98% of consumers used the Internet to find information about local businesses in 2022. (BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey 2023). Every day, potential customers are looking online for businesses like yours. Are they going to find your business online easily, whether they are using a laptop or their mobile phones? Are they going to be persuaded to become your customers by looking at your website, social media, and your overall digital footprint? You need to ensure they do, so this article outlines how to get more customers for your business using digital marketing.
Using Your Google Business Profile to Get More Customers
It’s likely that a user will find your Google Business Profile first, whether they’ve searched on the name of your business or phrases related to your business “near me.”
- Have a profile set up and optimized (see more on optimization below).
- Ensure that the information is accurate and up to date. Very often, users are looking for your phone number, address, opening hours, etc., so these are very important details to include and keep updated.
- Use the advanced features like bookings and purchasing directly from your profile.
Using Social Media to Get More Customers
Users may first hear about you on social media. They may already “follow” your business because they know of you or because a friend may have shared your post. They may have searched on that channel for your business specifically or using phrases related to your business.
- Have a profile set up and optimized (see more on optimization below).
- Ensure that the information is accurate and up to date.
- Use the advanced features like bookings and purchasing directly from your profile.
- Post relevant content consistently that is suited to your target audience (see more on this below).
- If the post doesn’t directly lead the user to your business in person or to make a purchase on the channel, make sure that it links directly to where they can take the desired action (product or landing page on your site, link to make a call or send a message, etc.).
Using Your Website to Get More Customers
While your Google Business profile and social media are good ways for users to find you, the information available is limited. Very often, users will go from those profiles to get further information and (hopefully) to make a transaction or at least take the next step to becoming your customer. Your website is important because it’s an asset you own and control. Google Business profiles and social media are third-party controlled, and you run the risk of losing access if you go against their terms, and it isn’t easy to get this rectified.
- Have a website that is in line with your branding and your target audience and optimized (see more on both of these below).
- Ensure that the information is accurate and up to date.
- Use advanced features like bookings and purchasing directly from your website.
- Consider including a “blog” or “news” section where you can regularly post relevant articles of interest to your target audience.
Using Email Marketing to Get More Customers
Email Marketing is another great way to keep potential customers engaged and also to maintain a relationship with existing or past customers.
- Build a list of emails via your website, social media channels, in person, etc.
- Send information that is relevant and of value to your audience to increase the number that open the message and take the action you want them to take.
- Use Conversion Rate Optimization techniques (see more below) to maximize the results you get from each mailing.
- Determine when to send based on your target audience research (see more below), your specific needs, and the performance of previous campaigns.
Optimization
You most often hear about optimization when it comes to your website. Still, it is important to ensure that all of your channels and anything else that is online about your business are “optimized.”
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the most commonly discussed form of optimization. SEO maximizes traffic to your website from organic (unpaid) search results. There are a number of factors known or believed to impact SEO. It’s important that a website owner has some knowledge of SEO practices. It’s crucial that your web developer is experienced in this area. Many website owners think their new site is optimized, but it’s not been done. When hiring a developer, agree upfront which of this work is done by them and which will be done by you.
- Selection of and use of keyphrases, the phrases your target audience will likely use to search for offerings like yours. These phrases must be used strategically in the content that appears publicly on your site and in certain areas that are not seen publicly.
- There are a number of technical aspects of the site that impact SEO: page load speed, usability on mobile devices, broken links, using a secure service, etc.
- Page or Domain Authority – the number and “quality” of relevant links to your site indicate to search engines the “quality” of your site. (See more on Authority below.)
- Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) maximizes the likelihood of users taking your desired action (make a sale, book, sign up, etc.) on whichever channel they are on. Use CRO techniques on all of your channels.
- Usability and User Experience are important. Ensure there are no technical issues or distractions that will keep users from finding the desired content or taking the action you desire.
- Make sure there is a clear Call to Action (CTA) at the top of the content and where it is likely for a user to take the next step. CTAs are often buttons, i.e. “Book Now” or “Add to Cart,” but can also be text links or just text saying to Call Now next to your phone number. For social media posts, ensure that the CTA is before the “Read More” cut-off. Don’t forget CTAs in videos and other media that you post.
- Priority content should be at the top of the content and use bullet points or other formatting to make key information stand out. Many users just scan and may move on before getting to the “good stuff.”
Building Authority
In the past, it was thought that getting hundreds of links to your website would improve search results. Over time it became evident that it wasn’t just about the number of links, but also about the relevancy and quality of the links. Google has indicated that the following factors are important: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. (EEAT)
- Ensure that your Content Strategy (see below) includes content that will show EEAT.
- Look for opportunities to publish content or get listed on relevant, quality websites, especially if they link back to the relevant area on your website.
- Regularly review your “digital footprint.” Do your own searches to see what comes up when you and your business are searched. If there is anything negative, see if you can have the information removed. As this is often not the case, ensure that your website and other channels are optimized to come up more prominently and in a manner that is more trusted by users.
- Speaking of trust… Include content and imagery on your channels to build trust. This may include organizations you are certified by or belong to, security used, reviews, testimonials, etc.
- Speaking of reviews… Use email marketing and other follow-ups you may do with customers to encourage them to post reviews.
Read more: Increase Domain Authority
Develop a Content Strategy
Develop a Content Strategy to ensure that good content is created and delivered across all of your channels consistently and at the times and manner that best suits your target audience.
Your Target Audience
We usually talk about your audience first, because it’s important to consider what is relevant to your audience and their needs at the start of undertaking any marketing activities.
- Determine your Target Audience and break it into segments based on common aspects relevant to your business.
- Look at the demographics, interests, and habits as they are relevant to your business.
- Use this information in the design of your brand, website, social media profiles, and other imagery used.
- Develop content relevant to the audience and its needs.
- Deliver content in the manner and at the times most suited to your audience.
Read More: How to Get in Front of the Right People
This may seem like a lot of information, but there are a lot of important details that we couldn’t cover.
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