Online business requires you to develop and design a user friendly website. Once it’s done, you need to figure out ways through search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social media marketing, PPC & email marketing to drive customers to your website. Online business not only starts with marketing, but must be carried over throughout the sales process, execution and support of the products and services as well.
Here are some quick and affordable ways to grow your business online:
1) Manage Your Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest etc:
Did you know that as of January 2014, 74% of online adults use social networking sites and 56% of Americans have at least one profile on a social media site? Social media has never been as stronger and influential as it is today. Social media allows you to find new customers, build brand awareness, increase customer satisfaction and so much more! All you need are the tools to help you build and monitor the right social media marketing strategy for your brand!
2) Create a Well-Established Online Identity and Brand Awareness:
Every business, whether eCommerce or not, wants and needs to be recognized. You can have the best product out there and provide the ultimate customer service but none of that will matter if nobody knows about your brand. So it is crucially important to dedicate the time and money for building your online identity and brand awareness.
3) Content Distribution – Text, Images and Videos:
Content can create brand awareness, acquire new customers and increase customer engagement when written and used wisely. Content writing involves many parameters other than writing. It involves content marketing, launching your blog and the craft of producing good content. To keep things interesting and to ensure that you have content that will get more traffic, make sure to add unique and informative content. Keep it fresh, targeted for greater conversion rates and improved search engine optimization (SEO).
4) Customer Care Live Support 24/7:
Mahatma Gandhi has rightly said, “A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so.” Customers expect you to be available 24/7. Those days are gone when a customer experience was determined within the four walls of your store. Today, a customer’s shopping experience begins before he even steps into the store/ website and ends long after he decides to buy from you. Live support is proven as one of the best and efficient ways to improve customer experience. Even if you are operating under a tight budget, live support enables you to give your customers an Amazon like support.
5) Customer Feedback, Testimonials & Reviews:
Any customer coming to your website will be more swayed by the testimonials and reviews by your prior customers. A prominent display of reviews and testimonials about your services and products will get you more sales. Engage your customers on Social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Ask for their reviews and endorsement on products they have used or generate precious feedback on how to improve your offerings.
A recent study conducted by Dimensional Research reveals that 90% of consumers feel that a review has a tremendous effect on their purchasing decisions. Reviews and feedbacks have the sense and feeling of a personal recommendation which is obviously easier to trust than a company advertisement.
6) Use Catchy Graphics/Images/Infographics:
‘A picture is worth a thousand words’. The products are assessed within 90 seconds, which during this time the consumer makes his initial judgment whether to buy the product or not. That means you have 90 seconds to impress your visitors and to show them why they need to buy from you, and there’s no chance you can do that without high quality, interactive images. With the help of infographics, you can present complex information quickly and clearly.
7) Video Marketing:
One Video is worth 1.5 million words. Let’s face it- watching a video or a clip is fun. It requires no effort from customers, but still keeps them passively engaged. Placing an interactive video on your site will get your visitors to stay longer and increase your chances of turning them into paying customers.
Video Marketing has come of age, with YouTube rightfully regarded as one of the largest Search engines after Google itself. There are scores of videos online but any good video can be made to communicate your message concisely and remarkably well. If done well, a video can reach thousands and even millions of people. Whatever be the subject of your video, make sure the script is right. Remember the words are as important as the moving picture. Upload your video on YouTube and Vimeo for a great sharing experience. Keep the length small, a few minutes and the picture quality good.
8) Search Engine Optimization (SEO):
Over 90% of Internet traffic is driven via search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, Baidu etc, so it’s important to have your website optimized with the latest guidelines & updates for Search engine optimization (SEO). There are more than 200 factors that Google considers when it ranks a page on its massive search engine index.
9) Retargeting:
Retargeting allows online marketers to target users based on their previous interactions with their website. Don’t forget to retarget i.e. catch the one that got away. Retargeting can be effective for both B2C (business to consumer) and B2B (business to business) websites. Ecommerce companies can get advantage of retargeting by bringing back bounced traffic and online shoppers who have discarded their carts. B2B companies are able achieve their goals more effectively with retargeting because it enables them to stay in front of leads.
10) Ensure Your Website is Mobile Friendly:
Mobile Friendly means that your website should be rendered in a manner that is easily readable on mobile devices, such as smartphones, iPhones, iPads and tablets. Your website must be designed in such a way that it must be easy to navigate and all the features must be easy to access and readable. Mobile internet users are growing much faster compared to desktop/laptop users. In the United States, 94% of people with smartphones search for local information on their phones. Interestingly, 77% of mobile searches occur at home or at work, places where desktop computers are likely to be present. Google developers recommend that websites must be responsive as it will increase the duration that users spend on the site and improve SEO.