You’ve invested so much in your start-up business already; therefore it’s key to ensure you’re communicating what it has to offer to your target audience. To drive your business forward, it’s also essential that there is an ever-increasing population of people who are aware of your brand and what it’s all about. It’s no big surprise that the efficiency of your online marketing strategy and tactics will ultimately determine the success and longevity of your small business. Whether you’re a completely fresh, new start-up, or you’ve ventured online already and are getting lost, here are some points to consider to give your business that all-important boost.
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Be Sociable
Most people, especially those who are happy to shop online, will have at least a couple of social media accounts. It’s important to have social media accounts set up and running from the get-go, ensure your branding is clear and consistent across each account, so you’re instantly recognisable. For some ideas on which social media accounts to go for, take a look here.
The most important thing, after the set-up of your social media, is to engage. Think about your potential or current customers and clients, who they are, how they speak, what things interest them aside from your brand. Keep a constant conversation going by sharing information and offers directly linked to your business, alongside articles, images and anything else that relates to and complements your start-up. People will know what to expect from your Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and if they enjoy what you’re putting out there, you’ll be part of their everyday engagement.
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Be Available
It’s so important to start building connections and relationships that will enhance and help build your business early on. If you’re a small, local start-up, ensure other, surrounding business’ are aware of your presence and begin an ongoing conversation with them. Make sure you are following each other through all your social media channels as this can lead to an array of outbound marketing from different company platforms. Connect, respond and be available, so you can both mention and promote each other and will therefore equally benefit. Is there a local business networking event? Make an effort to attend, see who’s out there, maybe you’ll spot any competition or form relationships with local start-ups; then you can help each other grow.
Availability is not limited to business connections. It’s key that if you’re trying to expand your customers or client base, they need to know you’re available and ready to help and advise them. Ensure your responses are prompt, helpful and friendly. If people feel good about communicating with you and your brand, they’ll keep returning to it. If your business is to sell products, make the customer’s experience as easy as possible. Maybe you have to deliver goods to customers, so your availability means that if there are any issues, you can resolve them quickly. Start-ups are a lot of extra hard work, but it can pay off in the long run.
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Be Appealing
From your brand aesthetic, to the quality of your products, appealing to people is everything. You can promote your business and create all the outbound marketing you like, but if the customer gets through the online doors to your shop and is disappointed, they are unlikely ever to return. Once you have finalised all your branding and the tone of your social media, the real focus should be on your E-commerce Website Design and investing in making it an appealing online space to be in and most of all, user-friendly.
If you are selling products and services online, your website can be ‘make or break’. It will take some valuable time and money; however, it’s essential that you invest in it. Here are some points to bear in mind:
- Make it obvious where the customer is – your brand should be clear and easy to see immediately
- Keep it simple to use – ensure your CTAs are visible and the site can be navigated with ease
- Make it responsive – check your site looks just as good on a tablet and smartphone
- Understand the importance of images – don’t over-clutter and enable the customer to see each product clearly
- Create quality content – give concise information and focus on SEO, find some tips here
- Link your social media – all your social media platforms should be easy to reach from your site
- Be easy to contact – as stated previously, availability is critical
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Getting that boost for your business online is a major step in its growth and progression. Whether you do the work yourself, or hire some experts, it will always be worth the investment.