The internet has rendered the use of yellow pages, and offline business directories somehow irrelevant. These days, people prefer to seek information online instead of flipping through pages of yellow pages to find appropriate companies for their needs.
With the increase usage of mobile gadgets — smart phones, iPads — with built-in web browsers in them, people now have access to the internet more than before. They no longer need to wait to get home or the office before they can seek information about their needs online. They can simply do that on the go.
If you run a business in your local area and are not yet using the internet for marketing your products or services, you’re missing a lot. It’s about time you start reaping the benefit of internet marketing for your small business in your small town. The following are the simple ways to start marketing your offers online.
Create an online presence
When people in your local area are seeking information about your products or services online, the first things they’ll see are websites. And if your business website is listed in search results, you’ve increased the chances of getting business inquiries from potential clients
A business website is a powerful tool for marketing online. Without a website, it would be unwise to even think of attracting potential customers for your products or services on the internet.
Your business websites needs to be presentable, look professional to demonstrate your credibility immediately potential clients reach it. An amateurish looking website may plant a seed of doubt in the minds of your target audience when they first see it. You don’t want this to happen to you, do you? That’s why it’s vital that you build a business website that speaks your value, convey your brand message, and appeal to the needs of your target audience.
Admittedly, creating a business websites can be costly sometimes. Luckily, there are web design companies or even freelance web designers with excellent design skills who can create high quality business website based on your budget. Don’t be afraid to negotiate with web designers, and tell them what exactly you want to achieve with your website. And be open minded to their suggestions, too.
Make your business website mobile-friendly
With the increase usage of mobile phones – smartphones, iPads — with built-in web browsers that allow users to surf the internet, people now have access to the internet wherever they are without the need to get to the office or home before they can use the internet. Making your business website mobile-friendly will give your potential customers access to your company via their mobile phones anytime and anywhere.
The good news is that you don’t have to create a separate mobile-friendly site from the main business website. All you’ve to do is configure the main website to support mobile browsing so that potential customers can access the site either via mobile or computer. Your web designer should be able to help you achieve this goal.
Implement proper SEO
Setting up a business website is just a tip of the ice berg when it comes to internet marketing. There’s the need to make your website relevant for your products or services. And also make it easy for search engines – Google, Yahoo, and Bing – to index your website based on what you offer. This will help increase the visibility of your brand to your target audience online.
The act of doing all the above is known as SEO – search engine optimization. It involves embedding relevant keyword phrases that your target audience will possibly use to search for your products or services online. If your keywords correspond to their search queries, your business website has a higher chance of showing up on search results and as a result, may attract potential clients.
For example, if you’re a baker in LA, and you embed the keyword “bakery in LA” in your website, it would increase the possibility of your site showing up on search results when potential clients are seeking information about bakery in LA. Also, your web designer should be able to handle this aspect of your site for you.
Go social
One of the places on which people spend most of their times online is social networking sites. As a result, companies are taking advantage of this to reach their target audience on various social media outlets. According to a study of rural small businesses, about 60% of business owners have created special profiles for their businesses. This demonstrates the power of social sites as great marketing tools.
Leverage this by creating special profiles for your business on the most frequented social media websites – Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. This will enable you to reach more potential customers. Also, your clients will have the chance to share their experience about using your products or services with each other, and consequently increase your credibility. You’ll also have the chance to listen and interact with your clients, and therefore establish a good relationship with them.
The beauty of going social is that it cost nothing to create business profiles on social sites. It’s absolutely free. So take advantage of this to reach more customers.
Place ads in online classifieds
Besides search engines, most people prefer to use online classifieds for seeking information about products or services. There are lots of internet classifieds that are designed based on various communities and local areas. This makes it easy for users to find offers that are close to them. Reach more potential customers by getting your business listed on several of the classifieds online. Some are cheap to use, and others are free.
With the increase usage of mobile phones with integrated web browser features, creating an online presence for your business will help your brand stand out from the crowd in your small town, and enable you to reach more potential customers than your competitors who are not utilizing Internet marketing.
Author’s Bio:
Saeed Sikiru is a prolific freelance blogger. He’s the editor of a content marketing blog where he offers his freelance blogging service. If you have a blog that needs regular content, hire Saeed to write quality and persuasive articles for you.