Do you want to promote your business online but find it hard to know where to focus your attention?
Being online provides your business with a number of benefits that shouldn’t be ignored. These range from making it easier for potential customers to find your business through to providing new sales channels to complement face-to-face sales.
The best approach to being online is having a well-rounded approach, using a couple of key channels to help spread the word about who you are and what you do.
Here are four essential digital marketing tactics to promote your business online and generate sales.
A traditional website is still valuable
While it may be tempting to just set up a Facebook or Instagram business page, there are some significant additional benefits to having a website – particularly when it comes to online search.
Before making a purchase, a large portion of consumers typically conduct online research into products and services they are looking to buy - having an effective website will help put your business into the mix. It also makes it easier for customers to find information about your business, products and services without having to scroll through your social media timeline.
Having a small business website isn’t just about selling your goods and services – it’s also about providing value to potential customers and building long-lasting online relationships with them. Even if your business doesn’t engage in online sales, you can still gain from having a well-developed website to generate sales and expand your business beyond your local area.
Find out they key steps to building a website by reading our tips on creating a website and access our free templates and supporting information.
Tip: If you're struggling with the development of your website, or would like to know more about how to build your own site, our Website Planning workshop can provide you with an action plan to make it happen.
Leverage other sales channels
Having a multichannel approach to sales can help you reach new customers. In addition to having your own website, there may be other appropriate online channels.
If you sell products, platforms like eBay, Etsy or Facebook Marketplace can help increase awareness of your business and products and put them in front of large existing customer bases.
If your business is more service based, platforms like Airtasker, Freelancer, Upwork or Fiverr (to name just a few) may be viable options to spread the word about your business and attract clients outside your local area.
Before signing up for any of these platforms, take the time to read their terms of service and calculate any fees they may charge per sale. If you can, speak to other business owners using these platforms to ask how useful they have found them.
Be active on social media
Being active on social media provides you with an opportunity to communicate directly with existing and potential customers. When it comes to social media, the best approach is to be selective about which channels you use. Ideally, think about where your target audience spends most of their time on social media and make sure you are active in the same spaces.
Our tips on getting started on social media explain how to pick the right channels for your business as well as a process for planning and creating social media content.
Tip: If you’re interested in learning more about the different social media channels and how you can use them to promote your business, join us for our Digital Marketing Essentials workshop.
Incorporate search engine optimisation and marketing
There is a lot of information to help you attract the right kind of people to your website, if you know where to look.
Carrying out keyword research and looking at audience insights can provide valuable information on who your ideal customer is and the content your website should contain to draw them to your business.
While Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) can be involved processes, we have a number of articles that help break down the process for you in an easy-to-follow format. This includes:
- SEO made easy
- How to use Google Ads
- 3 tips to find your customers online
- Google tools to help you understand your customers
Tip: If you’d like to learn how to set up and manage your website’s SEO and SEM, see our range of practical small business workshops.
More information
In addition to our practical website and digital marketing workshops, more tips on digital marketing as well as free marketing plan templates are available on our website.
If you’re thinking of outsourcing your digital marketing needs, read our tips on how to find the best contractors for your business.
