You can’t escape it… in any business you’re in these days, you need to have an online presence to be successful.

In every industry and in every niche, no matter what product you sell or service you provide… whether your business is bricks-and-mortar or completely on the Internet… prospects and customers need to be able to find you online. They’re already looking for you… so make sure you’re not “hiding.”


Truth is that people are on the Internet more than ever these days, for work and fun. There are over 80 million Internet users in Nigeria. And they’re researching products and services when they’re surfing the web—and buying them too.


As an entrepreneur, you know the number one secret of business growth is to go where the customer is. And that means you must build an effective online presence.


So here are four of the first things you need to look at when building your online marketing efforts.


1. Your website


All businesses, no matter how small, should have a website. It can be extremely basic, but it should contain the fundamental information customers – both existing and potential – need.

For example, one frustration I encounter far too often is restaurants that don’t have a website with a current menu, opening hours, location and contact information.

I know I’m not alone in that if I can’t find these details, I’m less likely to visit the restaurant – but there’s no reason a business should lose potential customers over something that’s so easy to remedy and costs very little.


2. Search engine optimization


Once you have a website, it’s vital that it can actually be found by search engines. After all, 89 percent of consumers use search engines to research a product, service or business before making a decision. To take advantage of this, you need to make sure to look at search engine optimization (SEO) for your website.


In case you’re not completely sure what SEO means, how it works, or why it’s important, here’s a quick rundown: What: The purpose of SEO is to make it easy for search engines to find your website and list it in their ‘organic’ (as opposed to ‘paid’) results.


Why: People tend to trust search engines, so websites that appear high in results pages are more likely to receive traffic.


How: Using search-engine friendly methods to improve your website.

Who: Everyone – anyone who has information that people want to find on the internet should be using SEO techniques.

When: All the time – SEO is an ongoing process. It’s important to monitor the information on your website and make sure it’s current and correct. Search engines also love new content, which is why starting a blog can do wonders for your SEO.


Where: Major search engines include Google, Yahoo and Bing. They connect people all over the world to the content they desire, from products to services to information.


3. Social media


Social media is an important part of your online presence that improves your chances of generating additional revenue and building customer loyalty. It allows customers, potential customers and other interested parties to engage easily via a channel that plays an important role in their everyday lives.

Although not every social media channel will be relevant to each business, it’s definitely worth looking into your options.

For example, Facebook and Twitter will serve a purpose for almost any business – it’s a great place to post news, tips, photos and videos and ask and answer questions.

In addition to Facebook and Twitter, you might find Instagram, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, helpful. Make sure to research available channels and find out if they will work for you.

Instagram, for example, is a photo-sharing network, so it works wonderfully for businesses selling ‘beautiful’ products such as jewelry, food or housewares.

It’s important to consider your target demographic – Instagram has around 130–150 million users, over two-thirds of which are women between the ages of 18 and 35. With Instagram, you’ll also need to keep a smartphone handy to properly access your account and engage with your audience.

Once you’ve decided which social media channels to use, get a clear idea of the kind of content you can share. The more compelling and engaging your material is, the more likely your followers will like, comment and share your posts.

Engagement is key to promoting your brand – not only will it make you more appealing to existing customers, the more positive social activity that goes on, the higher the chance is that their friends will be exposed to your brand and intrigued by what you have to offer.

When they do this, they’re engaging with your brand and their networks (friends, family, colleagues) are seeing that engagement and may be prompted to check you out for their own needs.


4. Email list


Growing your email marketing list is an element of running any online business. It’s one of those things thats that should be giving a huge amount of attention to, but often neglected.

It can feel very overwhelming when you’re first starting out, and it can be time-consuming to set up. When you’re super-busy getting everything going, finding the time to put a really effective list-building strategy in place can be tough.

If you haven’t already, make sure you have a simple and effective email list building strategy in place. This will increase your customer engagement, retention and subsequent conversions into paying leads.


Conclusion


These strategies will help you to establish the kind of online presence and growth your brand deserves, but most of them are long-term solutions.

Not only that, they need consistent effort.

You’ll also want to regularly check on these startegies covered here to make sure you’re doing it as well as you can, and getting the maximum ROI out of every aspect.

Your goals and business will change over time, and you may need to shift the focus of these elements to ensure they remain aligned with your brand.

http://zumaxdigital.com/growth-tips/secrets-to-growing-your-sme-online.html

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