Most marketing experts recommend that businesses have to spend atleast 2 to 5 percent of their gross sales on advertising if you want to grow your business online.
But if you’re still in the process of growing your business, you might not have the budget for large ad campaigns, or you might be focusing your capital on other areas which is very understandable.
I will be sharing with you other ways you too can reach potential customers and grow your business online.
1. Start a web presence:
Harness the power of the Internet to draw attention to your business. Having a website for your business helps gain more customer trust.
A website is an online office space for your business that customers can always visit for more details about your products or services.
Also a business email address is important. example (ceo@yourbusinessdomain), On every email you send out for your business, have a small 3-4 line signature at the bottom (add this in Settings). Include links to your business’ website, Facebook page, Twitter account or whatever other online presence you have.
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2. Use Twitter: Setting up a Twitter account is free, and it allows you to interact with customers on an immediate and personal level.
Choose a handle or username that’s as close to your business’ name as possible and tether your business email to the account.
Use your logo as your avatar. Seeing your business logo with every tweet you publish can help strengthen your brand.
Follow current customers, family members, friends and other businesses you admire or whose products your business uses.
Promote your business in your tweets, but keep it fun, too – host giveaways or give shout outs to loyal customers. Give people a reason to follow your business.
3. Create a Facebook page: Setting up a business page on Facebook is free, and allows you to interact with your customers and other businesses.
Host giveaways limited to people who “like” your profile or share one of your posts, and offer special Facebook-only deals via messages to customers who follow your activity.
Many businesses forgo creating their own website and simply list their Facebook pages as their business sites. Consider if this might be the right course of action for your business.
4. Stand out on Google with your Google My Business listing: Get found on Google Search and Maps by optimizing your Google listing.
Verify your business to make sure that all of your business information, including hours, phone number, and website are correct.
Upload photos, respond to reviews and post updates or special offers right on your Google listing.
You can even let your customers message you directly on Google, and build a free, mobile-optimized website in 10 minutes from the information on your listing.
5. Create an account with a free online directory: Most online directories allow you to upload unlimited products, businesses, and services with detailed information about such products and also automatically provides a contact form for an individual product where prospective customers can contact product owner one-on-one.
Create your listings. Listings are the products, business or services you or your company offers. A good online directory allows you to upload as many as possible listings so as to boost your target market reach.
Your products will be stored in the database and will be displayed on their front page. All products uploaded are also search engine optimized after 24 hours.
6. Join appropriate online communities: Many industries, especially those with special niches, have online communities where people discuss and share information.
Joining and contributing to these online communities can be a valuable marketing tool.
It is important to be active in these online communities to build rapport with other members. If you only participate only intermittently, you may lose more customers than you gain.
You also should not just blatantly advertise for your business in these communities. Make sure your contributions are valuable to the other members, but always put your business name, logo, and links to other web presences in your signature.
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