Whatever happens in the coming months, it is unlikely that it will involve using the internet less. The Coronavirus lockdowns have seen online shopping, social media usage and the general demand for online services soar. If you already run an online business you will know that one of the hardest parts is to drive traffic to your website to convert into customers. Here are a few tips to give your online business a boost and hopefully set you apart from your competitiors.
Optimise your free Google Business listing
If you are online, it’s a pretty safe bet that customers will use Google to find you. Just because your business is online, don’t neglect targeting local customers. Getting your business listed on Google is a great way to ensure you show up on Google’s search results when customers search for terms related to your business. If you don’t have a listing yet, get one, it’s free and easy to set up. If you do have one, improve it by adding photos or anything else that might make your listing stand out.
Be sure to keep your business information up to date, particularly around business updates, so customers are always informed about when and how they can contact you. Customers are able to write reviews too for other people to see – a great trust builder for new customers.
Get blogging
Adding quality content to your blog will provide a valuable resource for existing customers, give you content to share on your social media, improve your chances of reaching new customers and boost conversions. Blogging also allows you to target specific keyword phrases and build links to other relevant pages on your website that you want to promote. For example, if you are a plumbing company offering a boiler repair service, as winter approaches you may want to focus on promotoing your boiler repair service as much as possible. Some well-placed blogs on the benefits of looking after your heating system with some before and after pictures could really see a rise in take up for that service.
Writing something every month (or more if you can manage it) is a savvy move that can help get traffic to your website. Spending a little time on your business blog is worth it.
QR codes
Improved Smartphone technology and a global pandemic driving a touchless phenomenon, has seen a revivial in the QR code. From touchless payments to restaurant menus, they seem to be everywhere! There are lots of ways you can use them, from requesting reviews to getting more people talking about your business. Featuring QR codes on your marketing literature to direct people to your social channels will create visibility for our social media presence and grow the number of likes, shares and followers for your business profile pages.
By featuring QR codes on your marketing literature, you will also be able to easily direct people to your website, more specifically, to a page that you want to promote and increase visibility of. You could get the ball rolling by offering an incentive or a discount only available to customers through the code and measure its success.
You can easily create a QR code for any website page you wish to share. Simply search for a QR code generator online (free or paid for) then enter your website address and follow the easy on-screen instructions.
There are lots of tips that we could mention, too many for this article, but the above tips are easy to implement, free and really do work if carried out effectively and diligently. When you’ve tried and tested our tips and your business starts booming, give us a call and we’ll help you manage all that extra cash flow!
