by Courtney Dobson | May 28, 2019
Despite being the original digital marketing platform, there exists speculation over whether or not small businesses should have a website. Some believe that with the rise of Google and Facebook, websites are simply no longer a necessity. This one or the other mindset is deceiving, as there are many reasons for small businesses to have a website in addition to a presence on local listings (Google My Business, Yelp, Facebook, etc.)
Consider the following statistics when deciding whether or not having a website is worthwhile:
- 63% of consumers use websites to find or engage with businesses
- 30% of consumers won’t consider a business without a website
- 46% say a website is the biggest determinant of whether they trust a company
These statistics are only the beginning. Here are a few other reasons why your small business definitely needs to have a website, sooner rather than later.
To Show Up in Local Searches
Consumers constantly use the Internet to search for information about a local business. And, in many cases, they are searching to find their website immediately. If you want to show up in such searches, you need to have a website. That site must also follow SEO best practices and have a well-structured design that allows visitors to find exactly what they’re looking for quickly and efficiently.
Build Credibility
As mentioned above, 30% of consumers will not consider a business without a website, that’s a large chunk of potential revenue loss. Websites provide an opportunity to showcase your business as a leader in your industry. They can also be used to highlight your knowledge and expertise in your field. When a potential customer lands on your website and sees loads of interesting (and organized) content related to your business niche, you will likely gain their trust and increase your chances of them doing business with you as opposed to a competitor.
You Control Your Website
Websites play a critical role in building your brand, as they are the only piece of your branding that is completely controlled by you, the business owner. Things like reviews, likes and comments (though useful) don’t exist on websites directly, giving you the final say on any and all content that appears. Your website allows you to speak for yourself and showcase the best parts of your business by determining structure, color and design schemes, logos, fonts and more.
Collect Valuable Information About Your Customers
Your website can help you learn more about both current and potential customers. There are different things that can be implemented to help you gain a better understanding of their wants and needs. For example, you can gather the email addresses of visitors by asking them to subscribe to your email list. From there, you can send a follow-up email where they can update their preferences, giving you the capability to provide them with more tailored content down the road, like discounts, promotions, new product announcements and more.
Highlight Your Products & Services
When a customer lands on your website, they will likely be on the lookout for information regarding your products and services. Depending on your business model, they may even decide to purchase directly from the site, or to visit your brick and mortar store (if you have one).
You want to provide your customers with as much information as is necessary to educate them on your offerings. If you’re a bakery, highlight all of your different cake and frosting flavors and options. If you’re a shoe store, separate your products into different categories and describe what brands and shoe types you offer. Whether a customer buys now or later, you want to be sure that they have all the information required to make an informed decision.
by Courtney Dobson | May 24, 2019
Below is the roundup of some of this week’s MarketingBitz articles and blogs. MarketingBitz publishes digital marketing articles, videos and slideshows written to address the needs of small businesses.
Which Facebook Ad Format is Right for Your Small Business? (May 23, 2019)
MarketingBitz: “A staggering 93% of social media advertisers use Facebook Ads, so if you’re not utilizing them, it’s likely that your competitors are. Facebook offers several different ad formats for its users, and they all aim to serve different purposes. To determine which format is right for your small business, you must first decide what your goals are and what you aim to achieve through advertising on Facebook.”
3 Types of Google Search Listings & How to Appear in Them (May 21, 2019)
MarketingBitz: “There’s many factors that come into play when Google determines what content will show up in a search and how it will appear. Each unique search may display a different variation of results, depending on the searcher’s location, search history, device or time of day.”
85% of Small Business Owners Say Social Media Videos Bring Good ROI, Are You Among Them? (May 23, 2019)
Small Business Trends: “Before digital and smartphone cameras, capturing something on video was not as easy. Today, all you have to do is point and shoot. And this has increased the use of video by small businesses as part of their marketing strategy.”
The Ultimate Guide to Social Listening (May 22, 2019)
Business 2 Community: “Knowing what your customers and target audience is saying about you will not only help you stay out in front of any problems, but it can also give you incredible insight into how you can help them more.”
Top 6 Web Design Trends You Must Know About (May 22, 2019)
Search Engine Journal: “Are you planning a website redesign or overhaul in the next year? Your instinct might be to browse competitor websites, take a look at templated themes designed for your industry, or stalk Pinterest or Instagram for current designs that speak to you. While this strategy would result in a beautiful and functional website, there’s also value in looking to the future.”
by Courtney Dobson | May 23, 2019
We’re living in a digital world. Nearly everything consumers do nowadays is influenced, in other or another, by the Internet. A huge portion of that impact comes from social media. In fact, 57% of consumers say that social media influences their shopping.
Facebook is far and away the most dominant social media platform, with 1.49 billion daily active users. Due to its overwhelming popularity, your Facebook content can easily get lost in user’s feeds. That’s why more and more businesses are turning to Facebook ads to ensure that their content is seen by those within their target audience.
A staggering 93% of social media advertisers use Facebook Ads, so if you’re not utilizing them, it’s likely that your competitors are. Facebook offers several different ad formats for its users, and they all aim to serve different purposes. To determine which format is right for your small business, you must first decide what your goals are and what you aim to achieve through advertising on Facebook. Then, you can select with ad type makes the most sense for your business.
To improve your understanding of the advertising options, and help you gain an edge on your competitors, below is a brief description of several of Facebook’s different ad formats.
