It is a challenging year for entrepreneurs and business owners. Many companies have had to deal with so many challenges and disruptions, contributing to approximately 92% of small businesses needing to reinvent themselves to survive the economic downturn attributed to the pandemic, so are taking their business online.
We are witnessing a fast-changing business climate; from remote working to social media and online buying – what was once considered extras are rapidly becoming the norm.
7 strategies for growing business online
If you’re looking for ways to take advantage of the changing tide, these seven tips should help accelerate your business online growth.
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Enhance your content creating skills
From increased video watch to posts and news feeds, content consumption has reached an all-time high like never before. Rather than pulling their target audience to appreciate the advantages of their products and services, most brands focus on just showcasing. The best approach focuses your content on the problem you intend to solve, how it improves the consumer’s life, and addresses the client’s needs.
Keep the focus on the overall brand image and not just the product you sell. For instance, if your business deals in soap, consistently create content about positive physical appearance.
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Build an email list
Having large data is a tremendously significant resource nowadays since it does more than simply adding to your corporate valuation.
An email list of your prospective and targeted customers means you can directly contact them with any new information, content promotions, and feedback while enhancing customer engagement via all your online channels. This has been one of the key marketing strategies by platforms like Facebook, Amazon, and Netflix.
To build an email list, you can begin by offering something worthy for free to your targeted audience in return for an email address. For instance, provide a free eBook, discounted product, or free trial period for your premium services. The primary objective is to motivate your website visitors to leave their email addresses to develop a lasting and beneficial relationship with your audience.
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Build a blog or content website
Assuming your present site is a static business online catalog to post your items and services, now is an excellent time to enhance your organic reach and traffic by creating a rich content experience. In the current digital age, your website isn’t just a platform to display your products and services but one to show your expertise as well.
Potential customers will stay longer on your website, read and explore your content when it appears to add value to their lives. This makes it essential to have a responsive website design for an optimized user experience.
According to statistics, 57% of internet users are less likely to recommend a poorly designed website. Fortunately, several website builder tools can help you create an entirely new website or redo an existing one with rich features. In the current age, consumers love to buy yet hate the idea of being sold to. Make sure to add valuable content to get your consumers returning over and over.
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Increase organic reach using Pinterest
If there’s possibly one underrated social media platform, then it’s arguably Pinterest. Compared to most social media platforms where content fast scrolls and disappears as you post it, Pinterest is a search engine on its own, which means that your pins last forever.
Like articles on Google, should your pin match any user search, it could show up even months or years after posting it. An ideal approach to get started is to link your site to your Pinterest account and enhance it for rich pins. Fortunately, there are plugins to help you create several image posts for every one of your posts and pin them.
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Start a YouTube channel
Like Pinterest, YouTube is another search engine with an extensive content lifespan. However, unlike Pinterest, more work is required since you’ll need to record and produce quality videos. If you’re comfortable and confident in front of the camera, then the growth opportunities are enormous.
Yet, there are several innovative approaches to delivering content and marketing your business online without standing in front of the camera. While some companies use animated illustrations, others focus exclusively on producing user-generated content.
Likewise, on Pinterest and Google, your content may still be available several years after posting, so get innovative and explore various approaches to adding YouTube to your current content marketing strategies.
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Pay attention to building lasting relationships
Customers are an essential part of every successful business. Therefore, it’s vital to treat them like you would every individual you hope to build lasting relationships with. What’s a more excellent combo than having a great product and solid relationship with your clients? For service-delivery businesses, consistently adding value to your customers is key to business online growth and expansion.
This implies putting your customer needs first before profit. Several studies have proposed that listening is a vital sales tool, and businesses must invest in building healthy, meaningful relationships. As the famous quote puts it, business is nothing more than a bunch of human relationships.
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Social media is key
Social media is one of the essential tools available to boost business online. The pandemic outbreak has contributed to a significant increase in social media usage worldwide. A US study has attributed social media increase to home isolation due to the pandemic. An estimated 43% of participants admitted that being confined to their homes led to a more than usual increase in Instagram usage.
Social media advertising stats have projected over $50 billion in revenue for 2021, and more advertisers are resorting to paid social media promotions for their daily survival. Additionally, ads don’t just give your brand exposure but likewise helps with your products and service discovery.
The significance of brand visibility via web-based media is a reason for recognizing your business online core demography. Ensure to get your items into the hands of customers who are an ideal lifestyle fit or link to customers who are more available to share their brand experiences to generate genuine social media interest.
Downturns have always triggered new business trends and changes. For many, this is a time to get the requisite skills and tools to take or move their business online and stand out from the competition. Having a business online presence enables you to reach a wider audience and target market with your goods and services. Adopt the strategies most effective for you, get creative, expand your network and let everyone know about your existence.
