5 steps to get more online customers
If you want to get more customers online, it’s vital that you invest in digital marketing. Digital marketing a huge topic that covers everything from the design of your website to placing ads on Google and social media. To get you started, here are 5 steps that will help you win more customers – without costing you the Earth.
1. Use Google Analytics to find out where your customers are coming from
Go to the Acquisition Reports section in your website’s Google Analytics profile to see where your customers are coming from – for example, search engines, social networks or website referrals. You’ll also be able to see which channels give you the best conversion rates. This will enable you to identify the most effective channels in which to focus your digital marketing efforts.
2. Use keywords on your site
One of the most effective ways to boost customer acquisition is to use keywords for search engine optimisation (SEO). You should use keywords in your site’s meta description, your SEO title tag, and within your content. When using them in your content, try to get them into the article title, headings and introduction, and into the first 200 words of the content, as well as naturally through the article, including in the last 200 words. You should also use them in Alt text image tags and any ‘anchor text’ for clickable links to related content. Finally, make sure you use them in the page URL for any article you’ve written. While keywords are vital, make sure you don’t stuff your article with them, making it difficult to read. When it comes to finding keywords, start by thinking about what your customers might be searching for in order to find your site, then make use of keyword research tools such as this and this to find more.
3. Improve the customer experience of your site
Potential customers will make quick judgements about what you’re selling based on their experience of your website, so it’s important to get it right. Make sure your site loads quickly and has a responsive design that will work well whatever size device the customer is using to view your site. Make the content more scannable and readable by breaking it up with H1, h2 and h4 tags. You should also remove any dead links.
4. Use social media
Social media is a hugely powerful way to bring customers to your site. Research the demographics for each social media platform and use this information to help you decide which platforms you should focus your efforts on. Make sure you fill in your profile so that people can easily check you out, and boost traffic by using impactful visuals and creating content that is easily shareable. This can include sharing blog posts from your website. Post when your followers are likely to be online; you can use Followerwonk to find this out. Followerwonk will also give you other vital information such as where your followers are based and who they follow. Make sure you engage with your audiences on social media, and do this consistently – not just every now and then. Wherever possible, include a call to action in your post, such as ‘click here’ or ‘read more’ to encourage people to click through to your site. Finally, make use of paid social media advertising in order to vastly improve your reach.
5. Build backlinks to your site
The more backlinks you have to your site, the more likely it is to perform well in search results – making it easier for potential customers to find. One effective way to build these is to promote customer events such as special discounts and deals. Create a new page on your site about each event or deal and set up various calls to action on your site to funnel people to that page. Other backlink tips include inviting people on your mailing list to leave reviews on review sites, and getting influential bloggers involved via paid promotions or by giving them freebies; they will then post links to your site. Send press releases about your events to journalists who may be able to cover them, and raise your visibility on sites such as Tripadvisor by offering deals. When creating a campaign for a customer event or offer, it’s also wise to make use of online paid advertising such as pay per click, as this will vastly increase your reach.
Need help?
At Primedia Marketing we’re experts on digital marketing, working with a wide range of clients to ensure they perform brilliantly online. Get in touch today to see how we can help you.
