Does every business need a website marketing strategy?
The short answer is YES!!

Over the past decade, the way in which businesses build their brand and promote their products has changed dramatically. More and more each day, customers are turning to the internet to connect with brands online before decided whether to buy a product or not. In fact, before making a purchase, 40% of consumers are taking to the internet to gather more information on a brand in order to make the most informed decision.

How does this effect your business? If a solid marketing plan isn’t in place, which includes an efficient website bolstered by effective SEO strategy, you may be missing out. The oldest marketing strategy in the world is simple: Be where your customers are. Without a good plan, you will lose out on valuable opportunities to connect with those potential customers who are looking to engage with your business.

We’ve compiled a quick list of a few ways that you can improve your marketing strategy.

Tip #1 : Site Audit

Confirming that your website is going to perform well for both your user’s and the search engines is very important. Here are a few areas to analyse on your site to ensure top performance.

Readability : Have your audience in mind when writing your pages. Your home page is the first impression of your business. Make sure that it represents, and clearly explains, all that your company does and helps them find the information they’re looking for.
Navigation : A visitor to your website should be able to find the information they are looking for within two clicks. Anything more then this, and you will need to reevaluate your menu system and make it more simpler.
Colors : Black on white is usually the best option. When trying different colors, try to avoid bright colors on bright backgrounds or tones without much contrast. Simple and easy to read is always recommended.
Fonts : Most books, newspapers and other reading materials tend to stick with a “serif” font. This includes popular fonts like Times New Roman and Georgia, Courier, Bookman and Garamond. Serif fonts have little feet and embellishments on the tip and base of each letter which makes them more unique and easier for the eye to identify each letter.
Mobile Ready : Surprisingly about 40% of the worlds largest websites are still not mobile ready. Recently google has started favoring websites that are configured to be responsive to different screen sizes. Having your website function efficiently on tables and mobile phones is crucial.
Page Speed : If a page takes longer then 3 seconds to load, then a user will most likely lose interest. You can greatly improve page speed by optimizing images for different screen sizes and compacting videos and larger files.
Know your audience : Make sure that the information is engaging. The key here is to help your customers make an informed decision without losing their interest.

Tip #2: Search Engine Optimization

Getting noticed by Google is important. There are millions of websites all vying to be at the top of each page of google. Although google’s rules change every day, there are some safe optimization tips that have stood the test of time.

Research : An easy start is to pretend you’re a typical customer looking for your services. Type that search into Google and then look at the results. You know that google is favoring these websites so why not model your website and content after what you see here. Pay close attention to the words and phrases used in the titles and descriptions. These will give you clues to other words that your competition might be focusing on. Make a short list of the common phrases and concentrate your efforts on these.
Content : Using your researched list of phrases, you should write detailed information pages focusing on those topics. Concentrate your efforts on how your company or services can meet all the needs of your customers.
Site design : Within your pages, make sure you use these phrases in your page titles, sub-titles, and image names. Do not over use the words and phrases. Try to create a natural balance using other synonyms. The google algorithm is smart, it knows that home is another word for house, dwelling, mansion, residence, shack etc. To google, they all mean the same thing and each provides the same amount of relevancy and weight.
Links : Not all links are created equal, just like not all opinions are equal. A link is a vote of confidence towards your website. Having links from websites that are reputable is a must. Try seeking links from suppliers, commercial customers or recognized industry related editorial websites.

Tip #3 : Social Media Branding

Building your brand on social media and establishing a solid social presence is vital to every business in this day and age. Unlike previous generations, social media allows businesses to connect with customers closer then ever. It is important to know which platforms your business should be pursuing. This will depend on the demographic and social tendencies of your users. Once you choose your platform, it’s important to focus on attracting engagement. Try to create posts that encourage social buzz, enticing users to like, comment, share and interact with your posts.

Tip #4 : Paid Advertising

Your primary goal is to get your website listed at the top of the search results for your phrases. However, bridging the gap, especially for a new website, it’s recommended to use a paid ad strategy. Having a website ad at the top of google can be fairly pricey, but it is a good way to kick start a campaign and get traffic to your website. We also recommend using paid ads to help boost your social campaigns. It helps get the word out and delivers your posts to new user’s for them to like and comment on.

Tip #5 : Implementing your New Plan

Probably the hardest part of any marketing strategy is the follow through. Some tasks take time and others can be quite taxing on resources. Partnering with an expert team that can help you in each area is vital. At Self-Edit, we have been doing internet marketing since BEFORE there was even a google! We have studied and adapted to each new rule and helped our customers stay at the forefront of their industry.

To get help implementing or creating your plan call and talk to an expert right now at 1-87-SELF-EDIT