Following the huge growth in the Internet, we are experiencing a shift in buyer behaviour as our shopping habits increasingly migrate as we spend an immense amount of time browsing, comparing and shopping online. 

For the small business owner, this can bring its own set of problems having being used to ‘traditional’ offline marketing and there is a whole new learning process to ‘getting online’.  The website is the first hurdle to get over and you need to ensure that you have a website built to your needs and its future demands.  Some of the most simplistic websites can be the most effective but it stands to reason that the design should be conducive to the product/service and the target audience.

A common misconception by many (although this is becoming much more recognised) is that once you have a website, that’s all you need, and the phone will ring / purchases will be made.  This is of course is not the case, a website must be marketed to generate business, however, a well built website with good page infrastructure, carefully thought out content and a basic level of search engine optimisation can generate adequate enquiries for a small business with limited capability if done properly.

We have listed a few marketing tips for small businesses below.  Follow us on Facebook and we will provide more regular marketing tips.

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Ensure your website follows some of the most basic principles of search engine optimisation to help ensure your site can be found naturally in the search engine results.

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Before rushing to purchase, remember, your domain name needn’t be the same as your business name and particularly for small businesses who are cannot afford expensive brand building there is a lot of sense in selecting a domain name based on its search ability and relevance to the product / service in question.

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Register with your local Chamber of Commerce, almost every town in the UK has one. They offer your business start up advice, ongoing training seminars and the chance to network regularly with other likeminded business owners in your area. Plus you may also receive financial business start up support in some areas.

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When cold called and offered advertising space perhaps in regional / national press at ridiculously reduced rates, ALWAYS do your research first and be sure that your product / service is appropriate for the readership. A £300 advertisement in a broadsheet may sound like a good gamble but don’t be surprised if you’re ad goes out to a readership in excess of 1m and you don’t get a call from it!

marketingbag are web design and online marketing specialists.  View our services and contact us for more information on how we can assist your business.