Every new business has its own share of teething troubles. And, ensuring a consistent growth is definitely one of them. Online marketing can not only help you get past the initial hurdles but also enable your business to survive and grow consistently in today’s increasingly digitalised world.
However, if you’re just getting started, setting up an online presence for your business can be just as challenging, especially considering the fact that in the online space, you no longer compete with businesses within your two-mile radius. You compete with thousands of businesses, perhaps even several time-zones away.
Another major roadblock that often comes in the way of small businesses is — budget. However, a lack of budget shouldn’t prevent you from growing your business online. There are numerous online marketing tactics for nurturing a new business that promise great results and won’t blow your budget.
Here are three steps that can help you grow your new business online:
Get a Smart and Effective Website.
Today, it’s easier than ever to get a website up and running, thanks to free hosting, templates, and easy “one-click” website builders for little to no cost. However, for a website that really works for your business, you need much more than this.
It’s important to think of your website as the face of your business online. Your website is what meets the customers’ eye first when they come looking for you. Surely, you want the first impression of your brand to be a good one. In fact, a poor website experience — be it slow loading time or readability issues — may even cause visitors to leave your website never to return again.
Plus, DIY websites, very often, look similar to other websites. This is not best branding message you want to send across, especially when you’re trying to generate awareness.
These are just some of the reasons why a professionally-made website almost always edges out DIY websites (unless of course, you’re a professional web designer yourself). If the investment is what’s causing you to back out, remember, this is an investment that will pay dividends far into the future.
Have a Simple Online Marketing Strategy.
You may be tempted to try out every strategy in the book or build your presence on all platforms out there, but unless you understand the basics of what your business really needs, you won’t be pleased with the results.
Plus, this is really where you could save some dollars and do online marketing in-house. Once your business starts generating enough revenue, you can hire a marketing agency or consultant to handle the task.
Instead of draining your time and money on strategies you’re not sure of, use this time to understand how online marketing works. To get your new business on a solid footing at an early stage, your online marketing strategy needs to be supported by the twin pillars of content and social.
Publishing high-quality content consistently can help your website become more search-engine friendly and boost your credibility among prospects. Social media, on the other hand, is the most effective tool you can ever have in terms of striking one-on-one interactions with your target customers and introducing them to your business and what it offers.
Track and Measure Your Success.
If there’s one mantra you need to remember the most when you’ve entered the online marketing space, it’s this — track and measure everything you do when it comes to your marketing efforts. Why? Because you may think you’re doing everything right, yet not see any results. Tracking and measuring every step of your marketing strategy helps you see what’s working and what’s not working for your business. You could then, tweak your strategy accordingly and most importantly, stop wasting money on what’s ineffective.
It’s no secret that the business landscape has changed dramatically over the years and today, the endless possibilities for new entrepreneurs in the virtual space is attracting businesses to step into the online marketing realm. With these tips, you can leverage the online space to grow your new business and pave the way for its long-term success.
