In this era, if you don’t have a solid online presence, it will be very difficult to spread the word about your company. An ad in the yellow pages of the phone book just doesn’t cut it anymore. Internet marketing may sound expensive for small businesses, but many of the following online marketing tips are free or low cost options that are worth investing your time into and setting aside a small budget for.
Update Your Website
If your small business has been around for awhile, you likely already have a website. Regularly updating your website is first and foremost when it comes to online marketing tips. Just take a look at some examples of modern websites to get started, like those of your top competitors. Your website design should be simple and clean so that customers can easily navigate it. Make sure you have all of the basic necessities, like contact info and FAQs, as well. Use a good mix of graphic design, imagery, and text, while not being too heavy on the text side. Customers like to get straight to the point.
Start a Blog
A blog is one of the free online marketing tips for small businesses that every company should try. When you offer goods or services, customers want to know tips on how to use your products and learn about times when your services can come in handy. Blog articles can also be written on anything pertaining to your industry. The point is to give customers information they seek and draw them in to view what your company has to offer with interlinking. Integrating SEO keywords is also helpful to make your blog posts more visible to potential customers in search engines.
Use Email Marketing
Adding a “Join our email list” link to your website is a great way to start building an email contact base. Customers who want to be contacted with your special offers will sign up. You can start a monthly newsletter, or simply send out marketing emails with promotions. Giving customers a deal just for signing up, like 15% off their first internet order, is another great online marketing tip to entice people to join your list. Just be sure you don’t overdo it with too many marketing emails, making people want to opt out of your email list.
Be Active with Social Media
You don’t need to have a ton of social media accounts for your business, but you should have the top ones that pertain to your industry. For example, if you are in the photography or fashion industry, an Instagram and Facebook account are appropriate. A business-to-business company should have a LinkedIn account. Remember to be active in the management of your social media accounts and interact with followers by posting useful and interesting information. Be responsive when customers and potential clientele reach out to you.
Claim Your Listings on Search Engines and Review Sites
Here’s another free online marketing tip that every small business should do. Claim your local listings on search engines like Google My Business and Bing Places for Business. You’ll also want to claim your business on review sites such as Yelp and Yellow Pages. While you’re visiting the review sites, take note of any comments that have been left. These reviews offer valuable feedback that can help you improve your business operations.
Try Different Types of Digital Advertising
This online marketing tip isn’t free, but is worth trying out. Your business can place cost-effective digital ads on social media platforms and with search engines, like Google Ads. You can pay-per-click with text, image, video, and other types of ads. Mix it up, try things out for a period of time, and lose what methods aren’t working.
We know small businesses often have a limited budget for internet marketing, so these free and affordable online tips are a great place to start getting your company noticed. Contact us at BizCentral US for more ways to start, grow, and maintain your business for a future of success.
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