It’s always been hard for small businesses to compete with bigger operations, and that’s true for small businesses with long histories and those that have just started out. Even with the democratizing force of the internet, small businesses can still have trouble getting their message to the right people. In fact, the constantly changing rules of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can make good small business online performance very tricky.
It can be difficult without the right tools and strategies, but it’s definitely not impossible to get your business noticed online.
With the right strategies, you can rank better in online searches and start converting your social media efforts into sales. Whether you’re a small e-commerce site that has to compete with Amazon or a brick-and-mortar operation that just needs exposure, there are proven strategies to help your online and social media presence be more than just a presence.
So, tell me—are you ready to finally start garnering more attention for your brand online? Yes? Then you need to try these 5 tips:
Craft Your Personality
People go online to interact with other people, not with faceless companies and corporations. If you go on any popular social media platforms, what do you see? Look at the companies and brands that get the most attention—it’s because they’re not interacting with their fans like a stuffy corporate suit. They’ve crafted personalities that are easy to talk to.
Think of it this way: would you rather talk to a telemarketer reading a script or have a conversation with a friend? Social media allows people to get past the trappings of advertising and marketing and talk to the people behind the company. Use that fact to your advantage.
Socialize with the Customer
If you have yet to create profiles on the big social media platforms, it’s time to step up your game. Your competition did that a long time ago, and they’ve already got a good rapport with their following.
Following from my last point, use the online personality you’ve created to socialize with your customers. Don’t just use the space to promote your brand—connect your following with resources and information that aligns with what you do. Be the person they go to when they want to learn more.
Create, Create, Create
When it comes to ranking online and improving your small business online performance, there really is no substitute for original content. Posting to your site allows the search engines to index your pages more often, which will raise your rank on the SERPs, or search engine results pages. What this means for your business is that more people will see you online, which will be good for your bottom line—as long as you post quality content. Publishing blogs, videos, and other content to your site will help you stay relevant to both search engines and customers alike.
Keywords for Better Small Business Online Performance
SEO was built around keywords, and while it’s no longer good to stuff your pages and blogs with keywords to get people to your site (was it really ever?), keywords are still an important component for ranking on search engines. When you’re designing your site or writing a blog post, you should be writing with SEO at the front of your mind. Think of what your customers might try to search when looking for your service or product and use those words (keywords can be single words and phrases) anywhere you can on your site. Instead of going after obvious words and phrases that the big companies basically own, try using longtail keywords tailored to your local niche. The key is striking a balance between pleasing your audience and pleasing the search engines.
Naming Your Brand
Anyone in marketing or business know that the name of a brand can lead to success as well as failure. The same goes for domain names. But it’s not just your potential customers who need to notice and remember your domain name—it’s important for SEO, too. You have a few options when it comes to picking a domain name.
You can look for one that is available for purchase. It fits your brand, go for it. You can also try to buy a domain name that has expired out from under another company. It’s not uncommon for companies to forget to renew. Alternatively, you can actively search for popular domains that are for sale. Keeping an eye on the market of domain names that have already been tailored for SEO could prove very useful for your brand.
Want to start boosting your small business online performance? Get in touch with us today.