So, you’ve created an awesome website and thrown in all the bells and whistles. You did not hold back on any aspect, but it still doesn’t have nearly enough visitors or clicks. Have you wondered why your website has not grown despite how fantastic it is? We’ll explain how to market your online business to start seeing that traffic flow.
Marketing 101
Marketing is the name of this game; you need to advertise your website to bring visitors to your page. There are different ways to promote your website or digital product, and by using each of them, you will generate more clicks and views. As a business owner in a digital age, knowing how to market your online business is your broadsword of old; it is vital for the survival of your business.
Remember that marketing is a long-game so you need to be consistent and patient to see results.
Boosting Posts and Paid Advertisement
Paid advertising is a concept many don’t believe in; a few think it's just common sense, but most people do not understand its power. Paid adverts allow websites and businesses to draw attention to themselves at their base level. Still, if you take it one step further, by giving concise information and target it to what is currently happening in your market, you will generate clicks and views for your site.
Examples of this could be if your business is selling name-brand clothing and accessories. Consider targeting your paid advertisements to remind your target audience of the seasonal change. It's so subtle yet so powerful that when people see an advert like this, they start considering what they want to do and wear during that season. For example, ‘Winter coming up; do I have enough warm clothes?’ Or, ‘Do I want to get a new summer outfit for those last hot days of summer? One paid advert, a few words, and you have hooked people in.
They think about it. It is like you’ve embedded a visual worm in your target’s brain; their subconscious starts to fixate, and before they know it, they are looking for your website and potentially spending money.
Most people say that they have tried to do paid advertisements and did not generate the clicks and views I am talking about. To those people, there is a good chance that you have targeted the wrong audience, or that your ad didn’t stand out enough, or you didn’t have a clear goal in mind. However, there is an old principle – it's known as KISS. At its core, it's about simplicity, and it stands for Keep it Simple, Stupid.
There are many ways to advertise your website and to make things simpler. I’ll discuss some ideas for how to market your online business and ensure you can stand out from your competition.
Eight Quickfire Ideas on How to Market Your Online Business
1. Know Your Audience
Understanding your audience cannot be overstated; you must understand who you are selling your brand to. If you, as an advertiser, don’t know who you are targeting, there is a good chance that you won’t gain any visitors to your page. Therefore, target a specific audience and make sure you advertise with that audience in mind. Time is too valuable to you and other people, so do not waste your time and energy on advertising to a wall.
2. Do Not Mislead Your Audience
Often in advertising, people exaggerate their services and products. This starts to foster distrust from your target audience. An example of this is a fast-food restaurant that advertises a giant burger with juicy patties, and it makes the audience drool in anticipation. However, once the consumer gets the burger, it is nothing like the advertised product. They’re left disappointed with the experience, with a high chance you’ve lost a customer because you misled them to believe your product was something it was not.
3. Make Sure Your Website Functions
Studies have shown that, on average, a person viewing a website will take about 15 seconds to decide if they like the website and want to invest time into viewing the content. Furthermore, suppose the website is not functioning and offers the user a frustrating experience. In that case, there is a chance people will not recommend your site or ever bother revisiting it. So, in short, ensure your website functions; functionality over cosmetic looks – if the site looks fantastic but does not function, the time it took to create it was wasted.
4. Use Social Media Platforms
The digital age is here, and everyone uses social media; it’s the best source of information on the go, and it is the fastest way to gain exposure. Everyone is trying to make a name for themselves, and they use social media to do so. It's not a question of if you should use social media – you must use social media to stay competitive in the market. So, stop contemplating and start posting!
5. Choose an Advertising Platform
There are many different social media platforms, and it wouldn’t be feasible to use every one, so your best bet would be to choose one or two platforms to advertise on. By selecting one or two, you limit the need to share on multiple platforms, and you can correctly target your audience. Do your research and use what you know about your audience to drive your decision to select your social media platforms.
6. Networking
Networking is an old concept. It’s not what you know; it’s who you know – which says being recognized or being friendly and opening your mind to other people in different fields can nurture a relationship that may one day benefit you in an unforeseen way. Networking will help with growth, and don’t forget that word of mouth is still powerful even in the digital age. Sites like LinkedIn are great places to start networking from.
7. Hold Competitions
Once you start generating a following and have a few visitors, start holding competitions to further expand your reach. People like free things; all they need to do is follow and share your page, a simple incentive that will go a long way. Whether it is a service or a product, people like to experience what the product is like or what the service can do. So do not be afraid to give a little and receive a lot.
8. Scheduled Posts
Some apps have been created to make your life simpler in marketing. For example, Missinglettr allows you to schedule posts at times, giving you the ability to be consistent. Constancy is key when advertising because people start getting used to seeing your posts at specific times, generating a routine for people. With this app, you can set up posts weeks in advance and know that they will be posted on this day at this specific time. This creates a sense of being available. Being on top of things makes your business look more reliable.
FAQ
How to promote online business on social media?
- Choose the correct platform for your product or service
- Create a calendar so you can stick to dates and times
- Encourage engagement from your audience and viewers
- Do not over-promote a ‘dead’ product
- Create videos and keep in touch with developments in your market
- Build a community and provide value
- Address any problems or concerns with your audience ASAP
How Can Online Marketing Benefit Your Business?
The main advantage is that successful marketing can cost-effectively reach your target audience and bring an audience to your website or product.
What are Best Practices for Content Marketing?
- Put your audience first
- Leverage data to benefit your audience – use Google Analytics to get your data.
- Consider live-streaming with your audience
- Focus on your values
- Connect with your audience yourself
Conclusion
Marketing is the way to grow your business. If you do not like the idea of social media being a part of your business, chances are it will be a challenging journey for you and your company, or it may never work out. Its key to understand how to market your online business and have the ability to adapt, because marketing is ever changing and adapting is how businesses survive in the modern era. Respect your audience and realize that without them, you have no business. So, make sure you understand who they are and market and advertise accordingly. It takes time to market your business well and to draw in customers, so be patient.
