Digital Marketing Guide For Small Businesses
In the modern era of digital communication, it is imperative that any successful business, big or small, have an online presence. However, it is not as simple as it once was to get your name out there on the web. There are dozens of techniques and strategies that businesses use to digitally market themselves. Some of these include Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Google Analytics, Pay Per Click, Paid Search Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Website Design, and more. The digital marketing process for small businesses can look a little different than bigger corporations due to smaller budgets and specialized company needs. The most popular techniques used by small businesses are SEO, Google Analytics, and Strategic Website Design.
Benefits of Search Engine Optimization
The first and most useful digital marketing technique for small businesses is Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. SEO is an incredibly useful tool for getting your website noticed by Google. According to Search Engine Land, SEO is defined as “the process of getting traffic from the ‘free’ or ‘natural’ search results on search engines.” There are a few different ways you can optimize your search engine results. One of the ways is by utilizing keywords in your descriptions and throughout your website. Strategically placing target keywords in blogs, pages, and meta descriptions is key to directing traffic to your website. Going another layer deeper, there are many different strategies to choosing keyword. The main one utilized for small, local businesses is city plus service. This means you state the city you are targeting plus the service you are selling. For example, if I live in Apex and I need a new garage door, I may type “apex new garage door” into my search engine. Assuming local businesses are practicing city plus service SEO, their business will ideally appear top of the list. SEO has become extremely refined as time has passed, so reaching out to an expert is recommended for optimal digital marketing success.
The Value of Google Analytics
Another digital marketing tool that is very important for all businesses to utilize is Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a free tool associated with any website. It is used to track how much traffic your website is getting, where that traffic is coming from, which pages are being visited the most, and much more. Google Analytics offers an assortment of data to be analyzed to better improve your rankings. Additionally, using Google Analytics signals for your pages to be indexed by Google, and therefore rank higher in searches. As it is free, this is an essential tool for small businesses to take advantage of.
Utilize Smart Website Design
The last digital marketing technique I want to highlight is smart website design. When creating a website design, it is important to keep in mind that it should be easily navigable, responsive, and full of great content. A website should be easily navigable, meaning that you can get to the content you need within 3 clicks. It should also be a responsive design, meaning that it will appear the same on any device, whether it is a computer, a smart phone, or a tablet. And it should be full of great content such as blogs and testimonials, riddled with keywords. A well designed website can be the factor that sets your small business apart.
Set Your Small Business Apart
Digital Marketing is an ever changing beast, but one that is worth wrestling with in order to achieve ultimate success for your business. Partner with Whiteboard Creations today to start utilizing these 3 techniques, you can start to set your small business apart, and on the right path to success.