This is an article “10 Ways To Grow Your Business Online” by Marc Primo
Tech, indeed, is the way forward when it comes to every aspect of a business. If there's one opportunity that the pandemic brought to the forefront, it's how technology can make everything more convenient and highly efficient for both businesses and consumers. From Fintech to Telemedicine, more people are discovering new ways to boost profits with the many online platforms, apps, and channels out there -- even with a small budget.
In the age of the Internet, even small to medium players have what it takes to compete against the giants through simple online strategies that work. However, nobody ever said that growing your business online as a supplement to your physical store is a walk in the park. It takes hard work and patience. But thanks to the many helpful online tools and best practices out there, it's not as difficult as paddling through the River Styx either.
Here are ten simple and easy tips that can help you grow your business online faster:
1. Pick the best platform for your wares
The first thing you have to decide upon is which platform will boost your website's online presence. For starters, over 31% of all website developers trust WordPress.org for its easy-to-use self-hosted functions.
Secure a domain name and create a web-hosting account according to your business needs, and you can start building high-quality content at a lower cost.
2. Make a simple website
Now that you have a WordPress.org account, you can toggle between the platform's tabs and create a simple yet functional website for your services or products.
If you're a small business, there's no need to be intimidated by companies that hire professional developers. Simply select a ready-made template and theme, then add features such as a call to action, cart buttons, or backlinks to make it more engaging for users.
3. Create engagement and contact
To make your website interesting, add more features to engage your visitors, including email messaging and contact form links. These plugins usually come with the best web hosting platforms, and with a premium account, you can also add survey forms, polls, or payment channels for a better user experience.
4. Build your email list
Before you begin drawing up strategies for your marketing funnel, make sure you already have an email list for potential customers you'll be tapping.
Building your email list from day one can open up better chances for conversion through every customer journey. Email marketing remains one of the best ways you can communicate with your visitors, and there are plenty of user-friendly platforms out there with great features such as WPBeginner, MailChimp, or Constant Contact with great price points.
5. Amplify your SEO
Every modern marketer knows the importance of search engine optimization (SEO). But suppose you don't have the money to hire a third-party expert. In that case, you can easily focus on the non-technical side of the strategy, such as checking your site's visibility settings, structuring easy-to-read URLs, or using SEO plugins.
As long as you remember that the main objective is to drive traffic to your landing page, reading up about the basics of SEO is easy to understand and apply. Once you can handle more advanced techniques, there are also many resources online to guide you through how each element can work for you.
6. Plan your marketing strategy
Along with amplifying your SEO efforts, plan your overall marketing strategy by developing high-quality content for your loading pages, blogs, social media feed, and ads. Blogs help drive backlinks and website traffic. Plus, these web-hosting platforms usually offer free blogging features you can manage easily.
You'll then have to find the right keywords to spark online engagement and apply them to your content marketing. Sign up for keyword-finding platforms online and create a seed list of low-competition keywords you can use, which leads us to the next tip.
7. Review data and analytics
Google Analytics continues to be essential in every online marketing endeavor. The tool helps you make critical decisions regarding your online marketing and SEO efforts by allowing you to review relevant figures such as the number of visitors, location, and even consumer behavior.
Most of all, it lets you know which keywords and landing pages are performing well and which ones you'll have to work on to reduce bounce rate. The tool might be intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of all its features, you'll appreciate how reliable it is for your online marketing strategies.
8. Boost your social media feeds
Of course, don't forget how social media can create engagement with your target audience. Facebook alone has nearly 2.8 billion monthly active users, or almost 35.4% of the entire world population. Other platforms aren't performing poorly either, with YouTube having 2.2 billion users, while Instagram and TikTok have over 1 billion active users each.
Start boosting your social media channels by sharing your blog posts and adding a sharing plugin from your web-hosting platform. Doing so will drive higher engagement to your website and improve your backlinking efforts.
9. Aspire to be an industry leader
Being active in your online communities can also increase user engagement and lead them to your website. Try to socialize more with your target audience by participating in forum pages like Reddit, Stack Exchange, or Quora and get the word on your brand out there.
You'll meet more people interested in your brand through topics that offer answers, so these platforms are good ways to assert your thought leadership skills and build authority.
10. Convert customers
It's not unlikely that 88% of first-time visitors who had a bad website experience bounce and never visit that site again. Optimizing your conversion strategies in your social media channels can reduce your bounce rate and risk losing more customers. Offer catalogs and visually appealing product shots in both your social media posts and your landing pages.
To make each visit to your website more engaging, find out which ad formats and channels work in making your visitors purchase some goods from your website. For better user experience, offer special promos when you can, drag and drop shopping alternatives, and easy payment options on your marketplace channel or website.
Focusing on these 10 tips can help you go a long way when venturing toward eCommerce for the first time. Not only can you retain loyal customers and meet new ones, but you can also lift your brand reputation to more potential customers online.
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