Before the advent of the internet, business owners only had a few options when it came to marketing—newspaper ads, TV commercials, radio ads, fliers. However, once the internet came around and the World Wide Web was created, business owners had a new platform where they could market their products and services.
Today, online marketing is essential to the success of any company, small or large. Whether you’re just starting out or are looking for new ways to take your business to the next level, consider these six tools to help promote your business online.
1. CRM Software
Customer relationship management (CRM) software is an essential tool for all business owners. CRM software enables business owners to maintain their relationships with their customers to promote retention and drive sales. There are numerous CRM software on the market to choose from, which will help with a variety of areas relating to customer relations, including:
- Storing customer data to make informed decisions to increase sales
- Reduces errors, which saves money in the long run
- Provide personalized customer service
- Create weekly and monthly reports to see sales growth
2. Email Marketing Software
Email marketing software is another tool businesses should consider if they want to promote their company online. While you may think email is an outdated form of communication, a study by Yes Lifestyle Marketing found that 47 percent of customers prefer email when it comes to communicating with their favorite brands. With this stat in mind, it’s time for you to invest in an email marketing software to take your business to the next level.
To have success with email marketing, keep these tips in mind:
- Always ask for permission to contact customers through email
- Create a punchy subject line to draw attention
- Use clear, easy to understand words and phrases
- Be relevant
- Know your audience
- Implement a call to action (CTA) to get readers to subscribe or buy a product
3. Online Advertising
Another crucial component to promoting your business online is investing in online advertising. One form of online advertising is search engine optimization (SEO). Through SEO, you’ll be able to get your company to the top of search results on Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines using keywords, creating good content, and properly structuring your website. You can also advertise your business online by utilizing services from a pay per click management company. PPC advertising is when you place an advertisement at the top of a search engine results page. This will help drive traffic to your website and increase sales.
4. Social Media
Whether you like it or not, social media is here to stay. While social media was first used for people to connect with friends and family over the internet, it is now being used by companies large and small to draw in customers to their shops and websites. Making social media pages for your business on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter will allow you to connect with your customers, promote your products, and reach a broader audience. There are plenty of social media management tools to help you regularly post engaging content and create social media campaigns that work.
5. Local Listing Services
Another option to promote your business online is by registering your company with a local listing service. Popular local listing services include:
By registering your business with a local listing service, your company will pop up on search engine results and will be placed on maps, such as Google Maps, Bing Maps, and Yahoo Maps. To register, simply fill out the respective application for each search engine, follow the confirmation process, and you’ll be good to go.
6. Blogs
No matter what industry you’re in, blogs are a great way to draw traffic to your website. Blog marketing not only helps with search engine optimization, but they also serve as a platform for you and your customers to interact with each other. Whether you own a bakery, law firm, or home repair business, posting regular content on your website’s blog will create opportunities to interact with existing customers and draw in new ones, allow people to share your posts, and grow your brand.
Key Takeaways
Getting your business seen online will take some time and effort upfront. However, most of these tools are affordable and easy to use, which will help drive sales, lure in new customers, and grow your brand. From posting on social media to investing in online advertising, you’ll be able to take your company to the next level in no time.
