Small businesses typically rely heavily on the internet and digital marketing to promote their products of services. Consequently, a small business must utilize effective digital marketing strategies in order to enhance their operations and optimize their bottom lines. There are five specific digital marketing strategies that have been demonstrated most effective for a small business enterprise.
Focus on Mobile Devices When Designing Your Website
A key marketing strategy that you must employ for your small business involves the manner in which your website is designed. Forbes magazine has described your website as being the “mothership” for your small business.
What some small businesses are overlooking as part of their comprehensive marketing strategy is the movement of consumers from personal computers and laptops to mobile devices. As of the spring in 2017, nearly half of all incoming traffic to websites of all types is originating from mobile devices, according to a report in Forbes. The trend towards consumers turning their mobile devices into their primary tool to access websites is expected to continue apace in the immediate future.
Because of this trend and the heavy reliance of mobile devices, a small business must ensure that its website displays attractively and in a user-friendly manner on mobile devices. Designing a website to meet the stylistic and usability needs of a personal computer or laptop, with mobile devices being an afterthought, is not longer an appropriate marketing strategy as this juncture in the 21st century.
Incorporate Email Into Your Comprehensive Digital Marketing Plan
When social media became more widely utilized by small businesses, email ended up taking a backseat. All of that is changing at this juncture in time.
Email can prove to be a highly effective method of attracting and keeping business. The conversion rate associated with email is significantly higher than that connected with social media. Indeed, the different is substantial. The conversion rate associated with email runs between 50 to 100 times higher than that of social media.
Utilize Social Media Intelligently
Social media can be a vital part of the overall digital marketing strategy for your small business. However, your small business must intelligently utilize social media for it to be a worthwhile investment of your time and energy.
Time and again, so-called social media marketing experts proclaim that a small business must utilize all the major social media platforms in promoting a venture and its products or services. Typically, these “experts” are referencing Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and, more recently, Snapchat.
The stark reality is that a digital media maven making a suggestion like this usually is completely off base. Only in extremely rare situations will a small business be able to benefit from utilizing all major social media platforms. Taking this approach, in a haphazard manner, will result in a waste of a small business’ time, energy, and resources.
In determining where your small business needs to go in regard to social media, you need to tune into your customer or client base. You need to focus on which social media platform your targeted demographic is most likely to venture to obtain information about the products or services you offer.
There is one caveat to this strategy when it comes to utilizing social media. Facebook currently has a market share of over 40 percent, according to statistics maintained by Statista. This represents the largest market share of any social media platform. For example, Statista also reports that Instagram, Snapchat and LinkedIn have a combined market share of 5 percent.
What this data means is that, with few exceptions, a small business is going to want to develop a presence on Facebook. In recent years, Facebook has been proactive in reaching out to the small business community in providing a variety of resources and tools hat benefit a digital marketing endeavor.
Keep Up with Search Engine Changes
An important part of your digital media strategy must be keeping up with alterations that are made from time to time with the algorithms associated with the primary search engines, particularly Google. A prime example of this necessity is found in the recognition by Google, and other search engines, that consumers are not just seeking information but are asking questions.
In response to this movement to asking questions via search engines, Google altered its algorithm to pull up search results that are more responsive to questions asked. With this in mind, a key tactic you need to employ as part of your digital marketing efforts is infusing rich answers to potential questions on your website.
Set Specific Global Digital Marketing Goals
Finally, when developing meaningful digital marketing strategies for your business, you need to establish specific global goals and objectives. For example, your primary objective at this time may be to enhance brand recognition, increase patronage, or even set yourself apart from the competition. Ultimately, the other specific strategies you implement and employ are focused on the ultimate objective identified by your business at a particular juncture in time.
Alex Alexakis is a UI Designer, SEO addict that helps businesses with their branding and SEO through his business PixelChefs Web Design and SEO. After hours he likes good food, Weimaraners, and toy robots. He has boldly build digital businesses by designing for conversion and offering a no-nonsense approach to internet marketing.
