8 Online Marketing Tips For Small Businesses

Small businesses face special challenges and need innovative ways to attract new customers. Here are 8 marketing tips for small businesses to improve your presence online.

Online Marketing Tips

Did you know there are about than 200 million active websites on the internet? That means you have a lot of competition as a business owner.

You need to do everything you can to capture your target market’s attention! One of the best ways to do this is through online marketing. But it can hard to know where to start. That’s why we’ve created this blog post outlining the 8 online marketing tips you should consider for your small business.

Read on!

1. Make It Mobile-Friendly

In today’s day and age, 80% of internet users own a smartphone. That means if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing out on a lot of website traffic.

Google also recently introduced changes which penalize sites that aren’t mobile-friendly. This means that your search engine rankings could dip.

One easy way to make your site mobile-friendly is to make it responsive. This means using a specific type of website builder that will automatically format your site to any size screen. This is a great way to make it happen.

Also keep in mind that mobile users take more action than desktop users. A mobile user is usually looking for quick information. They may want to make an appointment, get directions, or call your business with one simple click.

Need help with your web design? We can do that.

2. Grow Your Email List

This is one of the most important digital marketing tips out there.

Growing your email list is key because it gives you direct access to your customer’s attention. You can send emails about promotions, product updates, or company changes.

If you have a brick and mortar location, ask people for their email addresses when they’re checking in or out. This is a simple way to grow your list.

You can also use your website to gather email addresses. Consider adding a drop down bar that asks people for their information. You could also implement a sidebar ad or a popup to ask for email addresses.

3. Use Video

Guess what? It’s estimated that 50% of people look up videos about products or services before visiting a store. This is proof that your online presence matters. And video is a key part of that.

However, for most small business owners, it can be really intimidating to create video content. Whether you want to work a videography team or make it in-house, it’s getting easier and easier to create worthwhile videos.

You can even make one-take videos on your phone that do a great job. Here are a few ideas of video content you could produce:

• How-to videos about using your products or services
• Short videos with success tips from management
• A company history about your beginnings

Remember that you don’t need super long or Oscar-worthy videos on your website. You just need them to be engaging.

4. Add Facebook Ads to Your List of Marketing Tips

Facebook ads are a great way to market a small business. This is because of their targeting options! You can target users based on age, gender, interests, job type, and much more.

There are also many different types of ads you can use on Facebook. Some will drive traffic to your site, some have local awareness as a goal, and others work to get you more followers.

5. Create Compelling Content

Today, most internet users get bored when they are confronted with a big cluster of words on a webpage. People’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, so your content needs to grab their attention quickly.

This is why video and images are so important to incorporate into your website. Large paragraphs of text just won’t make the cut. But images can break up your text very effectively.

For example, instead of just writing about your product, include a short video demonstrating the ins and outs or a picture of it. This will stand out and be more engaging.

6. Grow Your Network with Online Networking Websites

The internet is a great place to connect with local consumers and business owners. And LinkedIn is where you should start when it comes to online networking.

This is a great tool for you as a business owner for two reasons. First, you can create a business profile where you can connect with customers. You can use this to publish information about promotions and other company updates.

The second reason LinkedIn is great is for your networking as a business owner. This will help you get in contact with other entrepreneurs. These relationships could turn into a mentoring relationship or perhaps lead to future business ventures.

7. Enhance Your Business Profile

You want to control what people see when they search for your business on Google as much as you possibly can. One way to do this is through a Google business profile.

You can set up a business profile that includes your phone number, address, and store hours. This information will appear whenever someone searches your company name. And if there are any changes to this information, you can go in and edit it directly.

This gives you greater control over your online presence and is a must-do for any small business.

8. Monitor Your Reputation

Another piece of marketing advice is to manage your online reputation. Consumers trust online reviews and many people read them before making a purchase. So you need to be sure your online reputation is strong.

To do this, set up an alert through Google to be notified when new reviews are published about your business. Always respond to reviews, both positive and negative. This shows potential customers that you are actively involved with your clients.

To improve your online reputation, ask your happy customers to leave reviews on Google, Facebook, and Yelp if applicable. These will really give you a boost.

Also pay attention to people talking about you on social media. Consider sharing any positive posts on your own social media channels.

Last Thoughts

Now that you’ve read through these online marketing tips, it’s time to implement them!

Pick your favorites and try them out.

If you have any questions or need help with your digital marketing, feel free to contact us. We’re here to help!