The New Year is well underway and already many people have been breaking their New Year’s resolutions, now is really the time to start actually achieving your business goals for the next 12 months. I'm sure by now you've probably already set out some goals (if you haven’t, it’s never too late!) and what better way to help you reach them by setting yourself some business New Year’s resolutions to stick to!
Your website is the epitome of your online presence. Creating a first impression that counts online should always be at the forefront of your mind. It's just like having a business van with branding on it for example, you don't want it to look tatty do you? You want it to look great and you want it to leave a lasting first impression on your prospects and customers. Now, the same should be said with your website. In fact, in the current digital age, it is actually more important! The vast majority of your prospects and customers are searching for your services online. If you don't impress them what do you think they're going to do? That's right, they're going to leave your site and go elsewhere. Is that really what you want?
If not, then a new website should definitely be on the top of your business marketing list for 2017. Your modern website should look the part, it should be simple and sleek and represent your company brand and image. It also needs to be mobile responsive so all of your visitors, no matter what device they're on, have a great experience. Your new website also needs to be built with conversion in mind, so your visitors know what to do when they reach your website and what actions they can take.
Before launching a new website this year, don't forget to check out this article: 7 Mistakes To Avoid When Launching A New B2B Website
This point is a really simple one. Put in the effort when it comes to your business marketing. Don’t just start an SEO campaign with a marketing company you don't know and leave them be. This could put your business in at risk. Make sure you do your research, learn a bit about SEO so you know if what they're doing is right.
Remember, it's your business, your livelihood and you need to make sure that it's developing as you want it to and going in the right direction. Not putting in the effort is a mistake and could prove costly. There are so many business owners I have seen trust bad marketing agencies that use outdated tactics. What do you think this results in? No results, lost time and lost money.
Another simple point on this business marketing resolution list is to not expect results instantly. Success doesn't happen overnight. Rome wasn't built in a day. Always consider this when it comes to your business marketing. We all want results and a great return on investment but this can never be guaranteed to happen straight away. Marketing is usually something that takes a bit of time to hone and get right before you start seeing the results you want. My recommendation is to be patient, get an understanding for how long it will take to get your results and always continue to analyse what you're doing and how well it's working.
If you are not currently doing so, you seriously need to think about investing in paid advertising in 2017. I don't just mean Google AdWords text ads. I mean remarketing, Facebook advertising, LinkedIn advertising etc.
All these forms of advertising are proven to get results if done correctly by someone with expertise.
Remarketing is probably one of the most under-utilised yet powerful tools to have at your disposal. As a part of your paid advertising arsenal, remarketing should be used effectively to target the customers who have visited your website and certain web pages. If you keep reminding them of why they went to your website in the first place, they will come back to your website and get in touch.
Remarketing can be incredibly successful. I was shopping online for some new clothes recently and stumbled across a pair of jeans I really liked, but I didn't buy them. I then kept seeing ads and posts about these jeans on Facebook, on Instagram and simply browsing the Internet. In the end I saw value in the ad and it encouraged me to revisit the website and purchase the jeans. It really can be that simple. If your paid advertising campaigns are managed well and become profitable, you aren't spending money, you are investing it!
Although you may have made and broke some New Year’s resolutions already this year, these 4 business marketing resolutions shouldn't be broken. If you implement and stick to a couple of these, I’m sure they'll help you reach your business goals for this year. If you would like professional advice on your marketing, call our team for an informal chat on 01332 343281.