In an increasingly digital world, having a viable, up-to-date website is a must for any entrepreneur. Whether you’re selling products or creating a brand around a message or a movement, you need to leverage the power of the internet to reach as many people as possible. To that end, here are three of the main ways to accomplish your goal.
Ads
In the days before the invention of the internet, cable television was the primary medium for companies to reach potential customers or audiences. Commercials were (and still are) big business, especially during prime time viewing hours. These days, ad traffic has pivoted to the internet and mobile devices in an ever-increasing variety of ways. There are ads which overlay the page you were trying to reach, ads that come up at the top of search results pages, and ads embedded in the informative content of webpages, and much more.
If there’s a local network of companies you do business with, then you can set up an arrangement sometimes referred to as “reciprocal linking”. This is where you devote a small section or link on your website dedicated to a partner in your network, and they do the same for your company on their website. Though it has gotten a bad rap in the past due to abuse, when done properly, this arrangement can save small businesses money and increase localized web traffic amongst you and your partners’ sites. The only drawback is that it may limit your overall online exposure to local customers, rather than reaching a broader audience nationwide or even globally.
Ads can be expensive, but there are a variety of formats and methods to choose from, ranging from Google search ads to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook ads. These can potentially expand your audience or customer base, but they might only provide you with a one-time benefit rather than the ongoing benefit of having a regular online following. Obtaining regular followers can help cut your ad expenses, and that involves having a vibrant social media presence and webpages containing well-crafted SEO.
SEO
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is an organic way to reach more followers without specifically paying for advertisements. Search engines are constantly changing their algorithms to weed out bogus content and make sure they provide top-quality content at the very top of any given search result. With the right SEO strategy, your company’s website can consistently rank near the top for relevant web searches to help steadily grow your business.
Unless your company is large enough to have staff devoted to SEO-driven content, it can be hard to keep up with the constant changes made to search algorithms to continuously improve the user’s experience and results. Many businesses choose to outsource this responsibility. The thing they need to understand is that they should hire local experts. So, for example, if your business is headquartered in Orlando, you should hire experts at prominent Orlando SEO companies such as Central Florida Media Solutions can expedite your SEO growth, along with provide you with crucial analytics and a performance comparison to competitor websites.
Reviews
Disgruntled customers have unprecedented power over the narrative and impression your company makes to potential new customers; in the same token, raving fans can also help to bring more customers to your site or through your door, so management of reviews should always be a critical component of your online strategy. In most cases, negative reviews cannot be removed, so take the high road and respond with grace and conciliation. Remember, potential new customers are watching your responses to gauge your commitment to customer service.
Responding with gratitude to favorable reviews is also an established practice of tech-savvy companies, and it shows that your organization values their customers and makes time to let them know. If your business site doesn’t have many reviews, that can be a warning sign to customers, so make sure to ask frequently and often for favorable reviews and ratings to grow your online presence.
