Having a website is not the be all and end all of online marketing. Not just because you have a website, people will instantly flock to it like flies to honey. You may be getting hundreds of hits on your website per day, but are they the people you want to reach? Here are some ways to ensure that your website is viewed by the right people:
Your address online
Invest in domain name registration. This ensures that you get the domain name that suits your business. There are many websites offering free domains for your business, however, having a generic domain name can reflect negatively on your business. It shows that you don’t have the capacity to invest in your own domain name; much less can you provide good service. It doesn’t even matter whether or not the person has actually tried your product. Sometimes, appearance is what matters. On the same note, it is best to invest on a website designer. You need not go to large firms to design your website; there are tons of freelance web designers online that can do the same job for less.
Make sure that your website shows vital information about your company and your product, including operating hours, business address, product descriptions, and online cart and payment options, if any. All these things contribute to a good impression on your target consumers.
Link up
When you have setup your website, it is time to have your address or your link available to anyone who might want to search for it. Make your website search engine-friendly. Make sure that every page is properly identified with your product or company name. Submit your website to popular search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo!, among others. By doing so, your website will be included in their search results whenever your business name, product, or keyword is used as query.
Aside from that, find other websites that have similar visitors. If you are a start-up restaurant in a certain locality, you may want to visit the official website for the place and have your link displayed there. Have your business listed in business directories such as HotFrog, Ware Online, or the UK Small Business Directory. Find other businesses with similar consumers, without being competitors and exchange links with them. Thus, you can both benefit from each other’s consumers.
Social Networking
Almost everyone nowadays has one or more social networking accounts. When trying out new products or services, it has become a habit to check out whether or not the business has a social account. They do so to check for map location, operating hours, pictures of the products or the storefront, and most importantly, they check for reviews. Thus, it is important to maintain a social presence. Having a social network account makes the impression that the business is accessible, home-grown, or local even, resulting to likelihood of loyalty or even, patronage. However, having a social account can be a double-edged sword. Consumers may leave positive reviews, as well as negative reviews, but it can also invite hateful and baseless comments, which may be interpreted as true by consumers reading them.
Photograph by MBN