Boost Your Business With Strategic Online Marketing
So you have decided to launch a small business. Good for you! There are a number of things that are going for you, but we find the most important one is that Canadians support their local small businesses. If your offer is genuine, service is great and product is valuable, it is possible to succeed. Focus on your local community needs, position yourself as a friendly neighborhood business and work on improving your business visibility.
Now you need to start thinking about using digital marketing strategies to attract clients. Here are a couple of free to do-it-yourself ideas to get you going. The only cost is your own time, at least in the beginning. In today's digital era, mastering the art of digital marketing is essential for boosting your business. By using strategic online marketing tactics that professionals use, you too can reach your target audience, increase brand awareness, and drive more conversions.
Digital marketing is a combination of a wide range of strategies, including search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, content creation, and email marketing. First, you need to understand how these tactics work together to create a visible online presence.
To naturally pull audience towards your website, your website needs to “rank for certain keywords”, you’ve heard this term before. This means ensuring that your website appears as high as possible on search engine results pages when someone searches for a specific word or phrase related to your content. To achieve this, you need to optimize your website by including these keywords in strategic places such as the title, headings, and throughout the content in a natural way.
With the right approach, digital marketing enables you to connect with potential customers across multiple platforms, build meaningful relationships, and drive qualified traffic to your website. The SEO techniques help you increase your site’s visibility and ensure that potential customers find you when they are searching for products or services like yours. The more distinctive your product/service is, the more visible you will become to your audience. For example, if I sell bandages, I would try to include words like “cuts, scrapes, first aid, wound care, and quick healing” in my content and SEO keywords. This way, you can capture the attention of someone looking for solutions to problems your product can solve, not just the product name itself.
In this article, we will provide you with the knowledge and tools to master online tactics that will boost your business.
How to Advertise Your Website and Promote
Your Online Store for Free
For the new website to gain attention of potential audience (we will not discuss audience selection and targeting in this post), it needs to offer valuable content, easy navigation and be discoverable online. Here are some actionable steps you can take to enhance your online presence without breaking the bank:
1. Optimize for Search Engines (SEO)
SEO is the first thing to pay attention to when it comes to digital marketing. For both your main website and your online store, use targeted keywords, optimize your meta tags and descriptions, and ensure your website structure is search engine friendly.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essential for anyone looking to improve their website's visibility and attract more organic traffic. Here's a straightforward checklist for newbies to help you understand and implement the basics of SEO like a pro:
Use Meta Tags
What Are Meta Tags? Meta tags provide metadata about the HTML document that is not displayed on the browser but is vital for search engines. Key meta tags include the title tag and meta description.
Where Are They Located? These tags are placed in the <head> section of your website’s HTML.
Title Tag: This is the title of your webpage, which appears in search engine results. Keep it under 60 characters to ensure it displays properly.
Meta Description: This brief description summarizes the content of the page and is often used by search engines in the search results snippet. Aim for about 155 characters to make sure the entire description is shown.
Optimize Your URLs
Ensure that your URLs are clean and readable. Avoid long URLs and use hyphens to separate words.
Include target keywords in your URLs to improve their discoverability.
Implement Header Tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
Use header tags to structure your content.
The H1 tag should be used for the main title of the page and include primary keywords.
Subsequent headers (H2, H3, etc.) organize the content into subtopics and should incorporate secondary keywords.
Alt Text for Images
Always include alt text (alternative text) for images. This helps search engines understand what the image is about and how it relates to your content.
Alt text is also crucial for accessibility, helping those using screen readers understand the content of the images.
Create Quality Content
Content is king in SEO. Ensure your content is informative, well-written, and relevant to your target audience.
Include both primary and secondary keywords naturally within the content.
Update your website regularly with fresh content to keep your audience engaged and encourage search engines to crawl your site more frequently.
Backlinks
What Are Backlinks? Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. They are critical for SEO as they signal to search engines that others vouch for your content.
