Small business marketing challenges and how to fix them
As a business owner, you know small business marketing has changed drastically given the growth of technology and the Internet. Businesses across the globe set up websites and develop Internet marketing plans to reach the millions of users online every day. Instead of focusing on short-term and aggressive sales techniques, you can use your small business website to establish and build mutually-beneficial long-term relationships with clients.
Once you master the basics of the new rules of marketing, and have learned about the importance of long-tail keywords and inbound marketing strategies, you may come across some small business marketing challenges such as driving traffic to your website, establishing a social media following and developing multiple landing pages.
Your website exists to promote your business, but no one will see it unless you implement a small business marketing strategy including a blog to attract readers. A blog is a regularly updated page on your site providing valuable information to readers.
5 Ways a Blog Drives Traffic to Your Website
- Keeps your site current in the eyes of the search engines. This improves your position in the search engine rankings and leads more qualified traffic directly to your site.
- Grows your site with more useful content. Larger sites with good quality and relevant information also improve their search engine rankings, appearing more often in search results and driving more inbound traffic.
- Provides value to existing readers and customers. Building a mutually-beneficial and long-lasting relationship with customers is key to a solid small business marketing plan. Blogs that give existing readers valuable information and include internal links to other pages on your site drive repeat traffic from readers, and increase the likelihood they will eventually become customers if they haven' t already. Be sure to include a blog subscription option.
- Blog posts written in response to current search trends can help gain new customers if your post includes information that answers their search queries.
- When readers find a blog useful, inspiring, fun and creative they want to share it with their friends. Blog posts including social media share buttons can be easily shared between family, friends and followers, increasing traffic to your website even more.
Do I Really Need Social Media Marketing?
Yes, you do. According to Nielsen's Q3 2011 Social Media report, more than 80% of Americans use a social network. This is how your customers communicate with each other, and where they turn for advice and recommendations on products and services. A common small business marketing challenge is deciding which social media site is best suited for your marketing activities.
Begin with a merchant page on Facebook, as it includes users from a large demographic. Post links backs to your blog posts and website, promote upcoming specials, giveaways and coupons, and include links to other quality online information that will benefit your customers. Your social media small business marketing plan should include the platforms best suited to your business and your target customer profile.
How Landing Pages Help Identify Prospects
One of the main benefits of online small business marketing is that prospective customers come to you. Their interests and needs lead them to your site through the search terms they type into the search engines. There is an increased chance these prospects will make a purchase as they have already identified themselves as being interested in the information you provide.
Identifying and categorizing these prospects can be challenging unless your small business marketing strategy includes measuring the traffic to a variety of different landing pages on your site. This helps categorize prospects and can alert you to previously unidentified readers who represent a buyer profile your business may have been unaware of.
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