Google is, by far, the world’s largest search engine and the easiest way potential customers who don’t yet know about your company yet to discover you. But with Google receiving more than 63,000 search queries during any given second of the day, and a myriad of competitors also trying to reach your potential customers, how do you stand out, especially if your digital marketing budget is lean?
While larger companies may have more dollars to spend on digital marketing, there are still several proven, cost-effective digital marketing practices you can deploy to attract new leads and drive conversion rates on e-commerce websites. Here are 3 tips for companies like yours who need to get the biggest bang for the buck on their digital marketing spends.
1. Focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Google’s algorithm is constantly changing to make sure it provides web searchers the most on target, relevant content related to their search queries. This means the best way you can get discovered on Google is to carefully write content for your webpage that matches the search terms you anticipate your target market using. The more relevant Google’s algorithm determines your content to be, the higher up you’ll be ranked on Google search results.
From a practical standpoint, this means:
- Making sure your website includes the most common keywords you expect potential customers to look for, such as “get keys changed” if you’re a locksmith
- If your business only services a certain geographical location, sprinkling in the names of the cities and towns you operate in throughout your webpages
- Blogging at least twice a month, which is proven to increase in organic search traffic by as much as 106%
- Create video content if you can afford it, as research shows that landing pages with video content can see an 86% increase in conversions (not to mention, you can post these videos on the world’s second-largest search engine, YouTube, which is extremely popular with Millenials and Gen Z)
2. Manage Your Online Reputation
It used to be that when you needed to find a certain type of company or professional, such as a doctor, you’d ask your trusted family and friends for referrals. While word of mouth is still crucial to your business, consumers are caring less and less about the source of said referrals.
The magazine Inc. reported that 84% of people trust reviews left by random Internet strangers just as much as they trust reviews from their own circle of friends. That means the interactions you have with current customers can directly impact drawing new, future customers, even if they have no real-life connections to your existing customers at all.
To best manage your online reputation, you should:
- Claim your business for free on Google, then fill your page with relevant content and images so your customers can leave honest reviews about the products and services you offer
- Ask your customers for reviews, whether you do so in person, in a follow-up email after your transaction with them, or on social media
- Reply to all reviews by thanking positive reviewers, and posting apologetic responses to unhappy reviewers that encourages them to contact you directly for a resolution
3. Engage Your Customers on the Social Media Channels They Use
While you do need a social media presence, you don’t need to be on every platform that exists. If you’re looking for baby boomers and Gen X clients, go to Facebook. Get visual by posting compelling images and stories on Instagram if you’re trying to attract Millenials. And if your business targets Gen Z, be on Snapchat, and TikTok.
Whatever social media channels you determine are relevant for your business, make sure your content is engaging and helpful. Don’t just self-promote; encourage conversations and interactions with your customers, post some humorous memes if doing so would be applicable to your customers, and on Instagram, use targeted hashtags to get discovered. Ideally, your social media presence should be a way you interact with customers and build relationships with them, and only occasionally post promotional content.
Deciding Whether to Manage Your Digital Marketing In-House or with the Assistance of a Marketing Agency
If you think your lean digital marketing budget means you have to manage all these tasks on your own, think again. There are several agencies that work with small businesses to help them manage their digital marketing efforts and work with clients with all budget sizes.
In fact, you may find that working with an agency frees up the time of highly-valued, high-performing team members who just don’t have the spare time or experience to be writing blogs, responding to Google reviews, and keeping current on social media.
If you need help managing your company’s digital marketing or want to consult with experts to see if you would benefit from professional assistance, contact Witmer Group today at (214) 865-9484.