The greatest opportunity the Internet has given is levelling the playing field that even start-up companies can compete with big corporations without shelling out money for billboards, flyers, or posters. But digital marketing is a feeble thing; one minute algorithm says long tail keywords work, the next minute, it doesn’t. So as business owners, not only do we have to supervise operations, but we have to be on top of trends.
Creating digital marketing strategies start with setting goals. Do you want to drive more traffic to your website? Do you have a new product to promote? Do you want customers to share their experiences with your product through a hashtag? And so on. But this assumes that you already know what you are lacking in terms of strengthening your online presence – what if you don’t?
Honestly, if this is your first real foray in online marketing, being confused is a natural reaction. So in this article, we will explore some best practices that will form the basis for some of your online efforts.
Website creation
Start-ups don’t usually have a team yet specifically for online efforts. If this applies to you, don’t worry about not knowing website codes, CSS, Java or any development language. When you purchase a domain from an Internet registry like Crazy Domains, you will be given an option to create a website using the website builder. A website builder is basically a template in which you can drag and drop elements you want on your website.
Creating a website is almost an imperative because it solidifies your online identity. Yes, your Facebook page may already have all the likes and engagement, but your website adds value to your social media page and tells Google that you are a legitimate business.
Always do tests when making changes
A/B testing is a key practice all digital marketers should know. Basically, if you want to know how responsive your audience is going to be when it comes to button colors, call-to-actions, or even website navigation — A/B testing can run the experiment and show you which gets people to interact with your page more. If you are going to make explicit changes like relocating certain tabs or CTA buttons, always do tests first before finalizing.
Learn how to study the analytics
Another way to make sure you are making the right decision is to check analytics. This is data that records visitor behavior on your web page, and by studying it, you are getting a glimpse of how your customers use the Internet. You will see search words where your website appears, demographics, common interests your visitors share, and so on. This will help guide you if you plan on taking out a product or introducing a new one into the market. You can anticipate their reaction and then create strategies that will further good reactions and dampen bad ones.
Be creative with content
The problem with some of the online creators right now is they are pandering to their audience, incessantly using trends and memes in their content. Be bold, don’t succumb to it. Always prioritize relevant and good content. If your online identity is someone who is witty, then be funny and creative. If you are an expert in a certain field and would like to maintain that reputation, then produce informative content.
The most important online marketing best practice is being patient. Yeah, a little on the cheesy side but it bears repeating. Results from your strategies will vacillate between really well to astonishingly bad, and sometimes it is because of the season. Maybe people are just not into the product that you are offering now, but they will be in the next month. So always give yourself 3 to 6 months before making a final change.
