Does your company have a marketing plan? Many small businesses think they do when really they simply spend money trying one idea for a short time before moving onto the next. One problem with this approach is that marketing success doesn’t happen that quickly. Like any worthwhile endeavor, small business marketing requires a plan, patience, and determination to reach a desirable return on investment (ROI).
Audit Your Current Website
Building a business website is more of a work in progress than a one-time accomplishment. Customer preferences and technology change quickly, which means your business website could seem outdated and difficult to use if you fail to invest time and resources into it. Here are some factors that can make your company website stand out from others in the same niche:
- Service or product pages with clear detail about what your company offers
- A gated system for capturing customer leads
- A call to action that leaves no doubt in the minds of visitors what they need to do next
- Customer testimonials
- A resource section that includes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Don’t worry if you don’t have these things on your small business website right now. It just means there’s room for improvement.
Provide Useful Online Resources
Today’s customer needs to build trust in a company long before making the first contact or considering a purchase. The easiest way to go about proving your company is an authority in your industry is to provide useful and relevant information to website visitors with no expectation of receiving anything in return. Some examples include:
Blog posts
It’s common for companies to attempt blogging and then quickly abandon the effort when it doesn’t immediately increase their ROI. Unfortunately, people can tell when a company publishes a blog post just because it should. It has no heart and provides them with nothing useful to improve their lives. By publishing regular blog posts that teach something, your audience will gain confidence in your company as one that cares about their problem and concerns. This means they are much more likely to follow through with purchasing a product or service that can solve them.
Videos
In this world of short attention spans, people often prefer to watch a video instructing them how to do something than take the time to read about it. If your company doesn’t have a YouTube channel already, set one up and start recording.
eBooks
Providing a free eBook to website visitors in exchange for their email address is an example of a gated lead. Most people have no problem giving this information when they receive something truly valuable in exchange. Writing an eBook allows you to go into much greater depth than you could with a single blog post or even a quick video.
Ready to Invest in a Real Marketing Plan?
visionPATH offers marketing plans ranging from basic services to running your entire marketing department. Please contact us today to request a complimentary strategy session.