So, you have built an amazing website, complete with compelling text and dazzling pictures highlighting your product or service. Now you wait patiently for customers to arrive and learn all about your amazing business, right?? Wouldn’t that be great? Unfortunately, that is just not the case!
Let me give you one analogy of why this idea does not work. Imagine you have built yourself a beautiful new home with a refreshing pool. You can’t wait for your friends to stop over, see your gorgeous home, and enjoy a swim. But…you wait….and they don’t show up. Did you provide them with the address? Did you tell them to stop over or give them an invite? If not, that is probably why no one has arrived to enjoy your hospitality. The internet is very much the same. You need to provide the tools necessary for potential customers to find you. The great thing is they are looking for you, but you have to let them know where you are! You need internet marketing, also known as search marketing!
Internet marketing is primarily divided into Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Together these components provide a valuable and essential part of your internet presence. In recent years, Social Media Marketing (SMM) has become increasingly important in a successful internet marketing plan, as well.
SEO is the process of ensuring your website can easily be found in search engines. When your potential clients search, good SEO will provide the opportunity for them to find you. You optimize your website to specific keywords and phrases that accurately represent what your site offers. The goal of SEO is to bring you quality traffic that will hopefully convert into a customer. This is done by honing your keyword strategy to invite the right people to your site. SEO focuses on bringing you these visitors without having to be in paid ads. When your website is easily found on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP), you are likely to receive more traffic that has been looking for your product or services, without having to pay for them to find you.
Sometimes it is helpful to set a budget to acquire potential customers and do Search Engine Marketing (SEM) such as Pay Per Click (PPC). This should be in addition to, and not instead of, SEO. Of particular concern while doing SEM is the cost per click (CPC) and cost per acquisition (CPA). Make sure you are spending your advertising dollars responsibly by understanding the potential costs of your SEM.
SMM is the management of your social media platform presence. Whether you have a profile on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or any one of the many available platforms, the value you receive is likely to be linked directly to your level of activity. Just having a social media profile will not necessarily help you build your business if you do not regularly post and respond to posts. In addition, having a blog allows you a place to consistently communicate with your customers and potential customers in a forum that usually ranks more quickly in the search engines.
Your successful internet presence includes so much more than just a website or Facebook page. Managing your SEO, SEM, and SMM could mean a big difference in your organization’s ability to compete in a competitive market. Trust the experts at ACE Design Studio to lead you in the right direction to bring you a successful internet presence.
