When business owners enter the realm of the internet they often bring a lot of preconceived notions from the offline business world with them. Just because you’ve had success marketing a business the old fashioned way does not mean you will have success doing it online. It’s like learning a whole new language. There’s also a tendency to underestimate the ...
From selling products, to providing a service, to running an online magazine or information site, reaching any kind of success online is dependent on people knowing and respecting who you are. That’s where your brand comes in. The likelihood of closing a sale or creating a consumer rests in your brand’s authority – and there’s no better way to build ...
It’s all good having a killer product or awesome service, but without a brand to back it up you can only go so far. But what is a brand? A brand is the unique name and image that you cultivate around your business. You’re not a store that sells shoes, you’re “Skyrocket Shoes” providing “the best priced shoes in the ...
When you first dip your toes in to social media you may think you have it all figured out, but there are several long running myths that confuse new businesses or those looking to employ a social media marketing strategy for the first time. Let’s take a look at just some of those that are commonly believed today. My Customers ...
At this stage in the game the majority of businesses and website owners know that search engine optimization is a fundamental part of building an online presence. However that doesn’t always mean they get it right. Not only are search giants like Google constantly changing their algorithms, but many SEO techniques that have been around since the concept was born, ...
Any business owner knows that the more people you get to visit your store or browse your website, the more likely you are to make sales. However attracting customers to begin with can be a difficult task. Despite the changes in marketing over the past 10 years, especially with the increasing use of the internet, there is still one core ...
When you first begin using social media to promote your business, one of your first thoughts may be to use the schedule function on platforms like Facebook and Twitter so you can free up time and/or plan in advance. While the ability to set your post to go live at a later date is definitely useful if you’re out of ...
As long as the internet is around and businesses need to drive sales or traffic, hiring an internet marketing firm will remain an important part of the puzzle. However internet marketing is not always going to look the same as it does now. For example before the 2000s there was no social media in the way we view it today. ...
Most businesses will not get off the ground without a marketing strategy. This involves analyzing the market and finding your target audience, deciding on the best methods of reaching these potential customers, all while keeping your current customers satisfied. Throughout the process you also need to be recording data, monitoring what does and doesn’t work, and refining the strategy accordingly. ...
As a business with a website your primary goal is getting as much genuine traffic as possible that converts in to sales. By genuine we mean real people who have shown an interest in what you have to offer. It’s surprising how many new website owners fall for the trap of buying traffic, without even knowing the source. These cheap ...
There are many traps that business owners fall in to when they first decide to spend money on internet marketing. In the grand scheme of things it’s still a relatively new industry and most people launching websites for their businesses, or indeed starting an online business, will not have the same kind of foundational knowledge that comes with traditional offline ...
Google rolled out its new mobile-friendly algorithm on April 21st, 2015, with the aim of improving the web for mobile users. To that end, sites that are compliant with their new mobile friendly best practises have been given a boost in the search results over websites that are not very accessible on mobile devices. For example a page coded for ...
So you’re looking to launch a website for your business? One of the first steps most people take is to hire a web designer to create a unique and professional looking site. While this is certainly a smart move if you want to be taken seriously by your customers, many business owners fall in to the trap of thinking the ...
If you want to reach potential customers or build business relationships with important people, one option is to use email marketing. However unless this is done in an ethical and targeted manner, the results may be completely ineffectual. In Sri Lanka sending out unsolicited emails in bulk has traditionally been a common marketing method. The marketer would gather a list ...
Social Media has grown to be an integral part of the internet. In fact according to the Pew Research Center, 71% of American adults are active on Facebook. This is similar across the world. Furthermore data suggests that in terms of traffic, social media is now neck and neck with traditional search engines in the amount of people they send ...
By now we all know that social media is an important element of marketing your business. It helps you reach a wider audience, engage with new and existing customers, and build you brand image. However not all social media platforms are the same, so it’s important to understand how each one functions in order to get the most out of ...
When you launch a business or even when you’ve been running one for a while, it is important to recognize that it does not exist in a vacuum. Unless you have come up with a truly unique concept, it will be part of a much larger market. The other businesses in the market are your competition. Analyzing the competition is ...
The core of any website and online business is good content. You have to have pages that people genuinely want to view and that search engines see as high quality. There are no tricks, you can’t fool people in to thinking you have good content. If they don’t like it they won’t come. If you fall at this first hurdle ...
Every business needs to allocate a budget for advertising, no matter how small its operations. If people don’t know about it, how will it ever be successful? However throwing all of your budget at the first form of advertising that comes along is a quick way to waste money. A successful advertising campaign is one that is able to make ...
Unlike large corporations, small and medium sized businesses do no have the funds for elaborate advertising and marketing campaigns such as television commercials or celebrity endorsements. The budget has to be spent wisely to ensure that the right audience is targeted, in the most effective manner. While taking out local newspapers ads, handing out flyers, and other traditional marketing techniques ...