Small businesses are facing the challenges of a lifetime right now.
The almost-unprecedented outbreak of a global pandemic has sent shockwaves through the economy and a lot of companies have been left fighting to either adapt their operations radically or just to keep their business afloat.
In these times, it can seem like all the usual rules don’t apply – many businesses have struggled to retune their marketing messages and make their offer relevant for the troubled new times.
Clever business owners have dealt with the first shockwaves of the situation and are now refocusing on how they can renew and emerge from the crisis with a more flexible, resilient company online.
And while much of that activity involves planning for when lockdown conditions ease up, there is one very important thing you need to be focusing on that can be a win for your business right now – your website.
An Online Nation
There’s never been more traffic online than right now, with people stuck at home and looking for digital escapism.
Potential customers are heavily invested in the online world, so if you have some great content, you can really make progress. People are spending more time on computers, tablets and mobile phones, so make sure you have assets that work across all mediums.
Being clever with your content marketing can really pay off when people are stuck at home and looking for a distraction.
Using the downtime in other operations to refocus efforts on updating web pages, creating videos and white papers and the like is a good idea right now.
You could also consider working with SEO professionals to optimise the content that you have already.
Read also: 4 Ways to Update Your SEO Strategy for 2021
Moving Into eCommerce
A lot of innovative businesses have been figuring out how to deliver their products and services while adhering to social distancing rules.
This could be a personal trainer delivering workouts via Zoom, a cocktail bar setting up a home delivery service, a consultant creating ebooks, or beauty salons posting out packs for gel nail removal from home.
So if you haven’t focused on reconfiguring what you do towards some kind of ecommerce option then you need to have it on your radar.
With providers rapidly folding, there are opportunities out there for businesses who can spot them.
Longer Term Gains
The great thing about choosing to invest in your SEO, digital marketing and website offer at the moment is that the gains are very long term.
A lot of business activity in the heart of the crisis has been about fighting fires, and while this has been necessary, too much focus on the immediate situation can be detrimental as the situation evolves.
Restructuring your website so that it’s accessible, well designed and filled with great content is an action that will both support your sales in the here and now, and also help as we ease out of the situation.
Search engine marketing is a way to reach new customers and help them to get familiar with your brand – now and in the future.
But there are also some mistakes you might be making if you’re already investing in SEO for your business. Here’s what you need to know.
Why Your SEO is Not Working
If you have been trying to make money online through affiliate marketing or selling your own products or services, maybe offering freelancing services, you will know that it is hard to keep up with the changing requirements of search engines and maintain a healthy ranking position.
When things are not working, you might only need to make a few small changes to get back in the game and recover from the temporary downturn.
Below you’ll find a list of reasons your SEO might be failing.
1. Using The Wrong Tools
There are plenty of free online marketing and SEO tools out there, and some of them come with a paid option.
The fact is that most small business owners don’t really know how to use them, not to mention being able to evaluate their effectiveness.
Chances are that your search engine optimization software is using outdated methods that no longer work, or even do more harm than good.
2. Using the Wrong Company
In case you have a company or freelancer to take care of your local small business marketing, you might not be getting the most value for your money.
In case you signed up for a package offered by the site that is based on the same principles for all customers, you have little space for personalization.
It might be time to sit down with an SEO expert like Brandlift Digital Marketing SEO Company to discuss your individual.
3. Lack of Market Knowledge
It is also crucial that you get to know your customers; their wants and needs, as well as their preferences.
If they prefer to talk to someone on the phone and trust a local company more than a large organization, your company can close more sales by setting up a 1300 business number. Then your potential clients can get in touch with questions and order on the phone instead of simply clicking the links and submitting their card details.
4. You Need to Update Your SEO Knowledge
When was the last time you actually checked out search engine optimization guides or eBooks? If the answer is over one year ago, it might be time to research the latest methods.
You might find that you are simply not ranking high due to the lack of online security, privacy policy, or social media integration.
There are several blogs offering a simple guide to some of the common SEO fixes that can help you get more traffic and engage with your audience on a personal level at the same time. Some of the changes will only take a few minutes to complete, but make a huge difference in your online marketing.
Sometimes we simply lose traffic and don’t understand what’s going on.
If you haven’t changed your online marketing strategy, chances are that you need to look at your search engine optimization methods closely and study the latest developments in ranking algorithms and rules.
Talk to professionals and get expert guides to improve your SEO and change with the times.