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Boost your business online: the digital marketing essentials
In 2017 (soon to be 2018!) it’s essential for every business to have a solid online presence. In this article we look at the main things that every business should remember, in order to help them stay on top of their digital game and earn new customers online.
Boost your business online: the digital marketing essentials
In 2017 (soon to be 2018!) it’s essential for every business to have a solid online presence. In this article we look at the main things that every business should remember, in order to help them stay on top of their digital game and earn new customers online.
A mobile responsive, fast loading website
It’s no longer enough to just have a website. If your website is visually unappealing, slow to load, if it doesn’t work on a mobile, or if it's insecure, then it can put visitors off and once they click away from your site, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll pay a return visit.
Your website needs to be visually appealing and easy to navigate, and it's well worth investing in a redesign by experts like WTS Technologies, and enlisting their help to refresh your branding and build you a new, modern website.
It’s essential that your website loads quickly, as customers do not like to wait around for ages for pages to load; a slow loading site is a sure way of ensuring a visitor clicks away and never returns. It also needs to be mobile responsive, as more online sales are now made on a mobile than they are on a desktop - a trend that's only set to increase as we move into 2018 and beyond.
The site must be easily navigable and designed in such a way that it’s clear what the visitor should do and where they should click to achieve their goals. Again, a professional web design agency like WTS Technologies can help with this.
Secure your website
Website security is very important, because web visitors want to be reassured that when they enter personal information on your site, it's safe and will not be stolen. Google is currently rolling out changes to its popular Chrome browser that will see every insecure, unencrypted website that collects personal data clearly marked “Not Secure”.
To encrypt your site and earn the green browser padlock, which shows visitors that their connection is secure, you need to make sure that your web team move the site to from HTTP to HTTPS, by installing SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). This means that all data passing between the web server and browser is encrypted.
Get social
Whilst there’s undoubtedly a lot of noise on social media, it’s still very important for your business to maintain a social presence. Customers expect to be able to find you on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and these networks are a great way for your business to connect directly with your customers – building trust and loyalty. You should try to post regular updates, and actively engage with your followers. If someone asks a question or a makes a comment, try and take the time to reply them.
Social media platforms also offer exciting opportunities for paid marketing campaigns. Utilising Facebook’s marketing tools and vast collection of user data, you can make sure that posts are shown to your exact target demographic. A hardware store in Leeds can target high spending DIY enthusiasts living within a 20 mile radius of their shop, for example, and let them know about a high end new tool that’s just come into stock.
Do you need help with digital marketing? Then contact the experts at WTS Technologies today. We can help you with all of the above, and more, and help boost your business online.