If you are one of the many people who have a traditional brick and mortar business, but have yet to completely embrace the power of the Internet, then you shouldn’t wait any longer to grow your business online.
There has been a seismic shift onto the virtual world that can no longer be ignored. Don’t let a lack of understanding the technology stop you. Build your online presence before it’s too late. These are real assets, albeit digital. They may be intangible, but the results they can yield are very tangible.
Why you should resolve to grow your business online.
There really has never been a better time to get your business online and start marketing it utilizing the multitude of great tools that are available. You may be already using some of these tips, and if so, great! If not, then definitely check them out. Your competitors are likely growing their business online and you should too.
Learn how to grow a small business!
1. Website
If you want to market your business online, you need to ensure that your website is updated and modern. If you have a website that hasn’t been updated in the last few years, then it’s due for an update. Forget about old static websites. Your website needs to be modern and your content should be “fresh”. What, you don’t have a website? What are you waiting for! There has never been a better time for getting web design work done. Web designing has come out of the dark ages. In the past, you had to know html coding and javascript or pay thousands of dollars for average websites. But now, with the revolution of WordPress and other easy-to-use publishing platforms, you can create amazing sites that you can design yourself. Pre-designed customizable themes are readily available and with the right plugins you can design just about any site you can imagine.
2. Facebook and Social Media
Okay, I know what you are thinking… you just don’t know about all that social media stuff. You need to get yourself and your business out there. Think of Facebook as a modern day yellow pages with social interaction. Resources such as Facebook and other social media sites like Twitter, Linked in, Pinterest, and Instagram are free and invaluable. You don’t have to utilize them all, but depending on your industry, some will be more beneficial to you than others. Definitely set up a Facebook business page first and foremost. What, no fans you say? Here is a useful tip to start your page with instant fans. Begin with setting up a personal profile page and collect as many “friends” you can, based on real friends, business associates, and acquaintances. Once you have collected all the “friends” you can find, convert your personal profile page to a facebook business page. Voila! Your facebook friends are now converted to “fans” of your new business page.
3. Google Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Create an ad campaign with Google, the #1 search engine. It really works to grow your business online! Think about it… Where else can you advertise exactly when your ideal prospect is looking for your product or service? When a search is done, the searcher is typically ready to buy. By having your ad available to them, the chances of connecting and converting them to a sale is very high. Google AdWords is the best advertising platform for targeting your prospect at precisely the right time.
4. Yelp!
The #1 site for crowd-sourced reviews of local businesses. If you have a retail store or a service business, chances are that you already have one. Be sure you should manage your Yelp listing. Read what is posted and respond to both positive and negative comments. Don’t ever get offended and retaliate. Stay positive and always respond with sincerity and above all else, be nice. If you are trying to grow a small business, consider incentivizing your satisfied customers to leave a positive Yelp review.
5. Blogging
This is a great way to grow a small business. The idea is to promote your personal brand or business with valuable content. Blogs can generate endless leads and can establish yourself as an authority in your industry or profession. Offer value and useful information to establish a relationship. Build an email list and keep in contact with them regularly. What, you say? You have a local service business and this doesn’t apply to you. You bet it does! If your prospect is searching for a local service business and only one has a blog providing useful information, whom do you think they will want to call? You guessed it. The person with the blog who is actively marketing their business.
6. YouTube Videos
Video is one of the best methods to grow your business online. When it comes to conveying your message to your audience online, video is very effective. Studies show that if a video is available, visitors will watch it before doing any reading. Videos are also one of the best ways to establish a connection with your audience. By being able to see you and hear your message, the trust factor goes way up. Short three minute videos are best and can be crafted in 4 easy steps; 1. Introduce yourself. 2. Propose a question. 3. Answer the question. 4 Have a call to action. Then post the video on YouTube and promote the video. Be sure to include your website and contact information at the end of the video.
7. E-commerce
Do you have a physical product to sell? Then grow your business online, by selling it online. Creating an online store has never been easier with sites like Shopify. This site is arguably the best site to use to sell anything and everything online. It is affordable, easy to use and the design options are endless. Nothing to sell? Consider producing informational products that your customer would be interested in purchasing.
8. Local Search Engine Optimization
Okay great! Now that you have resolved to grow your local business online, you will need to know a little about SEO or search engine optimization. Local SEO is optimizing a business for a specific location in addition to a product or service category. Basically, you want the major search engines to pick up and rank your business sites well. There is way too much to discuss here, but you can read more about how to market your business online with localized SEO at Entrepreneur.com.
9. Online Contests & Giveaways
We all love to get free stuff. This is a great way to generate activity on your Facebook page and even Twitter. The rules are different for both, so read up on their restrictions before you set out. So, get on Facebook and start giving stuff away! Here is useful link to Facebook Promotion Guidelines.
10. Promote Offline
Okay, now that you have lined up your online assets, you need to start letting everyone with whom you do business know about it. This allows you to grow your business online, organically. Make sure that all printed materials like business cards, company letterhead, pamphlets and catalogs include website addresses to the major places that you’ve chosen to create a presence.
Take Action and Market Your Business Online!
If you haven’t already done so, you need to resolve to grow your business online, market your business online and build your online presence so that people know about you and so that customers can find you. Once you have started, you need to commit to maintaining your presence. There are countless other methods you can utilize. The above list was put together to help you get started growing your business online.
Did you find this post useful? If so, I would greatly appreciate if you commented below with your thoughts and shared on Facebook!
To your success!
Noel B. Lorenzana
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My Dad has his own business (I pass on a lot of your tips to him) and I suggested he write a blog for his page to engage with his audience but he stumped me with “what do I write about?” Mine’s easy. It’s a parenting blog but I’m not trying to sell a product. Dad is a mobile DJ and reckons a blog makes no business sense. However, you have recommended a small business have a blog so what sort of thing would you recommend he write about?
Your dad could blog about his Mobile DJ business. Some topics could be about frequently asked questions from clients or tips for hiring a mobile DJ. He can blog about the events that he DJ’s and use his blog to keep in touch with his clients. He can also write about popular music and a top 20 list of favorite songs. He could also create a Mobile DJ “authority site”, where he could write as The authority for mobile DJ’s. He could create a community and provide a useful resource for mobile DJ’s and aspiring mobile DJ’s, also discussing trends and new mobile DJ technology. He could monetize the site with e-books on “Starting Your Mobile DeeJay Business” or “How to run your own Mobile DJ business”. Also affiliate links and google adsense for monetization.
Thanks for sharing. Great advice.
Thank you for your comment!
The internet is actually a great tool to grow your business. I mean, there’s gold everywhere, if you just know how and where to dig them. 🙂
I completely agree! All businesses need to embrace the Internet to grow their business online. Thanks for commenting.