The 5 Essential Pages for Small Business Websites
A decade ago, the term social media was anything but a household name. In fact, ten years ago, Facebook was only being used by a handful of college kids from select Universities. Now, using social media is almost a necessity for any small business owner who wants to get noticed on the web. With hundreds of sites available to register with, it might be hard to decide which ones are worth your time and energy. That's why the team at iBoost created a list of the top 5 websites that your small business should join right away, in order to bring in customers and grow your company.
Yelp
Yelp is one of the world's most popular review sites for small businesses. In fact, it hosts an average of 145 million unique monthly visitors. Which is why your business needs to be listed. One of the biggest reasons that customers flock to big brand stores and corporate chains is because they know exactly what to expect. Some people are very picky about where they spend their hard earned cash, and they don't want to pay for a potentially bad experience. However, more people are willing to take a risk on an independent shop if they can see what other people's experiences have been. Having great reviews on Yelp can help bring in a lot of new customers.
Unfortunately, Pinterest is often overlooked by business owners. Because this site has traditionally been used by mom bloggers, a lot of companies fail to see how people pinning pictures of their store can help translate into revenue. However, those that aren't using this powerful platform are truly missing out. There are over 100 million active users on Pinterest, and the numbers are growing quickly. The secret advantage of Pinterest over other social media platforms is in how it's used. Unlike rivals Facebook and Twitter, no one goes to Pinterest to read status updates from friends, family and celebrities. Instead, people use Pinterest as a search engine. This is huge, especially for businesses who are looking for ways to allocate digital marketing dollars in online ad campaigns.
Another great bonus is that on other social media sites, users often share a post and then never look at it again. With Pinterest, the whole idea is to create a board of things that you don't want to forget. This means that once they pin your image on a board, there's a much greater chance that they'll be reminded of your business over and over again.
How can tweeting 140 words at a time get customers to pick up their phone or visit your store? This is a question that many business owners ask, and skepticism causes many to lose out on the value that Twitter offers. By learning how to effectively use hashtags, you can search for people who have tweeted about a product you sell or help you find people who have a problem that your services can solve.
For instance, a frustrated mom might have come home from picking up the kids from school only to find that her toilet is severely backed up. To vent, she might quickly hop on Twitter with something like "AAAAhhh, coming home to overflowing toilet again. Third time this week. #plumbingproblems". To friends and family, that statement might not mean much. But, to a local plumber who lives in this mom's city, a quick response could lead to an immediate sell.
Facebook is a great tool for small businesses to use. Having a page where people in your community can find and "like" your page, means that you have a way to reach your audience on a regular basis. Once they've followed you, your posts will show up on their Facebook feed, and increase the chances that they'll remember you. Also, Facebook Ad campaigns are extremely affordable and effective. Facebook allows you to narrowly target your ideal customers based on various tags. Let's say you own a boutique that sells fitness clothes. You can choose to show your ad only to women in Nashville between the ages of 18 and 24 who like to run 5k's. This means that your campaign will only be viewed by people who will actually buy your product or service, and your pay per click dollars will double or triple in value.
Google+
Google+ hasn't always had the greatest reputation. When compared to Facebook's billion registered users, Google+ seems to fall behind. However, this platform has some great reasons to use it. For one, the site is owned and operated by Google. Of course, the holy grail of every small business owner's marketing efforts is getting (and keeping) that top ranking on Google's search results page. So, using this platform to post about your business' events, sales and blog posts will boost your chances of getting seen.
By using these five websites, you will get your business' brand in front of thousands of potential new customers. If your small business is ready for a boost, the SEO experts at iBoost are ready to help. Our professional website specialists are experienced and trained to help connect your company with those who need your products and services the most. Call us today and schedule an appointment to find out what we can do for you.
