5 essential internet marketing tips for any small business

By Amy @BubbleJobs

Picture the scene – you know you’re not doing as well as you feel you could be online but you don’t really have the time, energy or experience to actually do anything about it – think again! While internet marketing can be complex at times depending on what you’re trying to achieve, when it comes down to it it’s really not that difficult.

If you’ve really not put any effort whatsoever into your internet marketing strategy then it’s time to give yourself a good talking to and start taking some action. Here are five ‘quick-wins’ that will should help to give ease any small business into internet marketing.

If you’re a small business that wants to target customers in the local community you need take advantage of local directories if you want to rank for location-based key phrases. From Thomson Local to Google+ Local (aka Google Places), there are lots of free ways to help your business get recognised in the local area. Just beware of free, ‘un-monitored’ directories that could actually end up damaging your site in the long run.

To compliment your local directory listings, you need to make sure your site is optimised for your key terms. Remember to build your targeted locations into your page titles as and when appropriate and try to ensure your metadescriptions are filled with key words and actively encourage users to click through to your site.

When it comes to making improvements to the site itself you need to make sure your site is useful to customers and the information you’re displaying is relevant. In terms of rankings, sites with unique, content-rich pages (ie. videos, images, reviews) usually fare better than sites with duplicate content which can be deemed as ‘one-dimensional’ so you need to bear this in mind.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again I’m sure – setting up a company blog is one of the easiest ways to improve your internet marketing efforts. In addition to adding fresh new content to your site on a regular basis, your blog is a great way to promote your latest products/services and can also help to give customers a rare insight into the faces behind your company.

If you thought social media was a tricky internet marketing platform to get a handle on then you need to think again. From answering customer queries to plugging a brand new product, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are the perfect way to raise your profile online and to make your business more visible to potential customers. As well as using your social networks for marketing purposes, it’s also a good idea to use them to communicate with other businesses in your area to ensure you become part of the local community – just be careful to keep your tweets and posts ‘spam-free’.

Tags: internet marketing advice, internet marketing strategy, internet marketing tips, online marketing strategy, small business internet marketing tips

About the Author

Amy Edwards Amy Edwards is the SEO Manager for Bubble Jobs. With a strong background in online content and copywriting, Amy is responsible all the on-site and off-site SEO of Bubble Jobs and the Bubble Jobs blog. You can follow her on Twitter here or add her to your circles on Google+ here.