7 indispensable online tools to promote your business

Whether you run a pet grooming business, a tattoo parlor, or a yoga studio, the Internet is a fast, efficient, and fun way to reach out to your audience. It can be through newsletters that you write and send out each week, ads that you create on Google, or a simple status update that you post on Twitter. Any of these will assist you in promoting your brand new business or even a business that you’ve had for years. If you have no prior experience in the world of digital marketing, do not fret dear reader. That’s exactly where we come in. Below you will find some of the best online tools to promote your business, what they are and how to use them to take you to the next level.

Create your own website

Customers now expect businesses - regardless of size - to have websites. So grab the chance to showcase your products and services by creating your own home on the Internet. It’s more than just a virtual address, it’s an all-in-one portal for everything you want to show your customers: your current products, contact details, gallery, videos, testimonials, blog, upcoming projects, and other useful information. You can also set up your own online store and booking system in your website. In short, having your own website is the optimal way to leverage the reach of the Internet in order to grow your brand.

Get found (on Google)

Keeping SEO in mind when creating content for your website is a surefire way to increase traffic. This simply means making it easier for Google, Bing, and other search engines to find your website’s pages, scan the content and save it in a massive library of web pages. Then, when a person looks for something online, the search engine will then consult its database and pull up the most relevant pages for that specific query. So how do you make sure that your site’s pages are optimized? Start by using appropriate keywords in your articles, page titles, and URLs. If you’re not quite sure how to go about keywords, we’ve got this handy guide all about how to find the best keywords and implement them in your site.

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive guide, we’ve got some top SEO tips that you can implement to make sure you’re doing everything you can to climb Google’s echelons. Bonus tip: If you’re a Wix user, you’re in luck as your site comes hand-in-hand with a trusty sidekick that will guide you along the path to SEO Nirvana: Wix SEO Wiz. This handy tool will provide you with a personalized checklist which includes all the steps you need to take to improve your ranking.

Send informative emails

Another benefit to having a website is that it enables your customers to subscribe to your mailing list. Email marketing is a great way to strengthen your relationship with existing customers and to reach new ones. This is where you can feature more in-depth content that is tailored to your clients’ interests. You can also use this to generate excitement about products and services you have in the pipeline. A big advantage to email marketing is that it’s inexpensive and yet it gives you the freedom to produce unique and creative content.

How to send emails to multiple customers at a time, when you already struggle to understand the difference between CC: and BCC:? This is where an intuitive newsletter solution for businesses comes in handy. With Email Marketing, you can customize your newsletter to suit the design aesthetic of your business. A magazine style layout, for instance, enables the recipient to view snippets of each article to get readers interested in the main body of the story. They can include images and also links to different parts of your site which helps get your pages more traffic. And as we know, more traffic means more exposure on search engine results (more on that in a bit.).

Join the social frenzy

Having a strong social media presence can make a significant contribution to your company’s success. It allows your visitors, potential customers, and existing subscribers to see that there is someone behind the company who is interested in their opinions and customer feedback. It also enables them to engage with other users, which helps in building your community as a whole.

These channels also provide outlets where your customers can quickly ask questions and get answers about your products and services. Nowadays, customers expect companies to provide customer service on social media channels, such as Facebook and Twitter in addition to their customer service software.

Blog your way to the top

Blogging is a great way to encourage return visits from past visitors so that they are able to keep up with the site’s new content. This will also give search engines a better reason to drive traffic to your site. Why? Well, the more pages you create, the more search engines will come back for more. And actually, Research suggests that those companies who blog get 3 to 3.5 times more traffic than those who don’t.

Another huge benefit is that simply by creating more and more pages - you actually increase the chances of those pages being found on search engine results! Don’t worry if you’re not a natural Hemingway. You can start slow by writing about your own experiences. Your readers will value your passion and honesty. As an expert in your field, you have more to share than you think. If you haven’t created one yet, there’s no time like the present. Oh, and guess what: we’ve got the a guide for that too. Here’s how to start a blog.

Learn the ABC’s of PPC

Online ads can make a substantial difference in raising awareness about your business and increasing traffic to your site. Google Adwords, for example, allows you to bid for particular keywords that are relevant to your business. If your bid is the highest, your ads can appear at the top, at the bottom, or beside the search results. Payment is on a pay-per-click basis, meaning you will only be charged if visitors click on your links in the search results. The ads can be tailored according to user demographics such as their location, age, gender, etc., so it is recommended to carry out market research and pinpoint your target audience to help you get the most bang for your buck.

Let’s get it online

Free online directories are a quick and hassle-free way to promote your site across multiple outlets. And you can do this just by submitting your domain name and company information .It is incredible what a few minutes of your time can do for your business.

Adding your information to online directories means your customers will be able to find you within seconds. Make sure to keep all of your information consistent for all the different directories you sign up to. In particular your name, address and phone number should be exactly the same everywhere in the online world. Of course, adding your website and hours of operation (if applicable), are also best practices.

Share your knowledge

Another great way to promote your business is to build your own knowledge base. This is an online library where your customers can find articles and tutorials about your products and services. It can function as a self-service portal where your clients can get help with troubleshooting. In addition, it can also serve as a general resource for both existing and potential customers. Beyond empowering your clients, creating a knowledge base makes an impact on your SEO. As with your blog, adding fresh and valuable content helps search engines find you and connect you to your target audience. So creating a knowledge base gives you double the benefits: you get to help your clients and boost your brand’s visibility.