Even if you’ve heard the term ‘digital marketing’ before, you might not understand how it applies to your small business. In this article, we’ll look at the fundamental ways digital marketing can improve your small business’ visibility and positively impact sales.
What is Digital Marketing?
Before you can implement an effective digital marketing strategy, it helps to know what it is. Simply put, digital marketing is promotional or informative marketing through online platforms. This means the use of emails, websites, or social media, among other channels. With more persons using electronic devices, digital marketing can be an effective tool for reaching a broader audience.
Why Do Small Businesses Need Digital Marketing?
According to recent statistics, over 80% of consumers conduct online research before buying a product. If you have a digital marketing plan, you’ll have some influence over what your potential customers find when looking for your product or service. It’s an excellent opportunity to stand out from the competition.
Another 80% of customers who were surveyed stated that customer experience was integral to their shopping decisions. This was true whether they were shopping online or in a physical store. With the right digital marketing plan, your small business can provide an online customer experience that builds brand loyalty.
As a small business, digital marketing can help you to find your target ideal customer more easily. You can’t be everywhere but your digital presence can.
What Does Digital Marketing Entail?
When it comes to digital marketing, there is no ‘one size fits all’ strategy. Instead, it’s important to focus on the areas that are most applicable to your business and implement what works for you. In this section, we’ll look at the main components of digital marketing so you can decide what’s beneficial.
The basics include:
Website Design
Having your own website is the foundation of digital marketing. By building a home for your products or services, you can provide your potential customers with a base for learning everything they need to know about you. While you can make your website as simple or as intricate as you’d like, there are some basic areas you need to address.
An effective website should have:
It’s also important that your website is highly responsive, organized, easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly. Bear in mind that you can’t just set up a website and forget about it. It’s more effective if you keep updating the information and improving the website’s performance.
