Together, we will assess your current positioning and develop a digital marketing plan to help your business reach more customers online. Marketing online is commonplace now, so a simple website is not enough to captivate customers. Now, you need an SEO campaign, social media and email marketing and most importantly, a brand image that cuts through the digital noise. Despite the latest tools and technology, making your business noticeable is the biggest challenge of all. So, here are some tips to make this happen.
Make it Easy
For internet users, the path of least resistance is often chosen regardless of how great your product may be. If your website is complicated, users will abandon the site. To ensure this doesn’t happen, the journey through your site should be efficient and relevant to your audience. Removing any opportunities for customers to ‘back out’ is imperative to improving conversion.
Importance of UX
A good design should be invisible. The layout of your website should be intuitive enough for users to browse seamlessly, on any device without difficulty. Anyone visiting Uber for example, is instantly aware of the service on offer. So, competitors must meet these high standards or risk being deemed clunky or old-fashioned. A user-centric experience is the difference between securing or losing the sale. Let me ask, how many times have you taken the easier route to make your life straightforward? And, for many, the web is a daunting and negative space but every business has the opportuntiy to change this outlook by providing a positive online experience. In doing so, customer loyalty is captured and you can separate yourself from the online noise. One way to check that your website is the best it can be, is to spend some time on your competitors site. Soon, you'll notice some pain points for customers and edit your site accordingly i.e. to avoid these issues.
Building A Consistent Voice
Keeping your brand image the same across all platforms is vital for customer recall. Using six different logos with six different typefaces is not effective and you will lack professional credibility resulting in missed opportunities to leave your ‘stamp’ on potential customers. Instead, stick with one clear logo to develop your unique brand voice. Be committed to the long game. Building a successful brand isn’t a one-time set and forget. It takes development, refinement, research, testing and commitment to stick with a set of branding tools, but hard work pays off and making your business memorable takes time and effort.
Digital Marketing
The end goal of digital marketing is to identify where your customer is most likely to look for your business online. Online includes social media, email marketing, webinars and free downloads, blogging, sponsored content, “Pay Per Click” advertising, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and the list goes on…Your digital marketing strategy will hinge on these factors. Some businesses have broad appeal, but a target audience is never “everyone”. Each business has their ‘core customer’ - The ones who are most likely to want or need your business. It is this customer who you should market towards.
Understanding your customer
To truly understand your audience, you should gather information on existing clients, then look at similarities between them. Start with age, gender, location, career, and spending patterns. As you understand your audience more, you can redefine your brand message and produce higher returns on investment for digital marketing.
At the most basic level, you should start by asking:
Do my customers spend more time on Instagram or LinkedIn? Do they value free downloads? Would they benefit from information sessions and webinars? How can I encourage them to visit my webpage? The answers to these questions will help to establish where you should spend your time and money for online marketing. Fundamentally, great digital marketing is about effective communication. You must know who you’re speaking to, where to reach them, and what kinds of messages generate a positive response. A newspaper ad will reach someone once with one message. Whereas digital marketing allows you to build an evolving relationship with customers. Effective online engagement will produce more sales, more incoming leads, and increased chances of ensuring that customers will use your business when ready to purchase. Here are your takehomes from today's blog about standing out from the digital crowd:
- You seldom get a second chance to make a first impression, especially online. So make your first impression count!
- Make sure you are working with the right digital partner who has the same vision for your business as you.
- You have to find your niche area that allows you to cut through the digital noise, being unique will help with the growth and individuality of your business.
- Finally, have fun with it!
If you'd like to discuss any of these areas in more depth, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
