Digital marketing is a term that is used to describe many different things: website design, social media, online advertising, Email marketing, SEO etc. Many small businesses are confused on what direction to take when it comes to digital marketing. Most are too busy focusing on the day to day tasks for their business to investigate digital marketing strategies. In this guide, I will go over a few digital marketing strategies that all local businesses should be doing in 2017. Your Website Is Your Linchpin All aspects of digital marketing, including social media email campaigns, are about driving traffic to your website. Approximately 65% of web traffic is coming from mobile devices. It\’s more important than ever that your website looks good on mobile devices. Visitors must be able to easily get in contact with you without having to pinch and zoom to view your website. Furthermore, Google has updated its algorithm to reward sites that are mobile responsive, So if your site is not mobile responsive it may be pushed to the second or third page of Google. Use Rich Answers On Your Website Chances are when you use Google you\’ve noticed that Google has started answering questions instead of just showing you website links. This feature is called rich answers and it allows Google to provide more accurate results to searchers. Almost any small business has a common set of questions that often get asked by their customers. It\’s smart to implement rich answers on your website so that when people Google these questions your site may pop up first. Use Social Media Efficiently Many small businesses are confused about how to incorporate social media into their business marketing plan. The most important aspect to keep in mind to know your customer, if none of your customers are on a particular social network there is no need dedicate much time that network. Social media should be used as a voice for your business to communicate with your current clients and potential new clients. You want to be careful not to post too many promotions and specials. Is important to engage your clients and share information that is pertinent to their business. Don\’t Forget About Email Marketing Email marketing has been forgotten about in recent years in favor of social media. However, it\’s a great way to communicate with your customers. Instagram and Facebook only show your post to a fraction of your actual followers unless you pay for advertising. Email marketing allows you to send out specials, event information, and even new menu items to your customers for zero to little cost. MailChimp even allows you to have a free account with up to 2000 contacts. Click-through rates can be 50-100 times better than social media, making email marketing a very low cost and effective digital marketing strategy. In summary, small businesses should be consistently checking their website to make sure it is easy to use and that users can find your contact information on mobile. Once you know your website is working properly then you can start implementing some of the digital marketing strategies that will drive traffic to your website, like rich answers, social media, and email marketing.
