By Sam Rose
SilverDisc
IT’S widely known that a website is very important for your business and that if you don’t have one, you’re missing out on many opportunities to gain new customers – regardless of the product or service you are offering. But it’s not enough to simply have a website. These days, if your online presence isn’t up to scratch, it’s all too easy for potential customers to turn to your competitors instead.
This poses a problem for those trying to stay in business, especially if you’re just starting out. You’re competing with well-established businesses who are likely to have a good online presence and a loyal customer base. But even some older companies can struggle to stay in business if they fail to keep up with the latest online marketing trends and increasing demands from savvy customers. When faced with the challenge of creating or updating your website, it can be tricky to know where to begin. When you feel yourself getting bogged down in intricate design details, promotion ideas and the myriad social media platforms to choose from, it’s time to get back to basics and look at the big picture.
Before you even think about how to design or revamp your website, and before you start tapping away writing new content, take a step back and consider a few questions about your target market. Who is your ideal customer? How do they want you to communicate with them? What do they need to know about you? The answers to these questions will inform the design of your website, the content you write for it, and the way you interact with customers online.
Next, consider these questions regarding your business: what are your USPs, and how can you stand out from your competitors? What are you offering your customers? What are your goals? It’s only after you’ve defined your goals that you’ll be able to use your online presence to reach them.
Outside of your website, the same thing applies. There’s no need to have your fingers in all of the social media pies. For example, start by thinking about who your potential customers are, research which social media platforms they are likely to frequent and focus on providing quality content on one or two channels to start with. Concentrating your efforts on smaller areas means you can aim for quality content and interactions with your audience and goals in mind. Your business basics lay the foundations for your website, and your marketing and design can be layered on top of that, making the prospect of growing online easier to manage.
If you would like any help with improving your online presence to give your business more staying power, get in touch with SilverDisc on 01536 316100 or visit SilverDisc.co.uk