Friday, December 28, 2012

5 Ways to Market Your Business Online


Intended Reader Level : Basic

End of 2012 and we are about to go in 2013. Time to reflect on achievements & to plan online presence for your business. It is not too late (though late) for businesses to get online and start building on it.

Undoubtedly, online presence is going to be an integral part of any marketing efforts for all size companies.

Having said that, it is not always an easy thing to figure out how to do that or at least how to get started especially for businesses small traditional businesses.

Google recommends five ways for all businesses to get online and build it from there.
These are very simple & basic but very powerful inexpensive steps those any size business can take to get seriously online.



Google recommends following

5 Ways to Market Your Business Online

Organic Search
Promote your website through free organic search results.
Best if you’d rather put work into your website instead of buying additional advertising.
Selecting the right text, images, and other content for your website can get your business
noticed by search engines—and customers.

Online Advertising
Be found by potential customers when they’re searching for products or services like yours.
Best if you want to show up when customers are ready to shop.
Online advertising gives you more control over when and where your ads are displayed,
so your ads may appear when searchers are ready to buy.

Local Online Marketing
Reach customers in your region, city or community with local business listings.
Best if you want to drive online customers into your offline location.
Most of people use the Internet to research products or services in their local area, and
local listings get your business in front of thousands of potential customers — often free
of charge.

Social Media

Build a community of customers with social media marketing.
Best if you want to build relationships with your customers—and their friends
and family.
Social media lets you get closer to your customers—start conversations, offer them
exclusive deals, and ask them to recommend your business to their social circles.

Email Marketing
Promote offers and updates to existing customers through email marketing.
Best if you want existing customers to come back for more.
Share promotions, product and business news to re-engage existing customers and earn
repeat business.

Mix and match these five ways to promote your business online and start reaching more

How Get Started ?
In next posts we will look at each way in detail with some useful and practical tips.

See you next year.

You may also go to Learning center for very interesting short videos about Online Marketing

Do Comment what you think. Many Thanks and keep in touch. Tariq 050 6532954

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Who should make your Business WEBSITE


Overwhelming majority of business websites are ineffective (Depending on the market, it ranges between 95% to estimated 98%). The reports confirming these stats have been published over and again with different markets in reference.

I have first hand experience of many years about Dubai businesses and have noticed a similar situation here.



The importance of websites (good effective websites) will keep on increasing with every passing day, as website are and would continue to be the central to all online activities, thus essential.

Today, i will like to address a critical part of this difficult task, that is "How to choose who makes your business Website"

Different options
  1.DIY or In-house
  2.Hire a freelancer
  3.Hire a website company

I recommend hiring a company (not just a website designing company)

What kind of company?

Do not blindly hire a website designing company, which claims having made thousands (even if that is true) of websites. Choose a company which has expertise of Marketing (Online Marketing).

What basic questions to ask before hiring?

   Would our website be visible to search engines?
   Will it be mobile compatible?
   Will it have a tracking code on each page?
   Will you optimize each page for Speed?
   Will it be all browser compatible?
   Will it be ready for online marketing?
   Would each page be unique (in terms tags etc.)?
 
   Ask for an example of such site they have made.

  Ask for at least one reference from a client.

 Finally, Get it all in writing and proceed.

These are all know as onpage optimisation factors. These have to be right for the website before you invest further in off page optimisation or any other activity.

This would certainly cost you more than option 1 & option 2. However, it is worth the investment.
I guarantee you that eventuality this will  be more cost effective.
 
If you have any questions or clarifications, i will be happy to answer.

Do Comment what you think.
Many Thanks and keep in touch.

Tariq