Regardless of what types of products or services your small business offers, there’s no escaping the prevalence of new and emerging technologies. Even if you’ve managed to avoid maintaining an online presence and going digital until this point, you’re only hurting yourself by continuing to do so. While embracing a rapidly changing landscape can be difficult for older entrepreneurs, it behooves every responsible business owner to stay abreast of industry trends and alter their practices accordingly. Long-time business owners looking for ways to help their enterprises thrive in the digital age can benefit from the following measures.
Work with Seasoned Digital Marketers
If your small business has little to no experience with digital marketing, you’d be wise to reach out to a seasoned web marketing company. Professional web marketers will be able to craft effective digital strategies that are uniquely suited to your enterprise and the audience you wish to reach. When shopping around for the right company, look for ones that are experienced in digital marketing for franchises. The more experience a company possesses, the better off you’re likely to be. Whether you’re looking to try your hand at search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns or social media, the right digital marketers can be a boon to your efforts.
Maintain a Presence on Social Media
These days, every business under the sun is on social media. No matter how small your enterprise is, a solid social media presence is an absolute must for remaining relevant in the digital age. This entails creating accounts for your business on the web’s most popular social platforms and updating your various profiles on a regular basis.
Of course, this isn’t to say that simply being present on social media is enough to attract new followers and prospective patrons. In order to build a robust social media audience, you’ll need to make your posts informative and entertaining. Additionally, make a point of engaging with your followers whenever the opportunity presents itself. This means responding to comments, questions and concerns in a timely and courteous manner. If your followers are shown that their input matters, they’re liable to become personally invested in the success of your enterprise and therefore more likely to support it.
If you’re having trouble thinking of ways to keep your social media audience engaged, consider enlisting the services of a dedicated social media manager. As the job title suggests, this person will be in charge of all things social media-related. In addition to crafting engaging posts, your social media manager will take charge of audience interaction and determine the most opportune times of day for posting new content.
Optimize Your Website for Mobile Devices
Although internet usage is commonly associated with computers, the majority of worldwide web traffic now comes from mobile devices. That being the case, if you haven’t already optimized your business’s website for said devices, you’re missing out. Consumers now have more options at their fingertips than ever before. Regardless of what your enterprise has to offer, people can instantly find dozens of competitors with a few simple clicks. As such, if your website is slow or laggy on smartphones, there’s no time like the present to get on top of this. Mobile optimization may cost a little bit of money, but the increased web traffic you’ll enjoy should prove well worth the cost.
Launch a Pay-Per-Click Campaign
An effective pay-per-click (PPC) campaign can prove helpful at building awareness for your enterprise. Fortunately, many prominent search engines and social media outlets provide businesses with an abundance of convenient and affordable PPC options. Again, a dependable web marketing company will be able to help you create eye-catching ads and set your campaign in motion.
It’s easy for small business owners to become set in their ways. After all, if you’ve managed to get by for decades without embracing new technology, it may seem like there’s very little benefit to doing so now. Even if you’re pleased with your business’s current level of solvency, there’s always room for improvement, and you’d be hard-pressed to find an entrepreneur who would pass up an easy opportunity to expand their reach. If lasting success in the digital age is what your business seeks, put the previously discussed tips to good use.
