The first thing most customers do before they follow a lead to any product or service is to ‘look online’ to learn more about that product or service. Your potential client is likely to take two steps before giving you a call or making a commitment to your product or service – 1. use a search engine to look for your business, 2. visit your Website (if you have one).
When potential customers find your Website online, what should they see? Your Website is the global face of your business. In today’s marketplace, Websites are required to legitimize a business or organization. When potential customers arrive at your Website, they should see what they are looking for – not just what you want them to see. An online marketing professional should be able to look at current trends for your business type, apply the best practices for your Website and help you get started on this goal. At minimum, visitors should be able to quickly learn about what you are offering, how they can get it, and judge the quality of service they can expect. But let’s be clear, you really won’t know exactly what your clients are looking for until after you have launched your Website and reviewed your own Web traffic statistics.
What do your potential clients see when they search for your business online? Small businesses are sometimes frustrated because a search for their product or service often lead to the big guys – but it doesn’t have to be that way. Your clients should be able to find you without searching for your company by your exact business name. Invest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and you’ll be impressed by the results. SEO involves looking at your Website analytics, your goals, target market and current Web presence – then applying steps to optimize your search engine results. A good SEO strategist can boost your search results in your target market and help drive potential customers to your Website.
Getting a Website up and running is an important step in getting closer to clients/customers, but your work is incomplete without a budget for Search Engine Optimization and marketing – because at least 60% of your clients will look for your business with a search engine. If you have questions about this service, we’ll be happy to discuss them with you.