With the New Year well under way many businesses are taking a look at their internet marketing strategies. One question that often arises this time of year is “how can I boost my websites rank and performance?” If your website is not in the top search engine rankings then you probably have reason to be concerned. Let’s face it; higher rankings equal a higher number of visitors. A higher number of visitors equal a higher number of sales. There are several good answers to this question however one of the easiest and least expensive fixes is simply adding more content writing to your website.
- Fresh content allows expanded use of keywords. Search engines use content with keywords to rank websites. Quite simply, the more searched keywords a website contains the higher it will rank. Content writers use keyword tools that identify those “hot” keywords and then strategically place them throughout your website.
- Your website provides visitors with an introduction to your style and voice and engages your users. You become the authority in the subject matter by providing information that is a valuable and factual resource to visitors.
- Regularly updated content increases customer engagement and keeps your visitors returning to your site.
- Search engines use complex systems to rank sites favoring those that provide fresh, original, and relevant content. Search engines know when your website was last updated and tend to opt for the more recent information.
- Resource pages with original content are favored by Google and therefore rank higher in searches.
Your business changes and evolves as you grow and so should your website. Content should be fresh and user friendly for the best performance. Not a writer? Redwood Productions provides complete site solutions including:
- Site planning
- Web design
- Information architecture
- Web hosting
- Original website content writing
- Blog writing
Contact Redwood Productions today and transform your website into a web based marketing machine.
Looking forward, however, there could also be some implications for the future… and especially social media marketing.
You can’t sell everything to everyone. The Internet enhances competitive strength, but it doesn’t take away the need for them. Your business website should practically scream the reasons that customers want to do business with you and not one of your competitors. If it doesn’t, then there’s a good chance that you are trying to be too many things to too many people, rather than simply finding a profitable niche and exploiting it.
What happens if you have no reviews? Users who are unfamiliar with your company will assume that previous customers didn’t feel strongly (positive or negative) enough to review you, meaning they’ll probably go for a competitor that has one or two starred reviews. Encourage your existing customers to review your business – send a newsletter with a link to your Place Page, and ask them to give you feedback. Offer an incentive (like a small promo item) if you like!
Offering incentives at your booth is a fail-safe way to bring in traffic. But make sure it’s the kind of traffic you want! Every expo has people who are only there to collect free merch, not find out about your business. If you’re merely giving out a sales card, coupon, or lower-value promotional item, it’s up to you how you want to distribute them. If you have a limited supply, or have higher-ticket items (like T-shirts, coolers, tote bags, mugs, etc.), don’t be afraid to be selective. Those specialty gifts should only go to people who are interested in what your company does – if they’re willing to have a brief conversation with you about your product/service, and seem like they could be a useful prospect, they get a prize!
Alright: the expo is over and you’ve got a fishbowl full of business cards (or a bucket of contact info slips from your prize drawing). What’s next?
Use social media to promote while you’re at the event! If your business has a Facebook or Twitter account, create live status updates from your booth/table! Think: “Booth 325 at the CoC Expo is the place to be! We just gave away a free laptop case and there are more prizes to come! Stop by and see us!” Be sure you include the name of the event, your booth number, and possibly time/location (space permitting). Post live pictures of your booth & event staff, or fun customers that come to talk to you – photos of prize winners holding their prizes are great too!
Promote the expo! Use your website and social media presence to publicize your upcoming appearance at the event. Send a newsletter out to existing contacts to “stop by and see us!” Distribute a press release to your area trade publication. Be prepared to photograph your booth at the trade show so you can post pictures and highlights from the event.
