Some small business owners may be wary of pursuing online marketing solutions. They often already have a loyal group of customers and assume that word of mouth and traditional marketing techniques will be enough to bring in new business. While such a strategy may have yielded success a few years ago, continuing to stick with it will result in small businesses falling behind their competitors.
According to San Francisco-based marketer Drew Hendricks, the first step for any small business owner interested in exploring contemporary marketing strategies is understanding how they relate to traditional approaches.
"Knowing what they are, when to make use of them, and how to use them can be a game changer for small businesses and startups," Hendricks wrote in a Business 2 Community column. "Your future customers as well as your competition are online, so getting more mobile and knowing the best practices for digital marketing is the only way you can stay ahead."
Next, Hendricks suggested business owners do the following:
- Set goals – It's not enough to say that you want to start a digital marketing campaign. What do you hope to achieve? Aspirations like more brand recognition, an increase in customers or getting ahead of your competitors all require different approaches.
- Develop effective calls to action (CTAs) – CTAs are meant to increase conversions. This involves not only drafting good copy, but also designing a user-friendly website.
- Manage site traffic – Getting the right viewers to your website requires a good keyword and search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
Small businesses interested in increasing their online presence and staying ahead of their competitors should consider partnering with the internet marketing experts at KeyMedia Solutions.