Having a small business to run takes lots of time and effort. When you cut to the chase, it can be a little overwhelming at times finding new consumers to buy from you.
That said your small business can be a success on many levels, especially when you make it easy for consumers to find you.
From pinpoint advertising and marketing to being relevant on social media, let consumers know all about your brand and how you can be found.
So, are you a small business that is easy to find?
Shout Out to the World
In order for your small business to stand out and be seen by consumers, make sure you have the following checked off:
- Customer service – You may think that advertising, marketing, social media, word-of-mouth etc. should top the list; they come a little later. How you treat customers goes a long way with making it easier to get new ones. When consumers hear from friends and family about the stellar customer service they received from your small business, they’re more apt to want to do business with you too. Never underestimate the importance of giving customers what they want, especially when it comes to service. When you do that, the rewards can be endless;
- Web rankings – Where your small business sits in Google rankings also will help define just how much business you’ll receive. Many consumers use the web to search for a variety of products and services. Whether they’re doing Google searches for real estate, healthcare information, a Ca license plate lookup, new and used vehicles, home furnishings or a host of other items, ranking high on search engine pages is crucial. You do this in myriad of ways, including strong marketing content (see more below), utilizing search engine optimization (SEO), smart advertising and more. The one thing you do not want to do is have a site that ranks low on Google and other search engines due to bad content, being seen as a spammer, and not properly pushing your brand;
- Content matters – If you don’t have a blog on your website, what are you waiting for? A blog featuring authoritative and relative posts in your respective industry is a great means to move up in search rankings and attract new customers. If you don’t have the time and/or wherewithal to put the right meaning into words, higher and/or outsource your content marketing needs. A company blog can do so much good in bringing you more customers that you’re lax if you don’t have one;
- Social media – It deserves repeating over and over again that social media is not something your small business should push to the side. With the right social media approach, you can get your brand out in front of millions of eyes, some of which will turn into customers before you know it. Raise the bar when it comes to your social media efforts, giving your brand a presence on a number of the top social networking sites. This means being active on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagran, Pinterest, LinkedIn and more. Once again, if you yourself do not have the time for such efforts, hire within or outsource your social media needs. If you have employees, encourage them to tweet, share, pin and more when it comes to your site’s content and images. The return on investment (ROI) for social media will prove well worth the time and effort you give to it;
- Advertising and marketing – Last but not least, the time and effort invested in advertising and marketing will certainly prove fruitful if you give it 100 percent. Make sure you are advertising to the right markets, thereby getting the best opportunities for a strong ROI. Your marketing efforts should encompass a wide range of initiatives, leaving no stone unturned. Always look to push the envelope when it comes to marketing, as you never know what may or may not truly work.
As a small business owner in 2016, you undoubtedly have a fair amount of competition to go up against.
Take the bull by the horns and make it easy for consumers to find you.
About the Author: Dave Thomas covers small business topics on the web.