When was the last time you tested your online Marketing strategies? Do you believe they are performing well for your business? The reality is, most small businesses are just not sure how well they are performing online and what they should do to improve results.
For your business to really succeed online, it is vital that your online marketing strategies are always tested, measured and tweaked for optimal performance. Tips and tricks that may work for other businesses may not work for your set of circumstances. Every business is different, having said that here a five signs that serve as clues to indicate when your online marketing could be failing:
1. Low search engine rankings
Where do you find your company when you Google your products or services online? If a number of your competitors are ranking higher than you in search results, this is a clue to suggest you need to spend more time on Search Engine Optimisation. If you have low rankings, you will have low traffic which probably means low sales. Traffic isn’t everything however it is a strong clue as to how well your website is performing online.
Search engines like Google, are always on the lookout to index fresh content. If you can regularly post fresh content on your social media accounts like Twitter and Facebook and also in your blogs, with links back to your website you should increase traffic and also increase your rankings.
2. Losing sales due to price alone
If you are losing sales due to price alone, that’s an indication your online marketing tactics are not working. When you have successfully marketed your services or products by communicating the value you provide, price becomes less of an issue to buyers. What do you do better than any of your competitors? What will your customers experience with you that they would not experience with your competitors? When your marketing is working well people will buy because of the quality, the service and experience you provide. Customers who value these aspects of your business are also those that have the tendency to refer you to friends and family, the perfect customers. They are also bound to become repeat customers.
3. Low visibility of your brand
If your target market is not constantly reminded of your business and brand, they will soon forget about you. You need to find a way to regularly remind prospects and past customers who you are and what you do. At the very least they should be reminded that your brand is still alive and strong.
One of the most powerful tools you can have as an online marketer is a database. When you have a strong database, email marketing can be a powerful tool in your arsenal to increase your visibility in a cost effective manner.
4. No online marketing plan
While a marketing plan seems to be an obvious need for any online marketer, it’s surprising to see how many are flying by the seat of their pants. Your online marketing plan does not need to be glossy, bound and complex. There are many who have a marketing plan that may cover online marketing, but have filed it away and never used it. The online world is changing quickly, this means they have outdated goals, objectives and strategies. Your online marketing plan should be a working document that evolves over time and therefore should be simple and easy to work with and adjust. You would be better off with a notebook of scribbled down plans than a beautiful, finished plan that never is used.
