Enough with the doom and gloom. As small business owners facing this coronavirus lockdown, we need to remember:
Bad news and fear sell papers. So they get over-promoted.
Good news is coming from other sources. Share hope, not fear.
The game has changed, not ended. We lose if we admit defeat.
Everyone is being hit — but that levels the playing field.
Adaptability is the small business advantage.
Negativity undermines creativity and planning.
Our families and teams need to see confidence, not fear.
Stress also undermines the immune system. Breathe, and calm.
Mutual support, determination and flexibility will win.
No entrepreneur survives without being able to see hope in adversity. Silver linings may be a razor’s edge at times, but that’s where we find the silver.
Small business SEO is now more vital than ever. Why? Because with more people working from home, offline advertising will struggle to compete with online searches.
Your competitors know this. That’s why Google Trends is showing that searches for SEO in the UK have just peaked higher than at any time in the past five years.
Still, small businesses face special problems when it comes to investing in SEO. This leads to three common mistakes.
Mistake #1: DIY SEO
Small budgets make DIY seem tempting. Yet whilst the basics of SEO can seem simple to learn, they take years to master — and they keep changing.… Read the rest
Social media is a vital marketing tool for small businesses because entry fees are low, and the potential reach is high. Many articles focus on how social media helps small businesses grow by increasing brand awareness.
That’s all very well, but how can social media drive sales?
Well, social ads are an obvious answer — but thankfully, not the only answer.
Popular Social Media Sales Strategies
In fact, a recent review of key social media marketing stats noted seven popular ways that companies use social media to drive sales:
48% of firms said being responsive encourages customers to buy
46% find that offering promotions helps to drive sales
42% drive sales by providing educational content (aka “content marketing”)
35% use exclusive content to encourage purchases
28% reported using interesting visuals increased sales
27% said it helped to provide “behind the scenes” content
26% find being funny can improve sales
All of these tactics also improve customer engagement with your brand and long-term loyalty.… Read the rest
Planning to launch a new website for your business? There’s a lot to consider when designing a small business website. Have you thought about how its design may affect visibility on Google or how people perceive your business?
Gone are the days where a free Geocities or WordPress template could do the job for you.
The competition is tighter now, with 71% of small businesses already operating a website of their own. Your site has to stand out amidst the sea of competitors. Get started the right way with these 5 top tips to create a good small business website:
1 .On-Site SEO is a Must
First and foremost, make Search Engine Optimization a priority for everything you do on your site. Whether it’s designing how the site looks to the content you post on the pages and blog, SEO should be a part of the design philosophy.… Read the rest
Most business owners know that SEO is important. An estimated 80 – 90% of consumers check online before buying a product. So if you aren’t doing SEO right, you’re leaving money on the table and it would pay to get some reliable, expert advice. If you have local customers though, what you really need is a local SEO expert.
That doesn’t just mean an SEO expert in your area. It means someone who knows how to optimise a site for search terms that include location information. Like “yoga Newport” for instance (a key term for this client), or the even more competitive, “web design Newport”.
Why Local SEO?
For many businesses, local SEO can be more effective than general, or “national” SEO. That’s especially true for SMEs, because lots of us serve specific areas.… Read the rest
