1. Your website is not optimized for search engines.
One of the first marketing steps for any small businesses is building a website. Regardless of how you go about it, building a website takes time and money that you don’t want to see wasted. Unfortunately, if your website is not optimized for search engines then that’s exactly what’s happening. Your perfectly designed website may as well be hiding underground if you’re not taking SEO into account. At the same time, be weary of anyone who claims they can get your website on the first page of Google in no time. Reaching those coveted spaces takes time and effort, so educate yourself and be patient. SEMRush is a handy, trustworthy SEO tool that will save you time and energy by conducting marketing analytics for you.
2. You’re neglecting your website.
It is problematic if your Facebook and Twitter pages are always up to date with the latest information, but your website hasn’t been touched in months. Your social media accounts shouldn’t be the only way customers have of contacting you or finding information. Social media should be the front door rather than the entire store. People who are genuinely interested in your product need a place where they can get the information on pricing, services, and contact information. Additionally, having a set place with your company’s general FAQs will save you time and energy in replying to countless Facebook messages and @ replies.
3. You’re not tracking metrics.
Now that you have created your online marketing strategy and put it out into the world, the work is just beginning. You should be using metrics to track who is visiting your website, what they do there, how long they stay, etc. There are plenty of useful measurement tools out there for your small business to take advantage of. Metrics tools like Google Analytics are free to use and even offer free online training for anyone willing to learn. Understanding the traffic flow on your website is one of the best ways to make sure you’re getting the most out of your online marketing efforts. Otherwise you could be wasting energy on a strategy that is hurting your business.
4. You’re only posting about yourself.
When it comes to social media, you should aim for an 80/20 split between self-promotional content and target audience specific content. People don’t follow brands like Oreo on Twitter because they worry about forgetting to buy Oreos; your target audience is looking to be entertained. They will put up with the occasional self-promo if the rest of your content is making them laugh or keeping them up to date on an industry. Having a social media account that is 100% or even 60% self-promotional content might alienate your target audience and cause them to stop following you. If you want to optimize social media managing and marketing, Monday is a great resource. It allows you to automate social media posts as well as manage projects and create schedules.
5. You’re not optimized for a mobile audience.
Chances are most of the people surrounding you on any given day own a smartphone. So why is your small business website not optimized for mobile users? If your eye-catching and informative website can’t be accessed through mobile, you are missing out on a huge percentage of your potential customers. There was a time when mobile marketing was nothing more than an extra flourish for your online marketing strategy, but those days are long gone. Optimizing your website for mobile search is now a necessary step in moving your small business forward.
Idea labs is an Austin-based team of consultants and coaches helping small businesses solve a wide range of business problems since 2011. Our team is composed of experienced entrepreneurs and technical experts.
We offer three distinct ways to work with you based on your current needs.
- Unlimited business coaching and consulting for a full year [$100 per month or less]
- Access to our resource platform of our products and services [pay for what you need]
- Business products and tools we recommend [free]
While there are plenty of sources for start-ups and small businesses to receive help, funding, and mentorship, Idea Labs operates like a marketplace by meeting the needs of your business’ ecosystem. As opposed to the common consulting and business coaching trope of increasing billable hours or project scope in order to maximize revenue, we prefer to be a place you can depend on during crucial stages of your business journey. We can help connect where you are now and where you want to be.
Idea Labs Consulting
www.idealabsconsulting.com
(512) 348-6344
