Top 5 Marketing Tips In Today’s Digital Age

By Michael Jacobsen ( Digital Marketing Expert from Toronto)

If you have finally decided to embark on getting your business up and running online or you have just set up a website for your business, you are probably asking yourself the all too commonly asked question, “NOW WHAT?” This is because many businesses today are struggling to find their digital footing. They thought that this would be easy to get into but are sadly realizing that it is not. They are confused and poorly informed about many of the key concepts that businesses need to understand in order to compete in this new digital arena. This article will help you understand by providing you with 5 top marketing tips that will help your business get a great start on forming your digital footprint.

1. Market On Mobile

Many companies today make the mistake of just setting up a website for a computer and that is all. That is a HUGE MISTAKE!!! This is because the majority of customers who shop online use their mobile phones to solve any problems they may have with the shopping experience. Customers are now looking for you on their phones and your company better be available. If your website is not mobile friendly, then you may have just annoyed 80% of your market and they may not come back. You want to get mobile ASAP. Check with your html coders or the hosting website that you are on to make sure that your website is responsive.

2. Build Your Website With The Consumers’ Intent

The internet is used by people to discover things, which means that they are searching for you. You want to make sure that your website helps solve your customers’ problems in a quick and effective manner. By thinking like the consumer, you will be able to develop a better product. Look for popular search terms and build your landing page around that. For example, if you sell gourmet bagels near the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo and your customers are looking for a gourmet bagel shop near your area, then set up your page showing the exact distance and route, as well as specifically what you serve.

3. Write A Blog

Yes, writing a blog means more work for you but it is essential if you want to be discovered by customers quickly and effectively. Today many companies write blogs that differ from their original businesses but they reflect the business in general terms. This key concept is called “Content Marketing.”  An example of this is when a health food store is blogging about “Top Foods To Make You Happy.” This specific blog indicates to the customers that this company is an expert in the health dietary field. As well, blogs also help spread out brands to more and more people and help sites become fresher which is great for Search Engine Optimization.

 

4. Respond To Your Critics

It is very important to your online business that you are aware that there are many review sites, such as Yelp, TripAdvisor and Google. All of these sites have options for people/customers to rate and comment on your business. Unfortunately many business owners ignore these reviews and end up continually making the same mistakes, driving away customers. You have to be sure that you know what people are saying about your business and respond appropriately based on some good customer service techniques. Do not put your head in the sand and ignore your business’ reviews, which are a wealth of information and are probably being read by potential customers, competitors, etc.

5. Get Social Media Smart

You have to get involved with social media. If you do not think that your business belongs on social media, then you must not think much of your business. Today all businesses should be on social media. From anthropologists to zoologists, every business has a platform. One of the main problems presently is that many businesses spread themselves out to every platform thinking they will get massive reach. This strategy usually does not work. Usually resources are spread so thin that the important channels are losing out. Therefore to overcome this problem you need to post where your audience is. For example, if you are selling orthopedic shoes to seniors then you do not want to sell them on Snapchat which targets Millennials and the under 18 group.

 

• Michael Jacobsen is a Digital Marketing Expert from Toronto. For more information or questions that you may have about this blog or Digital Marketing, please contact Michael at michaelbjacobsen@yahoo.com or on Twitter @marketing_mbj. 

all images from pixabay.com