Whether you have an existing website or you currently have someone developing a website for your company, the question always arises of “So I have a website, how do I get people to know about it?” Having a website is definitely the first step in the right direction, but you need to know how to market your website so that people will know you exist. There are a few online marketing items that you can implement to make this happen.
One item that you will want to complete is SEO, Search Engine Optimization. Implementing SEO onto your website will make sure that your site is setup correctly, so that the search engines such as Google and Bing are able to read your website and know what it is that you do. The search engines scan your website to know what you would be relevant for, so it is important to you make sure that information is properly communicated. For example, having text in an image might look fantastic to you, but unfortunately the search engines will only see it as an image and will not be able to read what your image says. There is a large list of items that need to be checked on your website and then fixed if they are not up to SEO standards. Having the right keywords in the right place on your website can make all the difference.
Another part to SEO is Local Search Engine Optimization. Local SEO refers to making sure that your local business is shown on local maps, such as Google and Bing Maps, as well as in the local online directories like yelp and yellow pages. When a user conducts a search on Google, Bing, Yelp, etc., you want to be in the running to have your address and phone number displayed. This is where Local SEO becomes your new friend. Think of it this way, when you are looking for a restaurant, a popular place to go is google maps. You have to setup your map and business listing with Google in order to be placed on the map; there is no guarantee that they will automatically add you. And let’s face it; these days if you are not on Google Maps or any map, then you don’t really exist. Google My Business is a listing service hosted by Google that allows you to add, and edit your business information on their search engine. You can edit your business listing and optimize your GMB photos giving your potential customers an easier way to find and learn more about you and the services you provide.
SEO is an important part to your website marketing efforts; however, you have to remember that it takes time and is more of a long-term plan. Different tools can help your business thrive by using a long-term plan, you can learn about local seo and make a plan to get your marketing rolling in order to succeed!
When looking to start driving traffic to your website immediately or to increase the traffic that you already get from your SEO efforts, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Marketing is the way to go. Pay-Per-Click advertising allows you to choose the type of searches and websites that you want to be displayed on. This means that you can make sure that it is worth paying for the clicks in advance because you narrowed down the targeting to pre-qualify those users prior to them even seeing your ad. Within the Pay-Per-Click bucket there are multiple advertising options such as search, display, as well as advertising on the social networks. There are a few different factors such as your business goals and budget that will need to be considered in order to properly come up with a paid marketing strategy.
When trying to figure out what the best next steps are for your website, you will need to decide how quickly you want to start seeing people clicking on your website. It might be a good idea to get additional insight from a Website Design Company to see what you can improve on further. Are you are willing to go the slower more long term approach with SEO or start getting traffic immediately with Pay-Per-Click Advertising? Or both?