Would you be surprised to know that, according to CNN Money, the growth of global eCommerce has stabilized at annual levels of 15 to 20%? In 2013, American eCommerce alone is expected to grow another 13%, totaling $262 billion by year-end. Globally, according to eMarketer, eCommerce is set to have another year with revenues exceeding $1 trillion. Needless to say, businesses who are not making an effort toward sensible, effective web marketing are missing out on a lot.
Especially for small businesses, implementing a professional business plan for web marketing success is critical. After all, small businesses do not have the resources, in human or financial capital, to make the same efforts and push through the same mistakes as their larger competitors. If you have recently made the decision to open a small business, then you need to be smart about how you market. Here are four marketing small business tips that can help you do exactly that.
Decide Whether You Need Help%3Cbr%3E
Before you do anything, you have to decide whether or not your company has the man power to set aside for successful small business SEO. Successfully marketing your company online requires full-time efforts, not just a little here and a little there. Most companies outsource their marketing to SEO services because they lack the in-house talent, technology, and time to market for themselves. If this sounds like you, be sure to get the help you need.
Focus on Building Your Brand%3Cbr%3E
Entrepreneur writes that the most important part of building any web presence is to craft your brand. This can be done a number of ways. Using a consistent voice and offering engaging content, for example, is a great way to start. However, marketing small business tips are not just about what’s easy. Consider, your page title should be in the top five most used anchor texts to help spread knowledge of your brand, a technique that takes a bit more planning.
Make Yourself Available%3Cbr%3E
As Social Media Today recommends, you need to find ways to easily spread your content around the web. Content marketing is one of the most cost effective ways to get your name out there, after all. Use social media, search engines, and web directories to get your content noticed quickly. Social media is especially important; 20% of all social media posts have a link to content in them. Using a web directory, a site listing content by categories instead of by keyword, is also a great way to put your content in front of people who know they want content exactly like yours.
Make Sure You Pay Attention to Mobile%3Cbr%3E
One of the most important among marketing small business tips is paying attention to the mobile market. As Brickandmobile.com points out, 79% of smartphone users are shopping on their phones. 70% use their phones to compare prices on items they are looking at in store. Help your business draw these important numbers by focusing on web design that works on all platforms, mobile and traditional.
If you are a small business owner having a hard time marketing your company, then you first need to decide whether or not you can hope to effectively market your business by yourself. If you can, then use these marketing small business tips for your greatest chance at success.