The simple fact is that an increasing number of people – also known as your potential customers – are using the web to determine which products or services to invest in. A recent study by broadcasting watchdog Ofcom revealed the extent to which people rely on the internet. It found that Britons spend an average of 24 hours a week online and check their mobile phones every 12 minutes. If you want your business to grow, you cannot afford to ignore the wealth of opportunities that a strong online presence will provide you with, placing you directly in front of the people that matter. To achieve this, you will need to invest time and effort into your digital footprint to drive leads and, ultimately, increase sales. Your Brand Found reveals the top tips for growing your business online so that you can build trusted relationships with your customers. This will ensure that they keep coming back to your product or service offering, time after time.
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Create a brilliant website service offering or product
The key proponents to consider here are a good design and great content because, when combined, they will help you to stand out from your competitors and become more memorable.
- Valuable content
Your web content is what allows you to tell your brand story and deliver the messages that matter the most to your customers. Your website’s content should begin with proper research into who your customers are so that you can create specific buyer personas to determine how you will target them.
Taglines and slogans which focus on the needs and wants of your customers are vital for capturing attention. They must deliver clear value propositions and include compelling calls-to-action. The content on your website needs to target your core demographic, engage them and persuade them to take action.
Produce content which can be presented in a variety of interesting formats and are useful to your customers or help them to solve a problem. They may include blog posts, eBooks, white papers, industry news and how-to guides. Posting frequently updated information will help to improve your SEO, position you as an expert and allow you to build relationships with your audience.
Effective content is by no means just text. Videos, such as those including product or demonstrations, provide a compelling way to communicate your offering.
- Attractive design
An attractive design will assist you in strengthening your brand proposition because it creates the first impression, captures the attention and encourages customers to process the content and make buying decisions with confidence. According to Google Analytics, an average website session duration is a mere two to three minutes. Your website acts as your shop window and you want people to stay and browse rather than give it a cursory once over and move on.
One way of keeping people on your website longer is to add a gallery and replace stock images with real customer images. Custom photography will help your website to stand out, lend credibility to your offering and help visitors connect with your business on a personal level.
Take pride in your status symbols
If your business is forming a strong reputation among clients or in the press then make sure you shout about it, because no one else will do it for you.
Devise case studies for your website which show the great work you have done for your clients and include their company logos to add visual impact. Go one step further and ask them to provide testimonials which support your partnership.
If you have achieved coverage in relevant media publications, make sure you include examples of this on your website. There is nothing better than showing off your expertise or a glowing review of your product or service in a credible publication. This sort of endorsement is invaluable and should be prominently placed on your website.
Encourage consumer reviews, as other customers value them highly. Not only do they help to boost your online reputation, they also assist in improving your visibility in search engine rankings, such as Google.
Once you have set up your chosen social media accounts, you can use them to share posts and engage with people. Social media provides your business with the platform to talk about product launches, service information and FAQs, as well as using it to run competitions and introduce discounts and special offers. You can also share visually inspired posts to spark conversations among your audience and encourage new customers to follow you.
Social media also offers an ideal space to quickly and effectively address customer service issues, while becoming visible to people who are asking for recommendations or simply searching for local businesses.
Once established, use social media strategically to identify your dream customers and then create targeted ads and messages that are designed just for them.
Two-way dialogue is key to using social media effectively for businesses as it establishes good relationships with customers and strengthens your brand’s position.
When applied, these tips will help to breathe new life into your web presence, providing your business with a strong demand for its product or service offering.
