In the past few years, businesses have had to adapt to the new reality of the digital world. Gone are the days of simply creating a website and hoping that people will come. Now, you need to have a comprehensive marketing strategy that incorporates SEO, PPC, email marketing and social media to ensure that your website is accessible to as many potential customers as possible. This includes both new and returning visitors.
SEO is Still the King (or Queen)
Despite all the changes that have taken place in digital marketing, one thing remains the same: SEO is still the most effective and reliable form of marketing online. Why? Because web users have become so accustomed to being able to immediately find what they’re looking for, and the industry has changed with the times. If you’re not being found online, then you’re probably not getting any traffic at all, which means you’re losing out on sales.
Building A Brand
A brand is a connection to a person or company that is more than just a sum of the products that they sell. In today’s world, a brand can be defined as a combination of a product’s features, packaging and pricing along with the personality of the company and the people that it represents. In other words, a brand is entirely unique to each company, product and audience that it appeals to.
Having a brand is important because it allows you to stand out among your competitors. When a customer finds your product, but doesn’t know much about your company, they might not be as eager to purchase your product as they would be if they felt connected to your brand. If you want to build a brand identity that will resonate with your customers, then you need to consider a few key activities:
Create A Buzz Word Or Phrase For Your Brand
A buzz word is a word or phrase that is commonly used in online searches, blog posts, social media posts and so on that are related to your brand or industry. The advantage of using a buzz word or phrase is that it allows customers to easily find what you offer. If a customer uses a specific buzz word or phrase when researching your product or service, then they’re more likely to reach out to you when they find what they’re looking for.
Optimise Your Websites For The Search Engines
When a customer types in a search query on a search engine (such as Google or Bing), the engine sifts through billions of websites to show the user the most relevant results. To ensure that your website shows up in the search engine results pages (SERPs), you need to ensure that it meets the requirements of a good SEO website:
- Hits all the right keywords/phrases
- Sitemap
- Usability
- Content Management
- Responsive Design
If you’re wondering what keywords or phrases you should be focusing on, then ask yourself:
What words and phrases do my customers use to find my product or service?
What words and phrases do my products and services relate to?
How do my customers feel about my product/service? Are they satisfied with what I offer, or do they have complaints?
Product Demo Days & Videos
Customers love it when brands offer them a chance to try the products or services first before making a purchase decision. One of the simplest yet most effective ways to allow customers to try your product or service is via a product demo day. This can be as simple as having a display table at the entrance to your store. Simply walk the customer through the features of your product and allow them to hold or use it before deciding to make a purchase.
Another effective technique is to create short product demo videos. Just like with a written sales pitch, a video sales pitch can be more effective than a plain ol’ web page because it draws viewers into the action more effectively. When a customer hits play, they’re immediately engaged in the action of the video. This makes it much more likely that they’ll stay and read the rest of the content. In other words, videos allow for much more engagement and, as a result, much more likely to convert a consumer than a website ever could.
User-Centered Design
When Apple launched its first mobile phone, the world did not take notice. However, a few years later, everyone and their grandma was using an iPhone. The reason: Apple built the device with the user in mind, and it showed.
Since then, user-centered design (UCD) has taken over the marketing world. Why? It focuses on the needs of the user (customer) instead of the products being promoted. When you build a product with the end user in mind, you put yourself in the best position to create a highly functional and convenient experience. This encourages users to come back for more, which is always beneficial for a business.
The world is a different place now, and while SEO is still effective, it’s not the be-all-end-all of web marketing. In order to effectively market your product or service online, you need to consider other platforms such as social media and PPC. However, don’t forget about your website either. If you have a product that sells itself, or a service that requires little to no explanation, then opt for online marketing through a website.