Website + SEO = Growth
While no formula guarantees success, there are things you can do for your business that will increase the likelihood of success. Maybe we should first define success. For some businesses, success is simply staying in business another day and being able to pay all the bills and payroll with something left over for the owner (profit). For others, success is determined not only by revenue but also by growth. Growth requires increased revenue or sales. Increased sales can be the result of existing customers spending more with your business or increasing the number of customers.
Satisfied customers are often willing to increase spending with your business but growth without an increase in the number of customers is difficult. And not all businesses lend themselves to repeat purchases by the existing customers. For example, if you have a roofing business, there is a limit to the number of roofs one customer can buy. Of course, if that customer is a general contractor, then the roofer might only need that one customer. Most small businesses require multiple customers and they need to increase the number of customers if they are seeking growth.
How can a small business find new customers to fuel their growth? Assuming that there are plenty of customers out there that want your products and services, a better question might be, How can your small business be more easily found by interested customers? The biggest change in marketing has been from outbound marketing, such as radio, TV, and print ads to inbound marketing, internet searching and ads targeted to individuals based on search history and known demographic information.
There is a seemingly infinite number of search engine result pages when doing a Google search, but who actually goes 100 or more pages into the results? Almost nobody. In fact, most people rarely go beyond the first page now. It wasn’t always like this but with ongoing improvements to search engine technology, users find what they need faster. It is usually on the first or second page. When they don’t find it there, they revise their search terms rather than dig many pages deep into the results.
If a small business is seeking growth, then it is key that they implement some kind of internet marketing strategy that directs interested customers to the company website. That strategy can be loosely summarized in the formula Website + Search Engine Optimization = Growth.
This, of course, assumes that there is an existing and compelling website in place. And this is a big assumption. If the company’s website were built years ago and has had little attention paid to it since, the first step would be to launch a new mobile-friendly website with a modern look and fresh content. A web development company in New Jersey can help you design and launch an attractive website that presents your company to the world. This is important because this will be the first thing a potential customer sees when searching for the goods and services your business provides.
Most people understand the first part of the formula, the website. The second part is not as well-known. Search engine optimization (or SEO) is a process that attempts to convince Google to rank one website higher than other relevant websites in its search engine result pages. SEO involves careful steps to make the website itself more “Google-friendly” (of course these on-page changes apply to all search engines but Google is by far the most popular search engine).
The on-page edits are only the beginning of a successful SEO campaign. Beyond those, a successful SEO campaign requires content posted regularly and strategically around the internet with backlinks to your site. A successful SEO campaign contributes to a successful business. It brings more potential customers to your website who are already interested in your offerings. If your website is compelling enough to your visitors, some of them will click for more information or call. At that point, it is up to you to close the deal.
While the thought of an online marketing plan including launching a new website and commencing a search engine optimization campaign can be intimidating, it is an effort that can yield substantial profits. The increased sales resulting from increased traffic to the new website can not only cover the costs for the website and SEO services, but they can also add significantly to the company’s profits.
Getting to page 1 in the search engine result pages is the key to achieving success in the new internet economy. How can your small business get there? Google has a very complicated and proprietary algorithm that determines placement in the search engine result pages; it is a full-time job to keep abreast of online marketing trends. Some factors include how relevant Google determines a site to be based on search terms and outside sites that link back to your website. It also includes things like load time (a slow loading website does not contribute to a great user experience and so Google places faster loading websites ahead of sites that load slowly). Google looks at the amount of content on a site and how often it is updated. Google gives preference to sites that render well on mobile devices.
Landau Consulting is an SEO and internet marketing company in NJ that for years has been helping small businesses (both inside and outside of New Jersey) establish and improve their online presence. If you are ready for growth and are considering establishing or improving your small business online presence, contact them at Landauconsulting.com/Contact. They will provide a free consultation to help you determine if online marketing is a good fit for your business. Don’t have a website or your website needs work or modernizing? No problem, Landau Consulting’s web services can guide you through the process of designing and launching an attractive and compelling website. Here is another formula for your consideration:
Your Business + Landau Consulting = Success