Focus on building high-quality backlinks from reputable sites in your industry. This can improve your site’s authority and ranking. You can use services like Semrush or Ubersuggest to analyze your own and your competitors’ backlinks to get ideas where to promote your site. Here are some samples of free sites to add your information:
Free Sites for Backlinks:
Google My Business: Essential for local SEO. It helps your business appear in local search results and on Google Maps.
Bing Places for Business: Similar to Google My Business, it allows your business to appear in Bing’s local search results.
Yelp: Especially useful if you have a physical location or serve a local community. Yelp also helps in reputation management and local SEO.
Facebook: Create a business page to share updates, engage with followers, and link back to your website.
Yellow Pages: Listing your business here can improve local visibility and provide a valuable backlink.
Clutch: A B2B review site where you can list your business to gain exposure to a targeted audience looking for your specific services.
Local.ca: Great for Canadian businesses looking to increase local visibility and obtain a backlink.
Alignable: A platform designed for small business owners to network and share local insights, great for generating local referrals and backlinks.
HubPages: Publish high-quality content related to your industry that can include backlinks to your website.
About.me: Create a personal web page that can link back to your business site, enhancing personal branding alongside corporate SEO.
Mobile-Friendly Design
Ensure your website is mobile-friendly. Google predominantly uses the mobile version of the content for indexing and ranking.
Use responsive design techniques to make sure your site looks good on all devices.
Page Speed
Website speed is a ranking factor. Faster websites provide a better user experience.
Optimize images, minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML, and leverage browser caching to improve load times.
Secure Your Site with HTTPS
Security is a top priority for Google. Make sure your site uses HTTPS, which secures the connection to your website for users.
Utilize Google Search Console and Analytics
Use Google Search Console to monitor your website’s performance in Google search results. It helps you understand your site's search traffic and performance.
Google Analytics provides detailed insights into your website’s visitors, how they interact with your site, and how to improve those interactions to better meet your business or traffic goals.
By following this checklist, you’ll be on your way to improving your site’s SEO and increasing its visibility on search engines. Remember, SEO is a long-term strategy and requires ongoing effort and attention.
2. Harness the Power of Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool for both advertising your website and showcasing products from your online store. Use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X), and Pinterest to engage with your audience. Post regular updates, participate in trends, use appropriate hashtags, and share high-quality images of your products to attract and engage potential customers.
This insight will complement your SEO strategy by helping you choose the right platforms to engage your audience effectively.
Target Audience: Broad, with a significant number of users across all age groups, particularly popular among adults aged 25-34.
Purpose: Great for building community, sharing news, and engaging with content through likes, comments, and shares. Ideal for brand awareness and advertising thanks to its detailed targeting options.
Target Audience: Primarily younger audiences, with a strong presence of users aged 18-34.
Purpose: Highly visual platform perfect for brands that have strong visual content to share. Effective for influencer marketing, brand storytelling, and product showcasing through photos and videos.
Target Audience: Wide-ranging but particularly popular among users aged 18-29.
Purpose: Best for real-time communication and news sharing. It’s a go-to for brands looking to engage in public discourse, provide customer service, and participate in trending topics with hashtags.
Target Audience: Professionals across various industries, with a strong base of users aged 25-54.
Purpose: Ideal for B2B (business-to-business) companies, networking, and professional development. It’s effective for sharing company news, industry articles, and career opportunities.
Target Audience: Predominantly female users interested in DIY, fashion, beauty, food, and home decor.
Purpose: Useful for businesses in the fashion, food, and creative sectors to share visual content that inspires, instructs, or informs. Great for driving traffic to blogs or online stores due to the longevity of pins.
TikTok
Target Audience: Predominantly younger audiences, especially Gen Z (users under 25).
Purpose: Best for viral content and brand humanization through fun, creative, and often musical content. It’s a powerful tool for reaching a younger demographic with user-generated content and trends.
