When you meet someone new in your industry, or tell someone in person about what you do, how do they go about learning more? Chances are, they follow up by looking at your social media or website. The same goes for those who are going a general search on the kind of services and expertise you have to offer; they aren’t flipping through the phone book, they’re Googling solutions.
If you want to enjoy more success, stop throwing tons of money in different directions on various efforts. Keep your eye on the web, and the rest grows organically.
Focus on Home Base
Some websites are essentially an electronic business card, but make yours the essential digest as to why your business is The Best. Most importantly, ensure that all of your business activity online leads back to this website.
Your website should have a clear domain name that’s all your own, and be built on a reliable platform. If you’re serious about expansion, month-to-month DIY builders may not be enough.
Before you get in too deep, hammer out who, if anyone, will be responsible for technical support and updates; downtime and slow loads are unacceptable. Services such as those provided by MSP marketing cover this.
Once you’re online, you have two major goals. To employ SEO, making sure Google can discover you, and to update regularly. Regular updates are especially critical during the first months that you’re focused on building your presence, so be at the ready with plenty of ideas for your blog.
Leverage Social Media
Hopefully, you’ve found that your website is nice and cozy – your little corner of the internet. Now, it’s time to get out of it. Attract new visitors and demonstrate your authority by regularly using social media to share, comment, and discuss.
The first key point here is that you must concentrate your efforts. Do not sign up for every platform and spend all day keeping them active; this will inevitably kill other areas of your presence, such as your blog.
Instead, choose a maximum of three social media sites, and really dedicate yourself to participation. When someone asks you a question, respond. When you read something inspiring, share. When you see that person who’s doing what you do, only a little better? Reach out and make friends.
It can be tempting to fill your pages with links to your latest posts and products, but don’t do this. Placing yourself as an authority involves speaking on and sharing info about your industry as a whole.
And finally, be reliable. Your followers will subconsciously count on you to post with a certain amount of frequency. Don’t create three posts per day, and then drop off for a week.
In the end, high quality images and design go far, but it’s never more important than consistency and coherence in messaging. By making your website home base, and effectively spreading the word with a social media strategy, you’ll never have to struggle or strong-arm others into believing that your business is the right choice.
