Marketing Strategies - The Best Place for a Small Business to Invest Marketing Dollars
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Marketing strategies past and present have at least one thing in common: getting the word out about a product or service in hopes of encouraging consumers to buy it. However, people shop much differently than they did years ago. Rather than letting a TV ad or sales flyer alone influence their purchase behavior, modern consumers gather information on all their options before making a decision. That means marketing strategies must accommodate this change. Your efforts should therefore be focused where consumers now spend most of their time -- online.
Online Presence
One of the best places to invest marketing dollars is creating an online presence. The cornerstone to this strategy is a website, a modern necessity for every business. Since the site is so important, consider hiring a specialist firm to construct one for your business. These firms design and develop user-friendly websites based on your company, industry, products and consumers. They have access to graphic designers and copywriters who can make the site look and feel professional. It will tell your company’s story, convey trust and persuade consumers to do business with you.
Constant Content
To breathe life into your website and keep consumers coming back, devote some of your marketing dollars to producing fresh content. Blog posts on topics related to your industry, products or services are usually easiest to produce. If they add value readers will be more likely to share them with others, taking a little of the marketing load off your shoulders. Each post acts as a new page on your website, which can help improve your search ranking. However, don’t just stick to the written word. Consider using podcasts, web seminars and short videos to add variety to your offerings. They are also very shareable, making it much easier for consumers to find you.
Going Mobile
When working with a web firm, make sure they’re developing a mobile version of your website. Smartphones are more and more popular and consumers use them to gather information on the fly. Mobile versions of websites should look similar to their Internet versions while providing simple navigation, search functions and share buttons. They should have all the other nuts and bolts of your business, such as your logo, slogan, product descriptions and customer reviews.
Being Social
A social media presence often goes hand in hand with having one online. Companies that are more social can usually engage consumers and establish relationships with them more easily. This can help create loyal customers who are more willing to recommend your products or services. Set up accounts with some of the more popular social channels, such as Facebook and Twitter. Post to those channels regularly and respond to consumers who interact with you to build a bigger clientele.
Tags:
Marketing, Marketing Strategies
Online Presence
One of the best places to invest marketing dollars is creating an online presence. The cornerstone to this strategy is a website, a modern necessity for every business. Since the site is so important, consider hiring a specialist firm to construct one for your business. These firms design and develop user-friendly websites based on your company, industry, products and consumers. They have access to graphic designers and copywriters who can make the site look and feel professional. It will tell your company’s story, convey trust and persuade consumers to do business with you.
Constant Content
To breathe life into your website and keep consumers coming back, devote some of your marketing dollars to producing fresh content. Blog posts on topics related to your industry, products or services are usually easiest to produce. If they add value readers will be more likely to share them with others, taking a little of the marketing load off your shoulders. Each post acts as a new page on your website, which can help improve your search ranking. However, don’t just stick to the written word. Consider using podcasts, web seminars and short videos to add variety to your offerings. They are also very shareable, making it much easier for consumers to find you.
Going Mobile
When working with a web firm, make sure they’re developing a mobile version of your website. Smartphones are more and more popular and consumers use them to gather information on the fly. Mobile versions of websites should look similar to their Internet versions while providing simple navigation, search functions and share buttons. They should have all the other nuts and bolts of your business, such as your logo, slogan, product descriptions and customer reviews.
Being Social
A social media presence often goes hand in hand with having one online. Companies that are more social can usually engage consumers and establish relationships with them more easily. This can help create loyal customers who are more willing to recommend your products or services. Set up accounts with some of the more popular social channels, such as Facebook and Twitter. Post to those channels regularly and respond to consumers who interact with you to build a bigger clientele.
