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Businesses need to acquire customers, they have to reach out and make sales. With the advent of the internet, billions today use search engines, most popularly Google.
It only makes sense that businesses market their products and/or services through search engines because the customer pool that they can reach there is huge.
In this post we'll dive deeper into why search engines are a great place for businesses to be found.
Today, more people search for information via computer or smartphone than through newspapers or books. Also, the vast amount of content available online (on platforms such as Google) makes it easier to find things that aren’t listed in traditional directories.
However, some studies show that 80% of all mobile phone users still use their phones to look up information online. People still prefer going straight to the source; they want real-world answers instantly.
And since people spend almost half of their time searching for information online, there’s plenty of opportunity to be found. According to one study, investors who built a website were six times more likely to succeed than those who didn’t.
That says it all. If you have a business, you need a web presence.
Without a website set up yourself, someone else will take care of it – either from your competitors or the internet companies looking to sell you products. Your customers will also be much better off if you have a website where they can easily access all the details about what you have to offer them.
Furthermore, most people feel more comfortable making purchases over the Internet than buying face-to-face. They feel safer, less worried about viruses, and less concerned about privacy issues. By having a webpage, you make these options readily accessible.
Finally, nobody likes paying for information. So by letting everyone into your website for free, you open the door for people to attain information without spending anything but their time.
The majority of people today use the internet as their main method of seeking out products and services. And the average person does not know the name of your business nor how to contact you!
So why don’t more businesses have websites of their own? Or at least a very good web presence?
It is challenging to keep a website live, maintain it, update it, and drive traffic to it when you do not work with a professional website provider.
However, even if you do not have the money to pay for a website, there are free ways to make yourself a website.
Also, having a web-based presence is becoming increasingly important for companies, especially those looking to sell goods and services worldwide. With the right online media, you can gain credibility around the world.
Keep informed about updates related to the web and its functions by reading blogs and taking part in social media conversations.
Another great thing about search engines is that they are free. If you have a website already, you can be up and running in no time with very little cost.
There are also many tools you can use to promote yourself as a newbie. These include SEO plugins and services such AS yelp boost, which helps your business show up in local searches.
By having an online presence via multiple channels (think Google + Yelp), you will begin to build trust among locals and visitors who may not know much about you.
These same people might decide to do business with you after learning more about you and their needs from your website or through social media messages or phone calls.
Google is by far the most popular search engine, but there are several others that allow you to find information on your terms. Yahoo offers an online version of its platform called yahoo search that is similar to Google's. Microsoft provides its own search engine platform known as Bing.
Google has extensive third-party connections which can help businesses tap into new audiences and customers. By having a presence on other social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, business pages offer another way to reach potential clients.
The more places you can get found the better.
The thing that makes search engines such a great way to promote your business is that you can use free methods to get started. Once you begin to rank websites, you’ll find that it will take over most of the work that you do.
There are things that make search engine optimization (SEO) so easy and effective:
Free backlinks and lots of them.
The first step to getting yourself found in the organic results of Google or another search engine is having other people link to you. This linking activity is what we call “backlink building”, and it requires no cost beyond the time you spend reading this article and putting together a new content plan.
Content marketing is a very popular trend right now. Many companies are spending large amounts of money on advertising budgets, but getting little return out of their traditional ad campaigns.
What's the reason content marketing works better than ads? Well, for one, people don’t want to pay for content. With each visit to your website an expensive banner advertisement appears, taking up space and drawing attention.
People who already know they like what you offer may never purchase something through your homepage featuring a grand opening price claim! By creating valuable content offering solutions to problems or telling stories related to how someone else used your product, you open doors for sales down the line.
Investing time upfront into writing helpful content offers more opportunities for growth.
Now, more than ever before, people are searching online for information about products and services. If you have a business website, it’s likely that most visitors will visit your site if they are looking for info about your industry.
Your business website can be the first place many people look when search engines give them suggestions for places to find what they want.
And since people are used to doing searches on Google or Bing or Yahoo!, having your company website in those search results gives you an advantage over competitors who don’t have a web presence. People with other sites usually get lost in the sea of files from all the different domains.
Search engines prefer businesses with unique domain names and websites that include accurate information regarding their industry.
The World Wide Web is all about connectivity, so it makes sense that connecting with other websites would be the way we surf the web. Google AdWords is an advertising platform (like Facebook’s “Page”) where advertisers bid on keywords people might type into the browser when searching online.
By having an existing website, you can also help visitors find what they need without getting lost in a maze of pages. You want them to know why they should look at your site instead of another one.
Having an original article or page is very important because if someone goes looking for information related to your business, then they will come across your page first. However, articles are more effective than pages because every good article gives viewers a topic to start with. A viewer who needs info regarding your product or service already has a starting point – usually a question. With a great answer coming straight from the source, they won’t have to do any additional research.
Articles also make it easier for readers to access information since they are written in longer forms. This allows viewers to read through the entire article before making a decision to follow up with actionable content.
