Small businesses need a strong online presence. It’s no longer a “nice to have”. If you aren’t doing the right things online, you are likely falling behind your competitors.
A recent article in The Washington Post discusses this very point – with statistics that substantiate that small businesses should be investing in building their brands online:
- The Internet and mobile devices influence $1 trillion in retail sales each year in the United States
- 4 in 5 people use search engines to find information about local businesses
- Only 37% of businesses have updated their information on a search engine (according to Google’s best estimate)
- Businesses with complete listings on Google are considered twice as reputable
- Consumers are 38% more likely to visit, and 29% more likely to consider buying from, businesses with complete Google listings
“Being found is the first step. Small businesses need to lure customers in and keep them coming back with e-mail blasts, web sites and social media….
Most business owners know they need to be actively engaged online. The problem is how to succeed at online marketing when there are so many different things to know. Small business owners don’t have the time, or the background, to become experts in search engine optimization, social media marketing, email best practices, website design, content marketing….
Furthermore, online marketing has become increasingly complicated because of constant change; social media undergoes major shifts, Google updates its algorithms, the buying habits of consumers change (for example, the significant trend toward searching on mobile devices rather than desktops).
Small businesses need to figure out how to capitalize on the tremendous opportunity offered by online marketing – in a rapidly changing and complex environment.
One of the ways that small businesses can move forward is to hire an outsourced online marketing company that offers a team of experts that can work with you to develop and execute sound online marketing strategies.
However, we know not all small business owners are ready to make this type of financial commitment. If that’s the case, we urge you to commit one hour a day to work on your company’s online presence. Write a blog, engage with potential customers on social media, craft and send an email to your customer list, ensure your company listing is correct in online directories, etc.
The key is to get into the game. If you want to increase visibility and credibility, you need to engage in online marketing. Businesses that don’t start planting online marketing seeds will be ignored by the market – and be at a distinct competitive disadvantage as time goes on.
Take the time to figure out how you can develop an online presence that will keep your business relevant, and growing, over the longer-term.
>>Core Online Marketing is an outsourced online marketing agency with expertise in online marketing strategy, lead generation, landing page conversion, SEO, content marketing, and much more! Contact us or sign up for our free online marketing seminar.
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