You could also consider developing an app. Apps offer businesses of all sizes a host of advantages. You can offer clients all the information they could possibly need without them having to open their browser, and you can add features to make your business stand out from the crowd. Using an app is also often faster and easier, which is appealing to the modern-day consumer.
If your business isn’t already online, or you’re not getting as much out of the Internet as you’d hoped, bear these tips in mind, and follow these simple steps. The web offers such an array of opportunities, and if you use it in the right way, it can help you achieve formidable levels of success. Good luck!