If you sell a product or service to customers, chances are there are more people looking for your business to satisfy their needs than you think.
How do you know where to start when thinking about internet marketing?
The best thing I’ve found is to start off by looking at your website in the same way as your potential clients.
Who is your target market?
Firstly ask yourself who is your target market? Are they 20 to 30 years old and in further education, or are they retired and older? Are they business owners or full time mothers?
If you know who they are, then you can start to think like them (you can also create a focus group to give you feedback – made up of family members or friends). Just make sure you want constructive feedback to help you make your online marketing as good as it can be (sometimes people are reluctant to be too honest for fear they will upset you).
How will they find you?
Find out how your target market is searching for you…. Which internet browser do they use? (this can be useful information as sometimes your website will look different on different browsers).
What devices do they use? Desktop computer, tablet or mobile phone even wearable devices like the Apple iWatch. If you check how your site reacts to these devices, then you can ensure that your site “call to action” is clear and targeted.
Is your call to action clear?
Once they are on your website you need to tell them what you want them to do… Clear and simple instruction is best
If you need them to call you to make an appointment then make sure your telephone number is clearly displayed and the text states when you are available (if you only work Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm). If you need them to give you information so you can then contact you then ensure your contact form is well structured with drop down boxes to make the process as easy as possible for the client. Also add a captcha code on the form to avoid getting spam.
Regular Updates
Little and often is the mantra I recommend… If you can commit to an hour a week to your internet marketing / updating your website, then your potential clients know to keep returning to your site. Also the search engines are set up to look at how often a website is changed – it assumes that a site that is updated regularly has more value than one that is not.
