Online promotion has become a necessity for any business these days. If you have a small business, or a business with a low advertising budget, navigating the many options available to you can be daunting, especially when you are also concentrating on other day-to-day business needs. On the other hand, major search engines, social media, and advertising services have made it easy to promote your business online. Usually, the services provided are free or low-cost. Therefore, your should give your customers what they want by having a sound presence online.
Create a website.
A visible online business presence requires having a website that users can visit for information. You don’t have to be an experienced web developer to create a website for your business. Nowadays, there are a lot of Specialized Web Services Companies, that you can hire to help you in creating a great website.
• Many services (such as WordPress) make it easy for you to set up a business website using simple, guided steps.
• Google has partnered with local business services through the Get Your Business Online (GYBO) program to help businesses create websites and promote themselves online in other ways.
• Also, you can work with a company (such as Go Daddy) to purchase a website domain name. Many of these company also offer services to help you build the website, or will create one for you. These services usually have a low monthly fee.
• Try to make your website’s domain name one that matches your business name, one that describes what products or services it offers.
Why your business needs a website
Build content on your website
After you have created a basic website, you should start filling it with useful information. Think about what potential customers would like to know about your business, and make sure that the information is easy to find. You can include the following information:
• Business Location;
• Contact information (telephone, email, map etc.);
• Information about products and services that your company offers;
• Special offers;
• Business logo, motto, mission, vision;
• The history of your business;
• Testimonies or reviews from past clients/customers.
Share your URL.
You want every customer to be able to find your website easily. While search engines can make this possible, you should also seize every opportunity to share your website’s address (URL). Print it on business cards, invoices, brochures, promotional materials, etc.
Choose a blogging service.
Many companies also like to share information with customers by writing and posting regular news, stories, and offers online. You can incorporate a blog into your website using help from a website set-up service or program.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
If you are serious about promoting your business online, you will want to learn how to maximize opportunities for users to interact with your online content and site(s) through major search engines (such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing). Marketing companies can also work with your business on SEO matters.
Promote your business using social media.
Many potential customers are on social media, and your business should have a presence there, too. That way, you will maximize the number of opportunities to share information about your business and to connect with the public. There are many social media services available that you can sign up with, and each one has distinct features.