Monday, May 22, 2017

How to use Your Website to Stand Out

It’s 2017, and by now, you should know that having a website isn’t enough anymore. You want to drive customers/traffic to your website. I hear the question over and over again, “How do I get people to my website?”. My answer isn’t very simple and involves several important online marketing tools to be effective.

First, your website should be the center of your online marketing. It is your office or storefront that is open 24/7. Make sure it is responsive! It has to be easy to view and use on a mobile phone, tablet computer, and desktop computer. Did you know that Google won’t event search your website on mobile if it’s not responsive? It needs to have rich content, professional pictures, video, and well-written text. If you have products to sell, is your website eCommerce enabled? What about that entrepreneurial dream of making money while you sleep? If your business isn’t available when you sleep, you can’t make money when you sleep.

Website Content. Is the text on your website helping you with search engine searches? Does the text on your pages clearly explain what the customer needs and how your company can provide a solution? Does your website software allow you to easily make updates to the text on your website? A critical piece of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is how often you update your website with relevant content. This can be text, images, as well as video. If you can’t update your website with new information, Google and other search engines won’t find you relevant. When this happens, you will find your business at the bottom of the search.

SEO.  SEO ensures that your business ranks high on search engines like Google and Yahoo when a consumer is looking for a specific product or service. Make sure you have clear geographic areas you wish to reach and the demographics of your desired customers. Develop site keywords, page titles, headings, and page descriptions to help your business stand out in a crowd.

Google Advertising. Search engine giant Google offers its paid AdWords service to businesses who wish to enhance their Internet marketing efforts. Do you have a Google Plus account? Do you have a Google Local Listing? Is your business on the Google map? Google allows businesses to create campaigns based on the demographics you are targeting.

Facebook Advertising. As of May 2017, there are 1.86 billion monthly active users on Facebook. It is the most popular social media platform in the world. It is where people are socializing, asking for recommendations, and shopping. Advertising on Facebook doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective, but it does take some skill. Ever search for a pair of shoes on Google and then those same pair of shoes appear on your Facebook news feed? That’s effective Facebook advertising.

Social Media. Facebook isn’t the only social media platform that can help your business grow. Other platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Yelp, and many others are becoming incredibly important communication channels for consumers making buying decisions. Take the time to create a plan for the platforms that will attract your target market. Create an engaging profile. Make sure you post well-written and image-driven content each day. And, respond to comments or questions in a timely manner.

Blog. Blogging gives your business the competitive advantage. It’s the space where you can tell what separates you from the competition. You website should contain an integrated blog to improve SEO ranking. Google will see that your website is changing regularly and want to list your website at the top of their list. Blogs give websites 434% more indexed pages and 97% more indexed links


So, how do you get people to your website? Lots of ways! But, the most important thing is have a website you are proud to send your customers too.


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