7 Budget friendly ways to help your business be found online!
Updated: Mar 25, 2021
So, you have decided to tackle the online realm for your business. Great! If you want to be on your target customers’ radar, you need to be where your customers are!
A 2018 Ofcom study found that on average, adults spend 3 hours 15 minutes browsing online every day. That is a huge chunk of scrolling time that could be spent looking at your business’ content, which could result in a sale, a recommendation or even just raising awareness of your brand for future purchases.
Marketing is an investment that requires long-term commitment. However, we want to show you how you can begin to develop a stellar online presence at very little cost.
Here are our top 7 tips for getting found online on a budget:
1. Create social media profiles for your business
Gone are the days when social media was just used for selfie’s and for the Australian aunt you’ve never met to comment on your Facebook posts. In 2020, social media is the place where we ask for lunch recommendations, find wedding photographers, and even seek out B2B networking opportunities.
Setting up a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn profile is free and a really effective way to communicate with your customers.
2. Create a Google My Business listing (plus other online directories!)
Another freebie and another absolute essential. Google has become the new phone book and on average, processes more than 40,000 search queries per SECOND. This is most likely the place most customers will find your contact details and opening hours, so you need to make sure that you’re on there!
On that point, make sure your Google My Business listing is kept up to date with correct information. If you change your number, address, or business hours, make sure it is updated.
While Google may be the most popular online directory, don’t forget to create a business listing on other online directories too, such as Yell and Bing Local, to make sure you capture everyone who may be searching for you on a different platform!
Google My Business - https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/business/
3. Ask your customers for reviews
When is the last time you bought something off Amazon without glancing at the star rating? 97% of consumers read online reviews before a purchase and 93% say it affects their purchase decision, so make sure you ask your customers to leave a review on Facebook and Google My Business. Reviews build trust and trust builds a bigger base of customers, who can in turn build more reviews!
Similarly, if you happen to get a negative review, do not ignore it and leave it to fester. Engage with the customer and address the issue; not only will it hopefully help the person who left the review, it will show any future readers that you care about your customer’s feedback.
4. Create a simple, but professional website
Having a website is a must for building an online presence, and services such as Wix, WordPress or Squarespace can allow you to make a simple one yourself for free! A visually appealing, user-friendly website will give a positive first and lasting impression and may well be the final nudge needed to convert a potential customer into purchasing from your business.
Don’t forget to optimise it for mobile use too!
www.wordpress.com – Our top pick for building websites packed full of features!
5. Start blogging!
Blogging can sound like a scary venture, but a blog can simply be few paragraphs talking about your business and how it serves your customer. Keep your blog updated regularly with well-written content and your Google ranking will thank you for it! Not only are you giving your customer free value, it will improve your SEO too!
6. Facebook Ad campaigns
At OH! Marketing, we advise all our clients to invest in Facebook Ad campaigns. Because of the Facebook algorithm, organic reach can be poor, and it is very difficult to get your content seen without investing a little ad spend. The good news is that the cost is completely flexible and controlled by you, and you can achieve excellent ROAS without breaking the bank. Start with between £20 and £50 a month and adjust accordingly as your progress.
Check out our blog from a few months back to see results for some of our Facebook Ad clients:
https://www.ohmarketingservices.com/post/lockdown-double-down
7. Google Ad campaigns
Improving your Google search ranking organically is a slow process, and while it is an extremely worthwhile activity, you can give your ranking a kick-start by investing a small amount in a Google Ad campaign. Similar to Facebook Ad campaigns, a little goes a long way. Investing £20-£50 a month, with appealing creative and efficiently targeted ads, will give you the opportunity to achieve excellent results and ROAS.
Focusing on your local area is a good place to start with this, because competition for keyword combinations such as “Accountant + Maghera” will be fairly low and won’t cost as much as “Accountant + Northern Ireland”. But don’t forget, a successful Ad campaign will require testing, testing, testing! Do some keyword research, trial them out with a campaign, review what went well and repeat!
Taking your business online is one thing, but maximising your online presence is what is going to make you stand out to new and existing customers. We hope this blog post has illustrated that this can be achieved without breaking the bank!
If you would like help improving your online presence or advice on how to get started, get in touch! We would love to meet up for a coffee and have a chat through your options.