As a local business or startup that’s struggling to stay ahead of the competition, online marketing through a website could be just what you need to up your game. There are plenty of tips out there on creating a great website, but not all of them focus on small, local businesses. Here are a few tips to get your small business off the ground through your website.
General Site Tips
To go over the basics of any good website, you need to have good content, a great design and an easy to find, easy to remember site name. The layout of your site should be aesthetically pleasing with high-quality images. Keep the number of images fairly low – too many can be overwhelming and deter visitors. Whether the content you upload is a newsletter, new products or a blog, be sure to upload interesting, informative content on a regular basis to keep your customers engaged.
Use a Local Domain
Most people looking at setting up a website aim straight for the coveted “.com” domain. However, it doesn’t help identify you as a local business and there’s a good chance the domain name you want for your business is already taken. Instead, look for one of the best web hosting companies in your area and use a local domain. This way, you’ll show up in the local results of a search engine, so potential clients can find you easily.
Relevant Content
As an area-based business, your target market is the people in your immediate vicinity, so make your content is relevant to them. People engage far more with companies they feel they can relate to, one way to achieve this is through your content. For image content, a picture of something visitors may have seen before, but not really noticed, like your storefront or a newspaper ad, could engage their subconscious really well.
Encourage Interaction
Making your website easy to navigate and easy, and pleasant, to engage with will build trust with visitors and make them more likely to engage. Clearly visible and relevant call to action buttons around your site will do the same. Offer a subscribe option, whether it’s a company newsletter or weekly promos and specials. A landing page that encourages users to leave contact information will increase your conversions (the step from potential-customer to customer) and expand your database.
Use Social Media
Public opinion is, for most people, a huge factor in deciding what companies to do business with. Setting up a social media account for your company, which you would naturally link to your website, will establish excellent rapport with your market. It’s also a good way to self-promote by posting about specials and linking to new content on your website. Regular updates will keep your customers abreast of new information as well as keep them engaged by keeping your brand fresh in their minds.
A user-friendly site that encourages user interaction will help customers engage, and keeping customers engaged is good for business. People judge by appearance, so make sure your site looks good. Post regular, relevant content to your site and social media to keep your clientele up to date.