Image Ads
According to Facebook, all ads on the platform should have an image in place. Photo ads are a great way to drive traffic to your website or draw attention to your products. They should focus on a single element with an image that’s directly correlated with whatever it is that you’re promoting or selling. You also want to be sure that the amount of text is limited, as too much can draw away from the focus of the ad. Image ads are easy to create and can be completed in mere minutes.
Video Ads
Videos are a great way to draw consumer’s attention and engage them in what you’re advertising. Facebook offers a number of different video ad formats, ranging from short bursts and GIFs to long in-stream videos. They also offer the following:
- Collection Video Ads: These ads feature a central video or image and have four smaller images below it. When a user clicks the ad, they are taken to a “visual post-click experience,” on the Facebook platform.
- Carousel Video: Carousel video ads feature up to 10 images or videos that each have their own unique link. The multi option allows the user to showcase any number of things, like various pieces of information about a product, or a story about the brand.
Slideshow Ads
This unique ad format combines images, videos, text and sound to capture the attention of your target audience. Slideshow ads are easy to create and come at a low cost to the advertiser. Facebook offers free stock images, video editing tools and different types of music that can be placed within the ads.
Instant Experience Ads
Instant experience ads provide a “full-screen experience” that opens after a user interacts with an ad via a mobile device. The ad loads instantly and can incorporate several different ad formats within it, including single image, video, carousel, slideshow and collection.
Lead Generation Ads
As stated in the name, these ads are designed to help you gather leads. When an ad is clicked, a form will appear on the user’s screen and auto-populate with the contact information from their Facebook page. This information is then sent directly to you, the business.
Offers Ads
Facebook’s offer ads allow businesses to create special, limited time promotions and offers. These ads are customizable and easy to create. Users can store the offer on their mobile, giving them easier access to it when they decide to redeem it.
To learn more about Facebook‘s many ad formats, visit https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide.
by Courtney Dobson | May 21, 2019
Nowadays, when a consumer seeks out information about a business, or anything really, they know that they can turn to Google and likely find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. The moment a search in conducted, Google’s machine learning technology analyzes the search and determines the results that best fit the query.
There’s many factors that come into play when Google determines what content will show up in a search and how it will appear. Each unique search may display a different variation of results, depending on the searcher’s location, search history, device or time of day. Here are a few of the more common types of search results and tips for how you can get your business to show up in them.
Paid Ads
The results that appear at the top of a page following a search are generally ads. Ads display a green “Ad” rectangle to the left of a URL (shown below), so as not to confuse the searcher with organic results.
Getting your small business website to appear at the top of search results can seem impossible, but Google’s ad platform offers an opportunity to do so. Businesses can set up a Google AdWords account and “bid” on different keywords related to their business through an auction-like format. The auction takes into account bid amounts as well as the quality score of the linked page within the advertisement.
Each time someone clicks on your ad, you’ll pay a fee. The higher Google deems a page’s quality score, the lower the cost per click of the advertisement.
Knowledge Graph Panel
When someone searches for your business directly, or something very closely related, the knowledge panel will appear on the right side of the screen. It highlights a number of things, including reviews, address, hours and phone number.
First and foremost, you need to make sure that all of this information is correct. The last thing you want is a customer searching for you on Google, only to find an incorrect phone number or hours of operation.
To do this, you must claim your Google My Business listing. It’s completely free and very user-friendly. Once claimed, you should input as much information about your business as you can, including photos, videos, special offers and more.
Local 3 Pack
When a search is made on Google that involves a location, the results populate with a map and three separate listings related to the search. For example, if I search for BBQ places in Nashville, here’s what appears:
These listings are almost exclusively dependent on location. To appear in these results, you again need to make sure that you’ve claimed and optimized your GMB listing with all of the correct information. You should also work to obtain a good amount of positive reviews, as places with higher star ratings tend to rank higher, as it indicates credibility.
by Courtney Dobson | May 17, 2019
Below is the roundup of some of this week’s MarketingBitz articles and blogs. MarketingBitz publishes digital marketing articles, videos and slideshows written to address the needs of small businesses.
3 Ways to Improve Your Google Rankings (May 16, 2019)
MarketingBitz: “Consumers are turning to the Internet more often than ever before when seeking out information. Google, specifically, is where the majority of those searches take place. In fact, Google receives over 63,000 searches per second on any given day.”
How to Make Your Small Business Voice Search Ready (May 14, 2019)
MarketingBitz: “You’re never more than a few meters away from a voice-search profit. Someone who proclaims the oncoming and absolute reign of screenless searches in the very-much not distant future. And while research suggests their predictions are a little overblown, the number of people using mobile phones and smart speakers for voice search is rising every year.”
3 Tips to Give your Marketing a Good Cleaning (May 15, 2019)
Business 2 Community: “Spring has sprung and we are quickly bouncing toward Summer fun. Now is a great time to give your Digital Marketing a good spring cleaning and get ready for the second half of the year.”
Facebook’s Top 4 Ranking Signals for Videos (May 15, 2019)
Search Engine Journal: “Facebook has published a set of best practices to help pages achieve greater reach with video posts. The tips are focused on optimizing video for the signals that have the greatest influence on distribution in the news feed.”
The Benefits of Google My Business (May 14, 2019)
Business 2 Community: “Google has created Google My Business and in the past year they have been adding more options to improve the ability for businesses to be discovered online. Google My Business is particularly effective for small, local businesses.”
