It takes more than a flashy “Now Open” sign and balloons on a storefront to lure customers into a new business nowadays. In this digital era, if you’re not engaged in some type of internet marketing for your start-up, you’re losing potential customers.
Digital marketing is essential for any start-up. It is just as important as registering a business name, setting up a funds account or researching market competitors. Getting your brand name online is virtually equivalent to flipping the on switch of a neon open sign. When search engines figuratively light up a business name on the net, it leaves an impression on many cyberspace travelers. By securing a place online, a business exposes itself to millions of internet users searching for a service or product that it may offer.
Internet Surfers Today
Last year, there were 221 million phone searchers in the U.S., according to a Statista report. The Pew Research Center reveals that 97% of Americans own a cellphone; 85% a smartphone. Mobile phones, as well as tablets and desktop computers, allow people to easily search and access digital information. However, Statcounter reveals that, globally, there are more mobile surfers than desktop or tablet users and just as many desktop to mobile internet searchers in the U.S. For a business, digital marketing becomes an attention-grabbing billboard sign on the bustling information superhighway.
Not All Digital Marketing Costs
Digital marketing comes in a variety of forms. Services range from email and social media marketing to pay-per-click advertising, search engine optimization and website content writing. Costs for these services vary, too, but there are a number of free, mobile-friendly marketing tools that new small businesses can use to get started. Google My Business, Yelp and social media are top resources that can boost a company’s online visibility and help it attract, connect and inform customers.
Yelp and Yellowpages.com offer inclusion in local business listings. Those online business directories ensure that companies are found by users looking precisely for services in certain areas. Although the benefits of a general listing on Yellow Pages are minimal, the sum is additional exposure. A new signup grants you a free listing and a backlink to your website, if one exists.
“The more listings you have online, the better,” said Business Advisor Carol Pounds, a Yellow Pages representative. “It benefits because if someone searches for you specifically or searches for your type of service, you’ll come up as an option in your area.”
However, a business will rank higher in search results with a paid Yellowpages.com ad, which costs between $100 to $1,000 or more.
Pounds said that it typically takes 48 hours for a new business listing to appear on Yellowpages.com. If for some reason you decide to remove your business listing from it, just call the company’s customer care services at (844) 339-7991.
Free is Not Always Best
Free marketing tools are great for small businesses with a limited spending budget. However, if you have a marketing budget, don’t take the do-it-yourself approach to using these resources. Pay a professional company, such as Write on Time Consulting, to help you develop a digital marketing strategy and manage business accounts and listings on free channels. A digital marketing specialist knows how to optimize a client’s online listings for the best search results, rankings and return on investment.
If you can afford to spend a few bucks on marketing during the beginning stages of operation, reserve it for a website. Every business should own one. Even free online directories route users to a company’s website, the next scheduled blog topic.
Revisit Write on Time Consulting’s blog page for more tips on digital marketing. Contact Write on Time Consulting for a consultation.