Starting a business can be an exciting venture, but also intimidating and risky so being smart with your limited cash at the beginning will allow you to make a success of your new enterprise. Follow our top three tips to make a digital success of your new business.
Local search engine optimisation
It is not down to luck if your website appears on the first page of Google. You may be unaware that there is significant background work that allows those sites to rank where they do. This process is known as Search Engine Optimisation and it is the process by which you construct your website content in such a way that it meets the criteria of Search Engine algorithms. Making it as easy as possible for the Search Engine to understand what your website is about, and what your proposition is.
You may ask why this is so important? To understand this, we must look at how people use Search Engines. The amount of people that visit your website from a search engine declines by 25% between the first position and the fifth position and continues to decline the further you go down the search rankings. Evidently it is massively important to be as high up the first page of any given search result as possible, the prime real estate being the first five results.
Arguably, SEO is vital for a successful digital presence. It is useless to invest in a beautiful, user-friendly website that maximises brand impact, but no one can find it because you do not rank highly on search engines. We suggest that you outsource SEO work to an agency to maximise effective of the investment.
Google my business
From a local perspective, having a Google My Business profile is incredibly important. Without a profile for your business you will not be shown on the maps which appear on many local searches. Your Google My Business profile is another platform where you can promote your business, so ensure that it’s as comprehensive as possible and looks attractive to potential customers.
Social media
Another important channel for a local business is having a page on Facebook and Twitter to allow potential customers, and returning customers, to engage with you directly. Having a diverse Social Media presence will increase your brand exposure and identity.
As you start out it may be useful to start a Facebook page and Twitter rather than paying for a full website, as that has the potential to become an expensive undertaking. Do note that Social Media platforms have begun to change their algorithms making it a more hostile environment for brands. However, as a new business this is still a great way to foster a relationship with your customers.
Live within your means
We know that starting a new business can be a costly venture, you need to spend money to make money, as the saying goes. Remember to only invest in things that you really need, digital has become an integral part of everyone’s life and as a result, businesses need to be visible within the sphere or you are potentially missing out.
