When the pandemic started around a year ago, businesses that didn’t have an online presence quickly set up a website and social media pages. While this was a good move on their part, the companies still faced the daunting task of competing against competitors that already had years of online presence under their belt.
Even though it’s not impossible, businesses that entered the online marketplace only recently still have a chance of ranking well on the search engine results page if their marketing department implements the latest techniques to catch the attention of its target market and drive online traffic to their websites.
To do this, digital marketers can consider a couple of tips to increase the business’s online presence.
Have a Sense of Urgency
The continued distribution of the coronavirus vaccine may soon see the end of the pandemic. But it also remains uncertain when everything will go back to normal since new variants of the virus have also started to spread around the world. This uncertainty may have compelled digital marketers in the United States and Europe to shift to bringing short-term results for their clients instead of focusing on long-term search engine optimization (SEO) strategies.
When focusing on short-term results, marketers usually use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising since it focuses on the customers and immediately entice them to go to their client’s website through promotions and advertisements.
Even as this may apply to businesses that entered the digital marketplace only recently, companies that established an online presence long before the pandemic may continue with their SEO activities to increase their search engine rankings. But if the opportunity presents itself where they can improve their conversion rate, they should not think twice and jump at this opportunity.
For instance, promoting a franchise marketing company requires time and effort to give it the traffic it needs. But when an opportunity to bring in more investors through PPC advertising or content marketing, the company shouldn’t wait and connect with these interested parties as soon as possible.
Emphasis on Local SEO
The pandemic highlighted the importance of local SEO ads to allow physical businesses to survive as they shifted to the online marketplace. Implementing local SEO strategies allows these businesses to rank well in the local search results of Google at an affordable price. Focusing their marketing efforts on this allowed these businesses to connect with their customers who already shifted to online shopping.
All the businesses had to do was register their businesses on Google My Business and provide all the necessary information to connect them to their market. They can also include promotions or sale events to pique customers’ interest and buy their products.
Increase Trust Level Among Customers
Once the businesses connect with their customers, they should start working on creating a good relationship. It requires a fair amount of effort to ensure the customers trust their brand and continue buying their products. They can opt to make the buying experience easy and pleasant for their customers to gain their trust and confidence.
Additionally, they can add customer reviews to the website to build their credibility as a retailer. When potential customers see positive reviews on the products and services, customers are encouraged to buy from them. The business can also interact with their customers through their social media accounts and build rapport with them. This gives the company a persona the customers can relate to.
Focus on Compliance and Accessibility
Owners of physical stores are quite aware of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the importance of following its guidelines. But they may not know that the same accessibility also extends to the websites. So, if these businesses created their websites without considering ADA compliance, they will end up paying fines and facing a lawsuit that can affect their brand.
Many consumers are now relying on the internet for buying their needs at home. This means there’s a good chance that customers with disabilities may find the newly-created website of a business that isn’t ADA compliant. In this instance, the company may face sanctions if a customer complains.
To avoid this situation, the business should focus on complying with ADA guidelines and make sure the website is accessible to everyone. This entails incorporating widgets to help vision and hearing-impaired individuals access the content of the website.
Digital marketing saw a few changes when the pandemic started. In the past, long-term strategies were used. But the uncertainty of the situation and the entry of new competitors in the online marketplace, digital marketers focused on short-term results for their clients.