It is no secret that the number of online consumers is steadily growing, with 75% of USA adults reportedly using the internet; specifically, social media usage has reached record levels.
However, many people may still be unaware of the many possibilities that the internet offers, such as online marketplaces that can be used to sell goods and services to customers with restricted mobility.
If you’re looking to launch a business, it’s essential to consider how you will market and promote your product to ensure that you reach the largest possible audience. In this article, we will discuss the various ways in which you can market an online business to millions of disabled people worldwide.
Overview Of The Online Marketplaces
The world of online marketplaces is constantly expanding, with more and more digital platforms popping up to make buying and selling easier for consumers. While many large marketplaces, such as Amazon, operate solely as online platforms, smaller marketplaces typically operate through mobile apps or websites as well.
What all these platforms have in common is that they provide an immersive, shopping-focused experience that makes spending time browsing and purchasing goods much more easy and enjoyable. Additionally, these platforms often provide some type of membership reward to entice users to come back for more.
Now, this certainly isn’t a comprehensive list of all the digital marketplace platforms compatible with disabled people (and even those on the list may lack features that are essential to your business), but it should give you a good idea of the kinds of platforms out there. In the next section, we will discuss various ways in which you can market an online business to millions of disabled people worldwide.
Social Media
While the above list may not include every single online marketplace available, it does contain some of the most widely used ones, so it should be a good starting point for your research. Even if you plan to sell your own products, you will almost certainly be interacting with potential customers through social media platforms.
When used properly, social media can be an extremely useful tool in marketing, providing you with a constant stream of engaged, potential customers, ready to consume your content.
As a general rule, it’s advisable to establish yourself as a reliable source of information on social media platforms by creating useful and engaging content regularly. If someone is reading your content and finds it valuable, they will likely be more inclined to purchase your products or services due to their familiarity with your brand.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Another essential component of any good marketing plan is search engine optimization (SEO). Like social media, SEO can be used to great effect to market an online business, helping to improve the ranking of relevant content in search engine results pages (SERPs).
For example, if you’re selling pet products and you’re using keywords in your content to attract searchers, you can rest assured that you’re going to see some positive results. The higher your ranking in search engine results, the more potential customers you will likely attract.
Additionally, you can use SEO to your advantage by integrating keywords into your content as we mentioned above. If someone is searching for a product or service related to your niche and comes across your content while browsing, you will have the opportunity to showcase your expertise and persuade them to make a purchase. In some cases, you may even become the go-to source for information on your topic.
Product Review Blogs
One of the most effective ways to market an online business is through the use product review blogs. By reviewing products that are relevant to your niche, you can easily become an expert source of information for your target audience. Additionally, when other sites link to your reviews, you can rest assured that they will think of you when they are trying to decide which product to purchase.
Even if you don’t have the time to write your own reviews, there are plenty of blogs out there that you can contribute to. Doing so can not only make you a more authoritative source of information, but it can also boost your own SEO and make it easier for potential customers to find you.
Email Marketing
For some businesses, email marketing is a vital part of their overall marketing strategy, providing them with a cheap and easy way to reach a large audience. If you’re looking to launch a product review blog, for example, you can use email marketing to collect subscriber emails that you can later use to promote your blog and its content.
Another great opportunity to use email marketing is when someone decides to sign up for your newsletter, although this may not seem like a direct affiliate sale, it can still be considered as such. When someone opts in to receive your email newsletters, you can rest assured that they’re interested in your product or service and, as a result, are more likely to make a purchase after getting more information about it. In the ever-changing world of digital marketing, the use of email marketing is a bit like the use of newspaper ads; it’s not something that you would have thought of just a few years ago, but it’s become so valuable that you may not be able to do business without it.
Product Demonstrations
Product demonstrations can also be an extremely useful tool in marketing, providing potential customers with the opportunity to physically handle and try out the products that you are selling. If someone is deciding whether or not to purchase a sofa, for example, they may want to try out a few potential models before making a decision.
If you don’t have the time or resources to set up a product demonstration in person, there are plenty of virtual product demonstrations online that you can create and share. Additionally, some companies may provide you with free tools that can help to translate video into text, allowing you to create a narrated demonstration even when you’re using someone else’s footage.
Regular Posting
When someone decides to purchase a product, there is a good chance that they will be reading online reviews prior to making a decision. Therefore, it is essential that you post regularly and consistently online in order to establish yourself as an expert in your niche. When someone is searching for information on your topic, they will usually click on the first or second result that they find on their search engine, thus providing you with the opportunity to capture their attention with a well-written article or review.
In the example below, if someone is looking for a travel guide for South America, they will probably first try to locate a review of the product that they are interested in buying, as there aren’t many travel guides for South America posted online yet. As a result of finding the review, the person will likely decide to make a purchase after reading the details about the product. Regular online posting helps to establish yourself as an authoritative source of information on your topic and makes it easier for potential customers to find you when they are looking for information on your niche.
Showcasing Your Expertise
One of the most effective ways to market an online business is through the use of compelling expert testimony. If you’re looking to sell pet products and you have experience as a veterinarian, you can utilize your expertise to give useful tips on how to take care of animals. If someone is searching for information on the topic, they will likely come across your testimony and find it very helpful, potentially making them a customer or advocate of your product. Additionally, when other websites reference your testimony, you can rest assured that they will think of you when they are deciding which product to purchase.
Local Events
If you’re looking to launch a business in a certain location, consider hosting local events. In the case of a product demonstration, having a local event can be an excellent way to physically bring your product to life and increase the likelihood of a purchase. If you don’t have the time or resources to host a local event, there are companies that you can hire to help with catering and setup. Additionally, some locations may even offer special deals to potential customers who come from out of town (e.g., Los Angeles provides 10% off for tourists).
Additionally, if you are able to, why not try and organize local events where potential customers can come together and network, raising your online profile and making it easier for people to find you when they are looking for information on your niche? Hosting an online forum where people can discuss your topic of expertise or become a part of a social network where people are already talking about your product can help to establish yourself as a thought leader in your niche.