A lot of people set up their website with the mindset of “I have a website and that will do.” Whilst it is true that some businesses only need a basic website that operates as a business card or a brochure, the fact is that even business cards and brochures need to be properly presented.
You can have the best business with the best products and services, but if your website is hard to read and showcases unappealing images, then potential clients are likely to move on to another rival businesses, who are more adept at presenting themselves.
This is why it is better to think of your website and your overall online presence as a ‘shop window’ rather than a business card or a brochure.
A shop window needs to be kept clean and tidy and ‘shopkeepers’ need to constantly make their display as aesthetically pleasing as possible. In addition to this, a shop window’s display should not be static – it should be dynamic and regularly offer something new.
Similarly, your website should let people know about your latest upcoming offers and promote new and exciting products or services to get people looking.
A decent website design agency is key to this, especially if they have experience in marketing.
How you present yourself
How you present your business extends past your website and through to how you promote yourself. Consider how big brands advertise themselves. It is not just one advert in a glossy magazine. It’s an advert on the bus, a trailer in the cinema and plenty of social media presence.
Similarly with your business, each of these mediums requires a different approach, while at the same time balancing a core message that needs to be consistent with your brand. Now, as a smaller business, you most likely won’t have the same marketing budget as international brands, but you can still project a professional and impressive image on social media.
Your marketing approach can include different social media platforms, some placing more emphasis on imagery, others more on social interaction. Marketing online is a long term process and it is not as simple as putting out a post and getting immediate sales. You need to build trust and a following.
Look who’s interacting with you, investigate what appeals to them and adjusting your message in order to hook people in.
While social media platforms may be different, the fundamentals are important; portray your products or services, be informing and social, showcase portfolios, but be mindful about being too boastful, don’t spam and do not regurgitate boring content.
Social media marketing is about something deeper, it’s about finding your voice and positioning your business in a way that will attract and engage with the people who want to hear it.
Going back to the shop analogy, you want people to keep coming back to your shop and to bring their friends with them. In order to do that, you have to make sure that the display is appealing and that you are there, ready to greet them.
To find out more about how Baobab Marketing can make your brand message more effective, contact us today at info@baobabmarketing.co.uk
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