Introduction
As a small business, you have enough challenges keeping your head above water and focusing on how to grow. Navigating the digital world can be complex if you don’t understand the various channels and what you should focus on to get the most bang for your buck. Even if you do understand the technologies, how do you find enough time in the day to do it all? In this paper we will give you a concise list of things you can easily do to boost your business by leveraging the power of digital with web, social, and mobile.
According to the Boston Consulting Group, businesses that make use of the web expect to grow 40% faster than those that don’t. And according to Google, 97% of consumers go online to look for local products, yet only 37% of US small businesses have an online presence. Increasingly, the web is important, but so is making use of social media and mobile technology to engage with your potential customers.
If digital technologies like web, social media and mobile are so important, then why don’t all small businesses make use of them? There are several reasons that include perceived cost associated with doing it, not having enough time, or believing that it’s just too complicated. Lucky for you, there is plenty of help to address the complexities of digital while also managing your time challenges. There are marketing services companies that cater to small business needs. It’s also less expensive than you think, especially if you can pay for it with the increased sales that you can enjoy.
So let’s get to it – here are our top tips for digital success.
Responsive Design
1. Have an online presence with a responsive design
Since consumers are going online to search for businesses, unless you have a website you will not be found! Consumers will go to your competitors if they are easier to find. A couple of other things to consider are optimizing your site for relevant keywords that consumers may be searching on and making sure you have a responsive design. By having the right information and content on your website, you will help your company be found when consumers are searching.
A responsive design simply means that your site is optimized for viewing and interaction across different types of devices (computer, tablet, mobile). The site will be easy to navigate, read, and interact with, taking into account the different screen sizes that your web site can be accessed from. Also consider the user experience. They want to be able to access the information in as few clicks as possible. So, put yourself in the user’s shoes when designing your website – easy to navigate equals better engagement for you. Clunky or disorganized websites will result in potentially lost sales opportunities or your user exiting the site.
2. Get your business on Google
Getting your business listed on Google is another important step to getting found online. Google My Business helps you get listed on Google and also provides key information such as business overview, hours of operation, phone number, and address. For users using their mobile, they can use Maps to get directions and click to call. Consumers can also leave ratings and reviews of your business.
3. Advertise online to drive traffic
These days, advertising online has also become important to drive new customers to your business. It’s fairly easy to set up an advertising CPC campaign on Google. With Google Adwords, you can specify whether you want your ad to be local and what specifically you want to advertise. Google provides tools to help you decide which keywords to advertise, setting up budgets, and managing the whole campaign. And the good part is that you only pay if someone clicks on your ad. There can be potentially many more people that see your ad and read it, but you don’t pay unless they click. It’s important to track how much business is resulting from your advertising budget and make regular adjustments as needed to get the most out of it.
4. Use social media to connect with your customers
The top social media platforms you should consider are Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Youtube, and Pinterest. You don’t have to be on all of the social media channels, but the ones that make the most sense for your audience. It gives you an opportunity to build loyalty with your customers and connect with them outside of your normal business interaction. It also provides an avenue for you to then share what’s new with your business, advertise specials, and foster a loyal customer base that will keep coming back.
5. Use Mobile
We already talked about a responsive design that helps you interact with customers that are on different devices such as tablets. That will also help you for customers using mobile. Increasingly, consumers are using their phones to make purchases, search for local businesses, and using click to contact the businesses directly.
People are also spending more and more time on their mobile compared to other devices. Their mobile is always within reach. If it makes sense for your business, you should also consider mobile advertising, such as SMS, MMS, or banner.
6. Use analytics to understand and improve
Now that you are online, advertising, and getting found by your customers, you need to understand if the money you are spending is giving you a return on your investment. Analytics will help you track and review data that is relevant to your business. Best of all, Google Analytics is free! You can track every click, measure every dollar, and get insights on the type of device that your customers are connecting with (mobile vs. desktop). And by looking at how many conversions you have, the dollars of business that translated into, and how much you spent on advertising, you can tie it all together to ensure it is paying back. You can also tell if your activities on social media are driving traffic to your website.
Summary
Now you have the 6 top tips for succeeding in the digital world. Perhaps you were already doing some but not all, now is a chance to dive into the rest of the digital initiatives. Some of these tips are free to implement (Google My Business for example), so it won’t cost you a cent. It will take an investment in time, but increasingly digital is the way to reach your target customers. And if you can’t do it all yourself, there is plenty of help out there without breaking the bank.
