Digital Marketing 101 for Your Small Business

Hey there, savvy entrepreneur! So, you’ve got a small service-based business, and you’re ready to conquer the online world. Great! Getting started with your marketing can seem like a daunting task though, since there are so many options available.

So we’ve created a simple, effective internet marketing plan to get you started. This is a simple checklist that your business can follow and refer back to often to help keep you headed in the right direction with your marketing efforts.

Step 1: Define Your Audience

Before you dive into the marketing jungle, figure out who you’re trying to reach. Who are your ideal customers? What are their needs and pain points? Knowing your audience is like having a treasure map to guide your marketing efforts.

Step 2: Build a User-Friendly Website

Think of your website as your digital storefront. Make it clean, easy to navigate, and most importantly, mobile-friendly. It should be easy to locate important info like where you’re located, prices / pricing options, contact info and common service questions and options.

Step 3: Master the Basics of SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is like the secret sauce of online visibility. Use relevant keywords related to your business in your website content. Google loves this, and it’ll help potential customers find you when they search for services like yours. Doing this well can also get your site to rank better than your competitors in search results.

Step 4: Claim Your Google My Business Listing

Picture this: someone Googles a service you offer, and boom, your business pops up on Google Maps. That’s the magic of Google My Business. Claim your listing, fill it out completely, and watch your local visibility soar. You should check your listing often for accuracy and add business updates periodically.

Step 5: Get Social

Don’t be shy – dive into the social media pool! Pick platforms where your audience hangs out. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter – choose wisely. Share valuable content, engage with your audience, and don’t forget to sprinkle in a bit of your business personality.

Step 6: Content is King

Start a blog on your website. Write about things your audience cares about. This not only showcases your expertise but also boosts your SEO. Videos are great too – they don’t need to be Spielberg-level productions; even smartphone clips can work wonders.

Step 7: Email Marketing

Collect those email addresses (with permission, of course) and start an email list. Send out regular updates, promotions, or helpful tips. Email marketing is a direct line to your audience and can turn one-time customers into loyal fans.

Step 8: Ask for Reviews

Encourage happy customers to leave reviews on your website, Google, or other relevant platforms. Positive reviews build trust, and potential customers love hearing about other people’s positive experiences.

Step 9: Paid Advertising

When you’re ready, dip your toes into paid advertising. Platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads can help you target your audience precisely. Start small, analyze the results, and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Step 10: Analyze and Adapt

Use tools like Google Analytics to track your website’s performance. See what’s working and what needs tweaking. The digital world moves fast, so be ready to adapt your strategy based on what resonates with your audience.

There you have it – a straightforward internet marketing plan to kickstart your small service-based business into the online spotlight. Remember, consistency is key. Now go out there and conquer the digital landscape! 🚀

Images are an important part of any web site. They grab visitors’ attention, communicate ideas, and can make your pages flow better and look better. But where can you find the photos you want?

Of course there are hundreds of thousands of images to be found on other websites. Is it acceptable to copy someone else’s picture and incorporate it in your website or blog?

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Taking and sharing photos online is an important ingredient for good marketing results. Here are some tips that can help you to plan and organize your photos to match the different social media services.

Photo Sharing Priorities

The first and most important place to focus is your business website. The photos on your main website pages are what potential customers will look at before deciding to contact you. Make sure they are high quality and that they represent your business well. Also, if your website has one or more photo galleries that show off or explain your services, then these are also where you attention should go first.

However, by posting extra photos on a regular basis, you can generate interest in your business, increase search site traffic, and impress potential clients. How should these be shared? We will discuss how to best utilize your website’s blog, Facebook and Instagram, as these are the best places to start.

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Writing good copy for your business website is something that sounds easy. After all, it is your business. But most of us weren’t taught this kind of writing in school, so it’s easy to either get stuck, or worse, to write bad copy.

The good news is that the principles behind writing for the web aren’t hard to grasp. Here are some of the basics:

Don’t Over-Communicate

It’s good to be enthusiastic about your products or services, but remember that your visitor probably has just a few specific questions that they want answered. Long paragraphs with too much information are not likely to be read at all.

The best way to organize the information on your website is to start with only the most basic details on your home page, and then progressively offer visitors more details on sub-pages. Notice the home page examples below, one with full paragraphs of text, and the other using brief teasers:

The best way to organize the information on your website is to start with only the most basic details on your home page, and then progressively offer visitors more details on sub-pages. This way your visitors can see at a glance what you do, and then quickly find out where to get the additional details that they want.

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It’s free to get your business listed on Google Maps. This makes it easier for customers to find you, because your listing can appear in a map search as well as a basic web search. You can include an image, a link to your website, operating hours and contact info. (more…)