With the world currently on lock down, there is no time like the present to take a step back, take a deep breath, and see what changes you can put in place to improve your Business' online presence.
With this in mind, we thought we'd do our bit to help those who are self employed, or small business owners, by sharing a few tips to help you prepare for the next couple of months of uncertainty - and beyond - keeping you informed, empowered and ahead of the game.
So, without further ado, here's Signpost Media's top tips to ensure your business continues to succeed online against the big boys!
1) Fresh, quality content
You know that feeling of distrust you get when you notice the last time someone posted anything interesting on their Social Media page or website was 5 years ago? Well, it's the same feeling of distrust your customers may be feeling about your business!
Make sure you are keeping your online media updated with fresh content on a monthly basis as a minimum, weekly if you can; if you don't have time to do this, find someone that can help you, whether it's a tech savvy member of staff or a professional company - like us!
You should also be staying in touch with your existing customers - maybe you have a newsletter you could send them?
This content can include a blog, a diary style entry about what you and your team are up to, or just hints and tips about something relevant to your business - it should not be used as a chance to sell a product, that's what your advertising spend is for!
2) SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
Yep, it's those 3 letters again that nobody really pays much attention to - but that are vital when it comes to ensuring customers find your business online.
Have a think about which internet giant you would use when searching for a new product or service - I bet it starts with a G? Well, the giant that is Google, as well as other Internet search engines, uses little bots to tell people which websites are offering the closest match based on their searches. They will also tell people how close you are to them so having your website optimised for local searches is really important, as is that quality content we mentioned in tip number 1, which will help your page to be ranked as a bit of an 'expert' in your field meaning you'll be pushed closer to the coveted top spot on page 1 of search results!
3) Make sure your website is fully optimised for mobile devices
According to Joanna Carter at Smartinsights.com, 30% of pages that show on the first page of desktop search results do not appear in the top 10 results on mobile.
It's pretty simple folks - if your website is not optimised, a) it doesn't get ranked highly as a good quality site, b) you'll annoy both new and existing customers who are using their mobile device to navigate your site when they realise they can't see half of it let alone click on the 'order now' button...
4) Check Google analytics reports
This is an easy but effective way of seeing what works and what doesn't when it comes to your website and digital marketing campaigns - and it's free!
5) Reach out to customers
How about sharing your own tips and knowledge about the product or service you provide with your loyal customers? Customers who may have bought that arts and crafts set from you but don't know what to do with it, or that giant ball of wool and knitting needles but they need a beginners video on how to actually knit...
For example, if you are a small Garden centre, you could share tips on what's best to plant this month, what people need to be pruning, how to protect their garden from the incoming invasion of caterpillars etc. Don't start telling everyone about your 10% off sale that's been running for the last 3 months...
This might also be the perfect time to ask them to review you whilst they're all at home sat on their phones!
We hope this has been of some help to you, as we all try to stay ahead of the game when it comes to our digital know-how. If anything has got you scratching your head, or eager to know more, please feel free to get in touch if you'd like more information on how we can help you.
Email - hello@signpostmedia - Call Nicole on 07515907802 - Call Austen on 07809482209