The digital marketing space has experienced a host of changes that have affected local businesses. Digital media has an unparalleled ability to reach targeted audiences. This is why digital marketing has changed the way local businesses operate in the competitive market. Even traditional channels are changing to fit into digital media, emphasising its importance in a modern-day marketing strategy. Here, we get Top4 digital marketing topics that all local businesses should be aware of.
1. How to optimise your business website for conversion
1. Put yourselves in customers’ shoes
You need to put yourselves in your customers’ shoes, instead of thinking like sellers. This mindset will help you understand your customers’ pain points and concerns about your products or services. Knowing their concerns and fears will help you create your website design in order to answer their questions and convert them into customers.
2. Be authentic
Your website serves as the representative of your company towards your potential customers. Making people feel comfortable with you and your team is important to make them want to hire you and use your services. In order to do so, you need to be authentic with your website. The authenticity you create will make your website stand out from your competitors and make your customers feel comfortable.
3. Use visual elements to get higher conversions
Having visuals of products and services on your website can give a huge impact on your website design. It is because people tend to put attention to photos or videos over texts. This step is essential to boost your website to get more visitors and a chance to convert them into customers.
2. The NEW SEO formula for local businesses
1. Responsive web design
People are increasingly using their mobile devices to search the internet for the information they require. In fact, mobile traffic is increasing by 30% every year and now accounts for 50% of all traffic. If your local business website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’ll see a significant decline in the number of leads you get from online searches. Why? Because Google can detect which sites are mobile compatible and which aren’t, it only shows mobile users the sites that are mobile-friendly.
2. Different content on pages for different locations
If you own a multi-location business, having the same content on your web pages for different locations is never a good idea. It is because Google will see it as duplicate content and penalise your whole website. Because of Google’s algorithm modifications, the strategy is no longer viable. So you need to create different content for every location you serve in order to optimise your website.
3. User experience = your site ranking
Google can now tell how long a user spends on your site, what they do while being there and whether or not they found it beneficial. Consider this: If searchers don’t stay on your site for a long period of time, Google interprets this as a hint that it isn’t very valuable and will rank it lower in search results. It is because Google is becoming increasingly intelligent. Every algorithm update improves the system’s ability to recognise exactly what users are doing on your website.
3. How to get your local business found in search
1. Ranking factors
In order to be found in search, you need to understand some of the fundamental ranking factors.
One of the first things you should do is check if your business information is up-to-date on Google Maps. This includes making sure you have all the necessary contact info listed and that your address matches your physical address.
The next thing you should do is ensure that all of your local business website’s pages are loading fast. If a page takes more than a few seconds to load, people will move on to a different site.
Another important ranking factor is having a mobile-optimised site, as we have covered previously.
You can also create Google Business Profile (previously GMB) listings for your business, which will help with rankings. All you need to do is fill out the form available on Google My Business with as much information as possible about your business.
Finally, make sure that your business has an active social media presence where you share valuable content with followers or friends. You can also share content from other companies in order to increase awareness of their products or services!
2. Optimise your local listings
Keep your business’ information up-to-date. The more accurate and detailed you are about your business, the better chance you have of ranking on the map. The more information that Google has, the better it can do its job of presenting your business to people searching for local business in the area. If you update your business with new information like a website URL, phone number or address, your listing will be updated automatically without you needing to submit anything else to Google.
Make sure your business is easy to find on search engines like Google Maps. This will help ensure that prospective customers are able to easily find you.
3. Rank for competitive keywords
If high rankings are your goal, the first thing you need to do is make sure you’ve researched keywords and given them a focused strategy. Researching what people are searching for is vital to your success.
You don’t want to rank for keywords that have a lot of competition, because it will be difficult to beat out the other businesses. If there are too many businesses competing for the same keyword, then it means they’ve been optimising their business pages and ranking higher than you could ever hope. It might be wise to research what keywords your competitors are ranking for, and then choose ones that don’t have as much competition. That way, you’ll have a better chance of getting ranked higher than they will! You can also consider using SEO strategies like long-tail keywords or choosing geography-specific terms instead of nationwide terms. This will help you find less competitive words and avoid having to fight with your competitors for rankings!
4. How to systematise your local business
1. Create an efficient process
Having an efficient process will allow you to get the most out of your time. Creating a process for your local business will help you get started and manage your time.
First, identify the tasks that are repeated. Second, break down each task into subtasks until it is simple enough for anyone in your company to complete without oversight. Third, assign these tasks to employees with the right skill set so they can get them done quickly. Finally, establish deadlines for each task so that there is some form of accountability.
2. Document your goals
Before you can begin systematising your business, you have to have goals. Write these goals down and then go through them with a fine-toothed comb. Make a list of what you want to achieve in the next year, three years, five years, ten years, etc. The more detailed your goals are, the easier it will be for you to find the right tools.
3. Find the right tools.
One thing you’ll need to be successful is the right tools. Here are some of the best free tools that will help you systematise your business:
-Trello: This is a free visual collaboration tool that helps teams to organise their work projects. It makes it easy to see what others are working on, and it’s especially useful for remote teams or teams with members who may not all be in the same location.
-Find My Phone: If you lose your phone, this app helps you find it by making your phone ring even if it has been silenced or put on vibrate. It also lets you know when someone has tried to unlock your phone.
-Google Docs: You can create documents, spreadsheets, or presentations without having any technical skills whatsoever. The interface is clean and easy for anyone to use.
Final takeaways
Digital marketing has become the most potent form of marketing, with even traditional channels changing to fit more digital media into them. The digital landscape is very competitive because it’s not only about who spends the most money but also how you can use creativity and other techniques that create an effective campaign strategy. However, it seems like a lot of work to do and you don’t have time to grab all of the details. Don’t worry! Why not reach out to our web experts for help?
Hire Top4 Marketing as your digital marketing agency and let us take your business to new heights with our award-winning digital marketing services and our unique, proprietary technology platform. We are a full-service digital marketing agency with over twenty years of experience in the industry. That means we know the ins and outs of SEO, GMB and many other aspects of digital marketing to grow your business effectively. Our digital marketing company can help you choose marketing strategies that fit your business, plan your budget and bring in more revenue than ever before. View our digital marketing pricings and packages or get in touch today to speak with a strategist about how we can help you.
To find out how we can help you with your Website + Marketing, using our unique location marketing platform called Top4, get in touch today at www.top4marketing.com
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