Build Your Business Up
Starting or building a business can be quite the challenge, but there are many ways to give yourself the best chance of success. Here we are going to look at some of the processes and tools you might want to use with your business so that you can develop and grow.
Some of these suggestions also apply to you if you are looking to start a blog or even just help the business you are currently operating in. These tips can be for any type of business online or offline as well.
Digital Marketing
One of the things that you are going to need so that you can grow your business is a comprehensive marketing strategy. In the modern day, you might want to consider starting with a digital plan before looking into more traditional types of marketing.
The reason for this is that you can have a more direct impact on your target market. It should be cheaper than posting ads in newspapers and on the radio. We will look in further detail at the pros of focusing of digital marketing by breaking down two of the most popular types.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of making your website have greater visibility online, with particular focus on organic search results. Organic, in this case, refers to the unpaid results that you see on the likes of Google and Bing.
Why does this matter? Well, the main reason for that is that over 90% of search engine users don't look beyond the first page of results. Therefore, you want to be featuring in the top results for searches related to your business in order to make Google work for you.
So if that is the reason for incorporating SEO into your digital marketing, then what does it mean to actually develop an SEO plan? For the purposes of this discussion, we are going to look at some of the basics. Search engine optimization is an incredibly intricate process that can require a lot of research and time.
That is the first thing to remember, time is something you are going to need to dedicate to SEO. It is to ensure you are getting the most out of it. But for now, the basics.
Keywords refer to the words and phrases that the 'crawlers' are going to be looking for on your website when terms related to your field are searched. is the process by which Google searches your website, a process that takes next to no time at all.
To find out what words and phrases you should be using on your web pages, use a free keyword planning tool to help you identify them. This research is critical to the success of your SEO.
For some quality content is the most important facet of an SEO plan. That is because without it you can't get a good search engine ranking. When we say high-quality content we don't just mean something that is interesting to read, though that helps, but content that is written with SEO in mind.
You should look into the type of formatting that is most successful with crawlers because the content is what it will be searching for your keywords.
Dwell time refers to the amount of time the average user spends on your website. It is a contributing factor in your site's reputation. Search engines are looking for websites that are reputable for the top of their rankings. It's how their users trust their results. By creating a website that encourages a greater dwell time you will be demonstrating that reputation.
Social Media to Build Your Business Up Today
As well as well as search engine optimization, the modern business should have a plan for using social media. This might mean any number of things to you. But you must make sure it includes being active there. Be sure you are getting the most out of your ability to communicate directly to potential customers.
One of the huge pros of social media is that the people are all there waiting to be interacted with. Hence you have to find a way to engage with them there. Engagement is key because it is how you can build up a following and direct users to your website.
A vital thing to remember when it comes to using social media is that not all of the various channels are going to ideal for your business straight away. This is especially true if you are looking to build from the ground up.
A big mistake a lot of companies make is to spread themselves too thin across social media. Many are attempting to have a strategy across all of the networks. That will come in time, but for now you should find where your core demographic is mostly active. Then, find a way to interact with them.
Follow trends and take part in conversations, be available and show that you are a business that cares about business. Facebook and are great for companies to demonstrate their customer service skills. Instagram and YouTube are ideal for those of selling a product that is photogenic.
Finally with Social Media
The final thing to remember with social media is that you can go down the route of sponsored posts, but these must not be your only plan. Sponsored posts, while useful, can be a crutch to people who don't have a solid marketing plan for social media.
A sponsored post, much like an advert, will only attract people to your page; it is then your responsibility to keep them there and turn their interest into business.
Technology To Build Your Business
As much as the digital world plays a world in your marketing strategy, so too should it be active in your day-to-day practices. Here we are going to look at how you can use technology to make sure your company is as efficient as it possibly can be.
Productivity For Building Your Business Up
What company doesn't want to be productive? Everyone is looking for the key to make the workforce flow quicker and smoother. Even your staff themselves would rather work smarter than harder. And thanks to developers around the world, you should now be using applications to assist your productivity and take yourself and your team's work to the next level.
Here are some of the apps and their pros:
- Evernote - This notebook app is ideal for keeping all of your notes and plans in a secure, accessible place. Whether you choose to use the free 60mb or make the most of their paid subscription service, your Evernote app will allow you to keep files and important details altogether in one place.
- Todoist - Productivity runs through this app like the road runner through an Acme tunnel. Todoist will track your tasks, check them off and advise you on how productive you've been that week. Once again you have a choice over a paid subscription or using the free features. But, whatever you go for, this app will keep track of your week. It will ensure you are prioritizing the most important.
- TeamViewer - One of the most frustrating things is to get home or be away from your work computer only to realize you have something to do. That is where TeamViewer comes in. This application allows you to remote access your PC from wherever you are. With one of the subscription services you can print documents anywhere as well!
Communication to Build Your Business
Central to any business is communication . If we could all get back the time we have spent in meetings and on phone calls then our lives might be extended by quite a few years. Technology being what it is nowadays, you can now make your communication within the team and externally more productive. It will cut down on those useless chats and meetings.
Here are some apps to consider to build your business:
- Skype - You can't discuss communication technology without mentioning the pioneer in this field. Now owned by Microsoft, Skype has been leading the way of digital communication for many years now. The option to hold conference calls with anyone around the world while also holding instant messaging conversations with your tea is fantastic to cutting down on excess communication and keeping your meetings brief.
- Slack - This application doesn't just help with communication but all around project management as well. A cloud-based team management application, you are able to organize chat rooms, instant messaging groups and transfer files with ease. The benefits of this app should be pretty clear. None may stand out as much as the option to create chat rooms for the different teams and projects you are overseeing.
- Facebook Messenger - People love using this app to respond to you today! It's a must to implement for your Facebook business page. Many clients will interact via Facebook messenger and give you their email or phone number through this app. You can also use it to advertise on. Finally, your Facebook stories can be seen here too! More to come on this on an upcoming post!
You Build Your Business Up
Most all your business requires YOU. A lot of owners can lose sight of what makes their business unique, and that is them. The reason for that is pretty simple. It is your idea and your passion that got the company to this point.
Make sure you invest time in yourself so that you are giving your business the most chance of success. That might mean doing your research by reading blogs like this one and it could be an online masters business management course from the likes of https://studyonline.aston.ac.uk/programmes/msc-business-management-online so that you can get ahead.
You could purchase some great marketing books like the one from Seth Godin to understand how use marketing today. Or you could download other informative eBooks like Ryan Biddulph's collection from Amazon. (I have those too!)
Whatever you decide to do, make sure you are backing yourself as you start to build your business. There might be mistakes along the way, but you can learn and grow alongside the company you are developing.
What are YOU doing to build your business up today? I'd love to know more in the comments below.