Raising a profile on the internet can seem a somewhat daunting task for the inexperienced. Steve Barnes gives a guide through the potential minefield of online marketing.
Consider how someone would go about finding an insurance adviser in the internet haystack. As more and more people turn to the internet to find local businesses and services, it is worth looking to see where your business would feature if someone was trying to find it under your company name or as a general search for an insurance adviser in the area.
There is enormous growth in online local search as people move away from traditional paper directories so, if the business is not easily found, the chances are a competitor around the corner will be, and the first firm could lose out.
For those confused by all the internet jargon, improving an online presence may seem a hopeless task. However, the real trick is in understanding how people search before thinking of the best ways to get noticed online.
A staggering 86% of people search for local services, such as insurance brokers, in a certain town or city. This means a potential customer looking for ‘critical illness protection' in ‘Croydon' presents a priceless opportunity for an adviser if they have tailored their marketing to this service and locality.
Unlike conventional advertising which pumps out messages hoping people will eventually buy, it is a certainty that if someone is searching for a particular product or service supplied by a business that they are either interested in finding out more or want to sign up for it in the future.
Armed with an understanding of how people search, the next step is to consider how best to promote yourself. Below are four key approaches that take full advantage of the dramatic growth of online local search.
Getting noticed online
• How does your business rate on online directories? With paper directories and phone books becoming a thing of the past, potential customers are turning to online directories. The best results can be achieved by registering on different types of directories - those that are locally focused as well as industry specific ones.
Local directories, such as www.city-visitor.com, list businesses in a certain geographical area. They have the added advantage of being found on the first pages of search engines.
It is also surprising how many businesses fail to take advantage of free directory listings so it is worth shopping around and seeing what may work best for you and your local area.
Twenty-four/seven
• Why is it so important to have a website? A website is one of the most cost effective forms of advertising and can really set a business apart from the competition. From opening times to directions, policy advice to case studies, it is possible to publicise everything the company has to offer, and to demonstrate the experience of the team.
It also means that the business is never actually closed - anybody can find out what they need to know 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
It is quite easy to set up your own website - there are lots of online guides - but there are plenty of companies like Infoserve, who can build, and help improve, a website for a business from as little as a few hundred pounds for the whole thing. This would include design and copywriting.
Tailoring to suit
• Search engine optimisation (SEO). In a nutshell, SEO means modifying the content of a website to feature relevant, specific search terms. When someone then searches for a particular term, the internet is scanned for relevant content and the website will be indexed in the search engine results.
Although it is a simplistic view, the more tailored the content of the website to specific search terms, the higher it will rank in the search engine results, meaning it is a good long-term strategy for increasing an online presence.
Once the site has the basic SEO measures in place, there are many other tricks of the trade to boost its position but it is worth remembering that with SEO, there are no quick fixes and appearing in the top results in a Google or Yahoo! search takes time, experience and patience, and will be a never ending task.
Learning to describe the business using the words that potential customers are likely to use is a good starting point, so if you wanted the highest possible search engine position when customers looked for ‘income protection' in ‘Ilkley', you would need to tailor the website to these key words.
Instant results
• Search engine advertising and pay per click campaigns. Search engine advertising enables you to appear next to results when someone searches for specific search terms. One of the most well-known types is ‘pay per click' (PPC) advertising, where the advertiser only pays when a visitor clicks on the advert and is directed to the website.
PPC can produce instant measurable results, making it one of the most popular choices around, and a well-controlled campaign can see an excellent return on investment. Costs vary depending on the popularity of the specific search terms but those taking this route have tight control of their budget, ensuring they only spend what they can afford.
Again, it is possible to run these campaigns yourself, or, as most businesses do, get a Google Authorised AdWords Reseller to do all the work for you. These firms can design and run a campaign, updating and modifying the search terms on a regular basis to ensure the business gets value from every click.
So what else is worth considering? It is possible the company may not have even considered an online marketing plan, but with more potential customers going online to search for and compare protection and health insurance issues, the competition is wide open.
The bottom line is that structured online marketing can really help raise a company's profile. More importantly, it can help improve its performance - and crucially - its profit, so it really is worth getting some advice on how best to increase a business' online presence. n
Steve Barnes is CEO of online search specialists Inforservice
