Developing a web presence is more than just creating a great looking website. Just about anyone can do that. Developing a web presence is about how people find you too. To make sure that people find your website, you will need some basic search engine optimization (SEO) knowledge. To help you get started, here’s a few tips on web branding marketing strategies.
The Importance of Keywords
Three out of every four internet users live in North America. The makes web exposure for any US company critical. Google may change their search algorithms from time to time. Even so, optimizing your website for keywords is still vital. You need to make sure that your site is optimized, both for your type of business and for your locality. Your website is a 24×7 sales tool and corporate brochure. It’s important that your website works for you and that it attracts the right type of visitors.
Build Your Email Lists
Encourage visitors to your website to opt in to your mailing list. It will provide you with a high-value list of people who want to hear from you. Make sure that you send only informative and useful information to your mailing list. If you spam them, they will unsubscribe. Using your mailing list wisely will build loyalty and drive through sales. It’s also an extremely cheap form of marketing.
Create a Video
Don’t be shy about creating corporate videos. They can be extremely powerful forms of marketing. If you make a short, compelling video about your products or services, you can use it in your website and share it on video sharing sites.
Set Up a YouTube Channel
A YouTube channel is an easy way to expend your web reach. It’s much easier to do than you probably realize. Explain your products or services in short, entertaining videos and you’ll be able to reach a whole new audience. To get some ideas, look at what the competition is doing. If you make something that is unique, it might even go viral.
Use Social Media
Use the power of social media as well. You can use Twitter to direct people to new posts on your blog. Keep your LinkedIn network up to date with your latest business developments. Use Facebook to show the human side of your business. Start by asking your customers to like or follow your social media accounts. That will then expand your social network.
List Your Business on Local Web Directories
Don’t forget to list your business in online directories, like Yelp, Craigslist and Angie’s List. There are hundreds of directories that allow local listings. It’s local sites that many people turn to first when they need to buy a product or a service. When you do add your business to a directory, be sure to fill in your profile in full and upload pictures. This is the information that people will initially judge your business on.
Host Educational Events
Partner with other, noncompeting, local businesses and set up jointly funded educational events. You will find that some businesses target the same audience as you. For example, accountants, lawyers and a marketing agency could present a joint event looking at the challenges facing small businesses. Joint ventures like this cut the cost of hosting events and they expand the potential audience. You will also get the benefit of jointly branded advertising on all the participating websites.
Make use of Pay-Per-Click Advertising
The fastest way to get to the top of the search engines is to use pay-per-click advertising. You can set a daily budget, so you can control the costs, and you can pick the keywords that are relevant to your business. Google is the best known of the Pay-Per-Click Advertising networks, but there are others that you could try as well.
Use Google AdWords for Market Research
If you are looking for a cheap way to do your market research, Google AdWords can help you with that too. Pose a snappy question related to your keywords and add a small survey form on your website. You will then get answers to your market research questions, plus new names to add to your mailing list.