Promoting your business online can be a whole new challenge in a very competitive environment. Since many businesses (including startups and mom-and-pop shops) have laid their claim on the internet real estate, getting noticed by your target market means working harder and smarter. Promotions Warehouse recommends these 4 tips to get your business noticed online more quickly and effectively.
1. Keep Your Business Website Content Fresh and Relevant
More than half of American businesses have websites and those that do have outdated content that adversely affects visitor interaction. A website is still one of the best ways to promote your business online. If you already have an existing website, check the layout, design, and other elements to identify any issues in terms of function, aesthetics, and usability. Some of the most important elements to consider include:
Domain Name. Consider having your business name identified online using its own domain name instead of a content management company’s name. This is important for branding later and is a more professional approach to your business’ image. MyVeryOwnBusiness.com or MyOwnBusiness.net domain name, for example, is much better than, say, MyVeryOwnBusiness.someprovider.com or MyOwnBusiness.otherprovider.net. Your own domain name connotes independence and professionalism, showing that you will spare no expense in creating a memorable user experience for your target market.
Reliable Host. A good hosting provider will not only offer your business good support but will also ensure that your website will be online and accessible to its viewers. When it comes to hosts, consider the services offered and its reliability instead of just focusing on the price per plan. Often, cheap hosting providers also offer cheap services, and it will show, something that could cost your business later.
Quality Content. Quality content may be a combination of text and images, along with relevant and working links. A business website is often used by visitors as a way to research about the company and its products and services. The more useful information the site can offer, the more it will be considered as relevant by visitors, who are more likely to view the business as professional and trustworthy.
2. Do Not Underestimate SEO
SEO refers to the process of designing your website to increase its visibility on search engines, such as Google, Bing, Yahoo!, DuckDuckGo, and Ask, among others. When a person searches for a product or service that is associated with your business using a search engine, the search engine will produce a number of results based mainly on several factors, including an easily accessible URL, page speed, domain issues, backlinks, user experience, code, mobile accessibility, and quality content.
All these factors contribute to increase the chances that a website will appear on the coveted first page of the search engine results page or SERP. This area is called above the fold or the area that appears on the monitor or screen without scrolling down. This is the portion of a results page where viewers are more likely to trust and click on the links shown.
SEO requires some research, but it is worth the time and expense when used correctly. Ultimately, its goal is to make a business website search engine friendly and improve incoming traffic numbers. SEO also helps attract your target demographics, allowing you to market to exactly the individuals or groups who are more likely to purchase your products or services.
3. Create Video Content
Viewer attention is notoriously short. Of course, there will be individuals who will consume longer content on business websites, such as articles, press releases, and infographics, but many people prefer shorter content or at least, the type that they do not have to read but could still obtain information from. Videos are a great solution for this portion of the target market. Even short videos can be used to capture attention and present information in different ways – textually (using titles, captions, and subtitles onscreen), visually, and aurally.
Videos are also an effective way to promote informative videos about new products and services to audiences who may not have access to print or text-based content. Videos can explore a number of topics and subtopics related to your business or product. These can even be used to share news, updates, successes, and testimonials. Easily the most popular platform for videos is YouTube, a content channel that enjoyed over 1.8 billion viewership in 2021 alone. You can use this platform to reach out to your target market without spending a dime.
Another key advantage of creating videos is that it can demonstrate the features and functions of a product or service. Many businesses actually use video content to create tutorials and demos to show their potential markets the advantages and benefits of their products or services. These are often easier for the target market to consume because videos can be used as a guide or a reference for individuals who may have already purchased the product. In fact, some of the biggest companies and brands offer user guides and how-tos through videos that are published on their websites or on YouTube, which has remained a massively popular channel.
4. Advertise
There is a reason why advertising remains a key element in business success – it works. To promote your business online, consider ways to introduce your company and brand. In many cases, paid advertising is the best possible way to boost your online presence. This can be done through means such as paid Google ads, direct advertising, and Yahoo/Bing ads.
There are also ways to increase your presence online and that is to use social media. Many businesses utilize platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok. The great thing about these platforms is that they are essentially free and it allows a business to create content that is relevant to its target market. Through these platforms, it is possible to promote new brands and products, drum up interest, and direct traffic to the main business website.
Another great way to promote your business online is to utilize your social media presence when using promotions for contests, games, freebies, company giveaways, and other ad-related promotions. Of course, these can be done through your main business website, but social media has a strong presence across different demographics. A well-designed and executed promotional ad will succeed on social media. Due to the nature of the platform, the ad can be shared multiple times, increasing its viewing numbers exponentially within a short period of time.
Written by Adam Eaton
