Get with the digital marketing program
Engaging company website, good SEO are ideas that can help grow your business
You could have a stellar product or service, but if no one knows it exists, chances are your business isn’t going to survive. While many small businesses would agree marketing is a critical component to any successful company, limited budgets might restrict how and where you get the word out.
The good news: not only is digital marketing often less expensive than traditional channels, such as television and billboards, it’s measurable, shareable and with a more effective call to action in most cases.
The following are suggestions on how to get going.
Good website
The first place to start is to create a professional website, says Mike Zelyony, an SEO (search-engine optimization) strategist and owner of Most Exposure, a Toronto-based Internet marketing agency.
“Your first step should be an easy-to-navigate website with a straightforward and focused message,” Zelyony says. Using words and photos, clearly convey what you do, why someone should choose you and a clear call to action, he adds.
Marc Gordon, a corporate speaker and marketing consultant, mirrors Zelyony’s advice: “Whether you own a restaurant, make clothes or sell widgets, your website should be the backbone of your online presence.” While social media is important, “it offers little drips of info, but your website delivers a deeper dive,” he adds.
Along with information and contact details, Toronto-based Gordon — who is often referred to as “Canada’s customer experience expert” — says it’s a good idea to include testimonials.
SEO
Both Zelyony and Gordon agree that search-engine optimization is critical to help drive traffic to your site.
There are free ways to ensure people can find your site when searching by keyword in Google or other search engines — based on the words on your website and how the website is coded — but to rank higher in search results, a small business often pays for “pay-per-click” marketing through Google AdWords and other services.
“You want to be found by potential customers, based on your location and what you do, and there are many SEO companies that can help increase your visibility,” Gordon says.
Zelyony says Google gives preferen- tial treatment to websites that load quickly, have rich and unique content and offer a clean framework.
Mobile, video
Considering more than half of Canadians will access your website on a smartphone rather than a personal computer, it’s “essential” your site is optimized for mobile devices, Gordon suggests.
“We all walk around with Internetconnected smartphones and if someone wants to find information online, they aren’t going to wait until they’re at home and in front of their computer,” Gordon says. “And so your website has to display properly on a 4- or 5-inch screen. If not, it could have a negative impact on the potential customer.”
“Not being optimized for mobile could also affect how Google ranks you,” Zelyony adds. “In other words, it’s a double-whammy: not only will people be turned off your brand with a site that doesn’t look good on a smartphone, such as buttons too close together or links that are too small, but you’ll be penalized by search engines for not being mobile friendly.” Zelyony says if there are 10 bike shops in Toronto and three aren’t mobile friendly, those three have a lesser chance of being on the front page of search results.
He says to be sure your business is listed with Google My Business, which includes Google Maps, to help customers easily find you — and it doesn’t cost you anything.
Awebsite with video also helps with SEO, Zelyony says. “As long as these videos are good — short, professional and with engaging content — it can really help with your digital marketing efforts, and also help with your search ranking.”
Social media
Social media is where Canadians are congregating online, so it’s essential for a small business to have a presence on one or more platforms.
Gordon says the platforms you want to be on will depend on the business you’re in and the kind of exposure you’re after. “If you’re a consumer-facing brand, then Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest might be best for you, while a business-to-business company may want to leverage LinkedIn.”
You want to be on social media to promote your brand, attract new business and retain existing customers with engaging dialogue.
It’s free to get going on social platforms, and if and when you’re ready to spend money to build your brand, it’s quite affordable and can be highly targeted, such as paying to get in front of people in a certain age bracket, in a particular part of the city and with a specific annual income.