Small Business Advice

5 Top Online Marketing Tips

These days, having a strong online presence is no longer optional for small businesses — it’s a necessity. Popular online marketing strategies can help you reach a wider audience, engage with your customers, and ultimately grow your business in ways that traditional marketing can’t match.

With that in mind, here are a few tips to consider when planning online marketing for your business:

1. Plan Your Online Marketing Strategically

As marketing is everything that leads to sales, it generally takes longer to develop. So marketing strategies need to go beyond day-to-day sales tactics. That means:

  • Identifying your target audience
  • Choosing the right channels and tactics
  • Consistently tracking and analyzing your results
  • Being patient

Beware this common catch: sales rely on traffic and trust, but building those takes time.

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Why Cheap Web Designers Often Disappear

Cheap web designer disappearingEveryone loves cheap web design — until they learn that it takes far more than low prices and fancy graphics to build a business website that works. That can be a hard lesson about cheap web design risks, but it often gets worse. Because cheap web designers often disappear.

This can be a touchy subject though, so let’s be clear: most experienced web designers I know are talented people who only want to help. That said, experienced web designers are rarely cheap web designers.

Still, I have just spoken to yet another distressed small business owner. His cheap web designer had left him in the lurch with a broken website and no access to fix it.

Other business owners had told him this was “typical” of “flaky” designers.… Read the rest “Why Cheap Web Designers Often Disappear”

How To Boost Your Business With Easy Reviews [Video]

Video Transcript: How To Boost Your Business With Easy Reviews

Have you ever wondered how you can turbocharge sales and search positioning for your small business? The answer is simple — by getting more online reviews!

Reviews have become more crucial than ever. They influence over 90% of online sales by increasing credibility with customers and search engines alike. Yet, reaping the benefits of these golden nuggets of social proof can be a tricky and time consuming task.

Enter the Easy Reviews system by Netcentrics.co.uk.

This comprehensive solution is designed to simplify and automate the process of collecting and showcasing customer reviews and video testimonials. The Easy Reviews system can integrate with any popular review platform, including Google, Facebook, and Yelp, to reach a wide variety of audiences.

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Why Small Businesses Need Video Marketing [Video]

Video Transcript: Why Small Businesses Need Video Marketing

Have you ever wondered why some small businesses seem to skyrocket while others struggle to get off the ground? Could it be that the secret lies not in the product or service they provide, but in the way they choose to market it?

In the world of business, traditional marketing methods have long been the go to strategy. From print ads in newspapers and magazines to billboards and direct mail, these methods have reliably attracted customers for decades. However, as we move deeper into the digital age, these methods are becoming less effective in capturing the attention of potential customers.

Now imagine a marketing method that not only captures attention, but also engages, educates, and entertains all at the same time.

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Small Business Web Design – Common Mistakes

Effective small business web design is now critical to almost every small business. In fact, until you have your own business website, most potential customers won’t see you as a credible business at all.

Why is that? What makes a business website so special?

Small Business Web Design Matters

Your website is a key marketing vehicle for your business. It isn’t just a shop window. It’s an international travelling sales team, with the ability to sell 24/7/365 to customers in their own homes in the moments when they are most interested in buying.

Think about what it would cost to achieve that coverage with a team of salespeople. That’s the value a website provides.… Read the rest “Small Business Web Design – Common Mistakes”

How A Google Business Profile Helps Local SEO

Google Business Profile (GBP) — previously known as Google My Business (GMB) — is becoming more and more essential for small businesses hoping to thrive locally. Are you a local business keen to get more website visits from customers in your area? Then claiming and optimising your Google Business Profile (GBP) will let you:

  • List your business location or service area on Google Maps and local search results
  • Display key information in local searches like opening/closing times and contact details
  • Boost your local search rankings to reach potential customers searching for related services or products in your area

Getting Started With Google Business Profiles

Even if you’ve never set up your own GBP listing before, Google may have already created one for you to claim.… Read the rest “How A Google Business Profile Helps Local SEO”