Covering It All in Internet Marketing

If you are anything like other business owners, you are implementing good online marketing strategies that change faster than you can learn. However, don’t let the fear of the unknown keep you on the bench for too long; otherwise, your company will miss opportunities.

A website is the essence of Internet marketing. It can be simple, but to establish a presence online, you must follow certain ‘must’ rules.

First, a website must be mobile-friendly (mobile-responsive). Google’s latest update, labeled “Mobilegeddon,” potentially penalizes websites that are not designed for mobile users.

In addition, ensure the website includes a blog function. Content is king in the world of search engine optimization (SEO), content is king. A blog allows you to write articles with keywords you would like to rank high for and provides helpful advice, tips and information to customers.

First Things First: SEO

SEO is essential in keeping a website at the top of an organic search. With a mobile-friendly/responsive website and blogs, you are already on track for SEO success.

However, more technical parts to SEO are also important, such as building internal and external links as well as meta data. You might want to consider outsourcing these components — particularly if you are in a competitive market. But, you can start implementing certain strategies today to improve your search rankings.

 “When it comes to digital marketing and SEO for your business, it’s important to look beyond just your website,” claims Rachel Lindteigen of Search Engine Land. “For local businesses, a strong online marketing effort requires an investment in local directories, maps and review sites, too.”

Second Tip: Socialize!

You need to find out where your customers are hanging out and be there. Social media covers everything from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to LinkedIn, YouTube, but don’t limit yourself there.

Facebook is the third largest search engine, and more than 1.1 billion people access it on a mobile device per month. Simply stated, Facebook is a popular social media platform, so get there!

YouTube has more than one billion unique visits on a monthly basis and has a broad demographic of users who are 18-54 years old. As consumers, we spend 2.9 billion hours on YouTube each month. Guess what this means? You should be there.

Third Hint: Do the Actual Marketing

Online advertising can help you get in touch with your audience faster. Different types of online advertising are available, including Google AdWords, Facebook ads and retargeting ads.

Getting the most out of services like AdWords — also called “pay-per-click,” or PPC, advertising — requires ongoing experimentation. This can quickly get expensive if your campaign is not set up correctly.

Retargeting is also a great way to inexpensively advertise online by “re-marketing” to people who visit your website. For instance, when potential customers visit your website, you’re able to place “cookies” on their Web browsers that follow them wherever they go on the Internet, allowing you to stay on top of your “qualified” leads, thus helping you out further.