When small businesses start out, their focus is often on how to get their first group of customers. They may rely on traditional forms of advertising, such as print ads and direct mail, or even large billboards on the side of the road. They may trust that once they know they offer a good product or service, it’s only a matter of time before customers find their way to them.
While this strategy may bring in some business, there is a better and easier way. Small businesses should consider the huge market of online prospects. No small business, no matter how new, should ignore this vast market.
Benefits of Online Marketing
The pool of potential customers that are found architects email lists uk online is a much larger group of people than you can attract locally. Using digital marketing, you can reach a huge audience in a way that is cost-effective and measurable.
Other benefits of online marketing include:
The ability to interact with your potential customers and learn exactly what they are looking for
The ability to reach a global market
You can save money and reach more customers for less money than traditional marketing methods.
Know your audience and let them get to know you personally, which can help build brand loyalty
You can track responses to your marketing efforts immediately
Are you putting off digital marketing?
Why would you choose to put off putting time and effort into digital marketing? Different small business owners may give various reasons for avoiding this form of marketing, but in the end, procrastination is still procrastination.
Small businesses sometimes believe they don’t have the time or money to be competitive online. They feel they can only take on so many challenges at once, and they’re still learning the ropes of business in general. Many of them may prefer to take things slowly and stick to one or two basic forms of advertising, assuming their business will evolve over time.
They may even think that the best strategy is to simply wait for customers to come. Since they are small, they may think that they only need a small number of customers.
This is not an effective approach. There is never a guarantee that your business will attract customers just by existing, and even if it does, you may not attract as many customers as you need to make your business profitable.
Your customers are online
If you’ve been avoiding digital marketing, is it because you think you’re simply not ready? Do you think you just need some time to establish yourself and then figure out the digital marketing angle?
The problem with this approach is that your customers and potential customers are already online. Right now. Today. There’s a good chance they’re already looking for a business like yours, but if they can’t find you easily, they’ll probably choose someone else.
This is how people do business today. When someone is interested in your business, whether it’s in your niche in general or if they’re curious about your brand, the first thing they’ll do is search online and see what they can find out about you.
They expect to find you there with a website and a social media presence. They may be looking for reviews to learn what others are saying about your company and whether it’s a good place to do business.
If a potential customer can’t find you online, they may conclude that your business doesn’t seem legitimate. There’s a good chance that many of these prospects may decide not to take your business seriously and they’ll quickly go elsewhere.
Once they have made that decision, they probably won't go back.
Your competitors are online
For your business to be successful, you need to pay attention to what your competitors are doing and learn from it. Think of your competitors not just as someone you’re planning to beat, but as people who have something to teach you.
When you look at what your competitors are doing, you’ll get a sense of what’s working and what’s not. Chances are, no matter what type of business you’re in, your competitors have established a web presence. What type of content are they using? Are they blogging or using a lot of graphics and videos?
How do they communicate their brand and what makes them unique? How well do they engage with their audience? Do you think you can do better? You can’t if you don’t participate in competing in the digital world.
If your potential customers start searching for a business similar to yours and they can find your competitor’s website but not yours, your business isn’t even in business. Your potential customers can’t choose you if they don’t know about you. In this scenario, your competitors just beat you to the punch, regardless of whether they have an effective website or a clear message.
Be accessible to your customers
Of course, in today’s digital world, the first place the average consumer looks for what they want is online. Whatever product or service they’re looking for, they’ll likely start their search with Google. If you don’t have an online presence, you won’t be found and you won’t be able to compete.
If you have an online presence, but your competitors are easier to find and are found first, you may still not be found. In addition to building a website, learning search engine optimization is a strategy that can help you get ahead of the competition simply by being the first name a potential customer finds when they search on Google for keywords that could lead them to your business.
Simple questions that your potential customers might want quick answers to should be easy to find online, such as where you are located, what your hours are, and what you specialize in. By looking at your website and your competitors’ websites side by side, your potential customers should be able to compare hours, prices, special offers, and more.
That’s why it’s imperative for you to know what your competitors are doing. Your potential customers are already checking out you and your competitors. They’re already comparing you against each other. What are they finding out?
Let customers come to you
Think of digital marketing as a way to make yourself accessible to the people you’re trying to reach to offer your products and services. The scope of your business can extend beyond your walls. You’re able to attract a much larger audience than you could by simply catering to local prospects.