In recent years, the web has grown from a mere medium to an all-encompassing marketing channel, with over 96% of US adults now using the internet to look for products and services.
According to HubSpot Blogs research, only 2% of consumers’ time is spent on traditional advertising such as radio or television commercials. The remaining 98% is spent on the internet, looking at online reviews, researching prices, and finding discounts or bargains.
If this sounds like your business—and, if you’re in Kennewick, WA, you probably are—then you’re in luck, because this guide will help you capitalize on the internet’s colossal potential to grow your business.
Set Up Shop
The first step to internet marketing is, simply, setting up shop. That is, creating a website for your business. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but it should include a professional-looking website address, a contact form, and, if you’re feeling particularly creative, even a bit of branding to tie everything together.
This guide will tell you step-by-step how to set up shop and what to include on your site; however, if you’re already a seasoned web marketer, you may know what elements to include without needing detailed instructions.
Make Sure Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly
What does mobile-friendliness mean? It means that your site’s design and branding are functional and easy to use on a tiny mobile phone screen. If someone visits your site on a mobile device, your design should not be pixelated, distorted, or hard to read. You should also make sure that your site performs well on a mobile device—that is, without any errors or crashing.
Curate Product Pages For Best Results
Every business is different, and some products are better suited for specific types of businesses. For example, online retailers who specialize in selling clothing may want to include a section for women’s clothing and another for men’s clothing. Each section could include sub-categories such as “spring/summer 2019” or “tailored shirts.”
It’s important to note that not all sub-categories under a parent category will generate the same results. For instance, if your business provides educational services, you may want to include an education section on your site; however, if your business provides dental services, you may want to include a dental section instead.
Include Reviews And Testimonials
You can never have too many reviews. Consumers want to read about what other people have said about your product or service, and you can bet that they will also want to add their own reviews as well.
If a customer has had a bad experience with your product or service, it is important to note that this and all other feedback should be positive. If a product review is mixed, it can sometimes be difficult for the reader to tell which parts are genuine and which are exaggerated or fabricated. If reviews are positive and honest, this will increase your business’s credibility with customers and potential new customers. It also shows that you take customer feedback seriously and are trying to improve your service.
Branding Is Everything
In today’s world, consumers have an increasing number of choices, and this can sometimes make it difficult for businesses to stand out from the crowd. Customers have shorter attention spans and more often than not, are inundated with information and advertisements when they’re online. To truly engage with your audience and encourage them to remember your business, you need to stand out above the rest with a memorable brand. Luckily for you, we’re here to help with 25 tips on how to build a brand for your business!
1. Create a unique name
A business’ brand is an abstract concept. To put it simply, a brand is a reflection of your business’ identity, values, and personality. In most cases, a brand is presented in some sort of visual form, such as a logo, and/or in the form of words designed to be memorable.
When deciding on a name for your business, it is important to consider a few factors. First, what will your customers and potential customers think when they hear or see your business’ name? This is called the brand’s “ring value.”
For example, if you have chosen the name “McDonald’s” for your business, your customers may assume your products are cheap and poorly made, since the name “McDonald’s” is usually associated with junk food and fast food restaurants. Your marketing materials should never feature the “McDonald’s” name, since it will hurt your brand’s image. Instead, focus on promoting the fact that you are a different kind of McDonald’s.
2. Choose A Blogger
Having your own blog is essential to effectively marketing your business online. A blog is a quick and easy way to create content to post on your site, build an audience, and establish yourself as an expert in your industry. The best thing about blogs is that they are extremely versatile—you can use them to curate product information, highlight news articles, or provide tips and advice for your customers.
One of the most established and successful blogs in the country is Shopify’s store blog. Launched in 2009, the blog now receives over 500,000 visitors per month, largely due to the fact that it provides genuinely helpful and entertaining content curated from the company’s store.
When choosing a blogger, it is important to look for individuals who are capable of providing quality content frequently and who have a large audience. Ideally, you would want to choose a high-profile individual whose content you can easily access and repurpose.
3. Choose A Platform That Suits Your Business
There are hundreds of different platforms designed for blogging—WordPress, for example, is the world’s most popular blogging platform, with over 53 million active monthly users. Before you choose a blogging platform, it is important to consider what suits your business best.
If your business is B2B (business to business), you will want to choose a blogging platform that is designed for companies and allows you to easily manage your blog’s content. On the other hand, if your business is B2C (business to consumer), you will want to opt for a blogging platform that is more consumer-friendly and allows you to engage directly with your audience.
Once you have chosen a blogging platform, it is time to move on to the next step—creating an outline for your blog’s content.
4. Choose A Niche
This step is crucial in terms of effectively marketing your business online. When deciding on a niche, you should consider what interests and compels you the most. If you are passionate about something—whether it is fashion, beauty, lifestyle, or sports—then you can create compelling content around your interests, build a following, and effectively market your business to those interested in similar topics.
An incredibly popular and established blog in the United Kingdom, Sustainability Bloggers, curates content around sustainable fashion and lifestyle, drawing on the knowledge and expertise of some of the country’s most respected and prominent bloggers.
Since its inception in late 2014, the blog has grown tremendously, reaching a peak of over 75,000 monthly readers at the time of writing. According to Scott Snell, founder and editor of Sustainability Bloggers, this level of growth was largely due to the fact that the content on the blog aligned perfectly with their target audience’s interests.
When choosing a niche, it is important to consider the size of your audience. If you are looking to attract a broad audience, then you may want to choose a niche that interests a large number of people. Alternatively, you can choose a niche that is more specific, drawing on knowledge and experience in a particular area or subject—for example, the niche “sportswear” covers both tennis and golf brands.
5. Find A Compelling And Concise Headline
A headline should be concise and compelling; it is the first thing a reader will see and, as such, it needs to grab the reader’s attention from the outset. To grab the attention of potential customers, begin with a question—either rhetorical or posed as a statement—that sparks curiosity. For example, “Is Black Always Best When Choosing Furniture Colours? How About Red?” or, “Are Tailored Men’s Shirts Back On The Rise? Find Out Here.”