How to Improve Your Small Business’s Online Presence

If your business is in the early stages of digital marketing, it’s important to set a foundation for your online presence.  In an overly saturated industry, an online presence is essential. Making it easier for prospective customers to find your brand before your competitors can result in a significant advantage and greater profits in the long run.

There are plenty of habits to try and services to take advantage of in your pursuit of a robust online presence. Use the following tips and tricks to enhance your company’s online footprint.

Improve Website Traffic with SEO

Once your site is up and running, turn your focus towards improving website traffic. There are plenty of ways to accomplish this, but search engine optimization takes center stage. Set up a blog and write or commission relevant articles that relate to your product or service as they relate to your target audience’s desires. Keyword-rich articles can attract search engine traffic, boosting the amount of visitors your site receives each month.

Submit a Business Listing

The major search engines like Google and Bing now feature local business listings in their results pages, which are generated from their business listing database. If your business is listed on a major search engine, you can put your brand front and center and improve your online presence in one easy step. Every time you submit a business listing, double-check that all information is accurate—consistency is key, especially across sites and various search engines.

Don’t neglect these listings; monitor them regularly so that you can correct errors when they arise and respond to any negative (potentially business-impacting) reviews.

Understand What Your Customers Are Saying

Speaking of reviews, make it a priority to keep an eye on what your customers are saying about your business on sites like Yelp. You need to understand what customers are thinking and saying about your brand—especially when their impressions of your company could affect future sales and profitability. When appropriate, respond to negative reviews to show that you care about your customers’ experiences with your brand, and foster a polite, respectful tone in each of your replies.

Ramp Up your Social Media Activity

Social media holds a significant amount of power today, and improving  your online presence requires strategic social media use. There are plenty of channels to pick from, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest, but not every platform is the same, and your business may be suited to one and not another. Depending on your service or product, and your audience’s social media habits, focusing your efforts on a particular channel could be more advantageous.

Be strategic with your social media posts; each post should provide insight into your business—your goals, values, mission, and so on. Capitalize on social media optimization services and post useful content to your social media profiles on a regular basis.

Implement PPC Services

You might consider using PPC (pay-per-click) marketing to generate clicks to your website. PPC advertising is responsible for those sponsored ads you’ll typically see at the top of a Google search results page (the ones that are marked with a yellow label). Every time someone clicks your ad, sending them to your site, you pay the search engine a small fee. If you implement strategic PPC campaigns, that fee will be negligible, as the visit is worth more to your business than the tiny fee you pay for it. For example, if you pay $5 per click, but that single click results in a $100 sale, PPC is effective for your bottom line. As you search for PPC providers, be sure to look at local options first. Why? A locally based agency likely has a better handle on what works better for advertising in your area. For example, if your business is located in Southern California, you’ll likely need to look for Los Angeles or San Diego PPC consulting services that have insight on the local market.

There are plenty of ways to set your business apart, especially when it comes to your online presence. Incorporate these strategies into your digital marketing plan this year and watch the difference it makes.