YouTube
Target Audience: Extremely broad, with content that appeals to almost every demographic.
Purpose: Ideal for long-form video content, including how-tos, reviews, tutorials, and entertainment. Excellent for building long-term engagement and improving SEO through video content that can be easily searched and viewed.
Snapchat
Target Audience: Younger users, particularly those aged 13-24.
Purpose: Good for casual behind-the-scenes content and exclusive offers that require quick consumption.
Utilizing these platforms in alignment with your SEO efforts can enhance your overall digital marketing strategy, driving more traffic to your website and improving engagement across channels. Each platform offers unique advantages, so choosing the right ones based on your target audience and business goals is key to maximizing your online presence.
3. Content Marketing
Develop valuable content that addresses the needs and questions of your audience. This could be through blog posts, videos, infographics, or podcasts. For your online store, focus on creating detailed product descriptions, blogs about product usage, and customer testimonials. This content helps in building trust and establishing your authority in your niche. Another idea is to swap blog posts with other websites to offer valuable advice, promotions and promote each other through backlinks.
4. Engage in Email Marketing
Source: marketingnewscanada.com
Build an email list from visitors to your site by offering them something of value in exchange, such as a discount or a free guide. Use this list to keep your audience engaged through newsletters, exclusive offers, and personalized content. This direct line of communication is perfect for promoting new products, sales, or content directly related to your business. For small businesses looking to start email marketing without incurring costs, platforms like Mailchimp, MailerLite, Sender, and Benchmark Email offer free plans that are user-friendly and packed with essential features. These platforms allow you to design engaging emails, manage your contacts, and track the success of your campaigns, providing a robust foundation for effective communication.
5. Community Engagement
Participate actively in online forums, social media groups, and other community platforms relevant to your business. Answer questions, provide valuable insights, and share relevant content. This can increase your visibility and establish your reputation as a trusted resource, which is essential for business growth. For example, if your business is in York Region, Ontario, here are some local business networks to participate and get involved:
Business Women’s Network of York Region (BWN-YR) - Website This network supports women entrepreneurs in York Region, offering tailored events, workshops, and networking opportunities for women in business.
York Region Small Business Enterprise Centre (YSBEC) - Website YSBEC focuses on providing support for small businesses and entrepreneurs in York Region, with resources like mentorship, workshops, and networking events aimed at helping startups and small enterprises thrive.
TechConnex - Website As the only member-directed industry association in York Region focused on the technology sector, TechConnex offers networking opportunities, peer groups, and events specifically for tech business professionals.
Business and Professional Women's Network of Ontario - Find a Club This broader network includes local chapters throughout Ontario, including York Region, providing a platform for professional and business women to engage in advocacy, education, and networking to further their professional and personal development.
Persica - Previously known as PMQA Persica is a federally registered nonprofit association that serves as a hub for professionals and leaders to build capacity within the community. It provides significant opportunities for professionals in Canada to immerse themselves in the Canadian experience through learning and support from like-minded individuals. Persica’s key goals include leadership development, career enhancement, and community engagement.
6. Utilize Customer Feedback and Reviews
Encourage customers to leave feedback and reviews. Not only do these enhance credibility for your online store, but they also provide you with critical insights into customer preferences and areas needing improvement. Display these reviews prominently on your website and social media to attract new customers.
As an owner of a new up-and-coming online business, particularly if you are navigating the challenges of a career change or starting fresh in a new country, it's important to leverage cost-effective strategies to establish and grow your online presence. By following these steps, you can effectively market your business online, even on a tight budget.
For those in the York Region seeking additional support, I offer 10 free consultations (first come first serve) to help new businesses develop their branding and marketing strategies. Visit Toron2 Consulting to secure your spot and start your journey toward digital marketing mastery. With the right strategies and a bit of determination, you'll be well on your way to realizing the full potential of your business in the digital world.
