In our increasingly digitised world where consumers are inundated with up to 10,000 ads in a day1, creating cut-through and connecting with your market is more important than ever. With nearly all consumers (97%)2 going online to search for products and services, the internet is the most important place to do it. Building an online presence can feel daunting when there’s so much competition, but if you implement the right strategies you can still stand out from the crowd and grow your business.
Here’s how to make your business stand out online:
It may sound obvious, but before you create a website and social media profile - you must have clarity on exactly who your business is, and what value it’s providing to your customers. One of the most common mistakes new business owners make is neglecting their marketing and branding strategy. When you know exactly what you want to say and how you want to say it, you’ll be able to communicate it far more effectively and create the connection you’ll need to stand out. If you think of your website and social media presence as the foundations of a building - your brand and marketing strategy is the foundation. Without it, the whole thing will topple over.
Bringing your business to life is an exciting time, and it can be tempting to build a big website with lots of information about your story and your inspiration. While it’s important and very valuable to show your brand personality online, it’s essential that your customers can find your website first. To help your future customers find your business on Google, you’ll need a strong Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategy - which means using the right words in the right places, and producing regular content for your website such as blogs or news articles. No idea where to start? Don’t worry - there are
plenty of online resources to help you understand SEO and weave it into your website.
So, you’ve established your business strategy and conducted your SEO research - good for you! Now, let’s make your website easy to navigate. Think of your website as the digital store for your business. The outside must be clean and clearly communicate what you’re offering, and the inside must be arranged neatly, so that your customers can easily browse and find what they’re looking for.
Having lots of crowded pages or too many options on your website can actually lose sales because customers feel overwhelmed. It’s like walking into a grocery store with products all over the floor. Set your website up with an appealing visual brand and a simple structure - such as homepage, products/services, contact and about, and make it very clear where customers can purchase from you.
So, you’ve established your business strategy and conducted your SEO research - good for you!
Now, let’s make your website easy to navigate. Think of your website as the digital store for your business. The outside must be clean and clearly communicate what you’re offering, and the inside must be arranged neatly, so that your customers can easily browse and find what they’re looking for. Having lots of crowded pages or too many options on your website can actually lose sales because customers feel overwhelmed. It’s like walking into a grocery store with products all over the floor. Set your website up with an
appealing visual brand and a simple structure - such as homepage, products/services, contact and about, and make it very clear where customers can purchase from you.
Social media is an all-consuming and far-reaching realm. Between Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and beyond - it’s hard to know where to start, what to share, and when to stop.
Before you dive in and create a profile for your business on every platform - take a moment to
learn the basics of social media marketing, and research your market. Is your customer base even using every platform? What kind of content are they responding to? While you’re in the building phase of your business, start with just one or two accounts that you can produce regular, effective content for. And remember - social media marketing is an ever-evolving game of trial and error, so look at it as an ongoing experiment.
Want to learn more about how to make your business stand out online? Our
Digital Solutions Program offers a number of workshops, webinars, courses and mentoring opportunities to take your business to the next level. Find out more
here.
References:
1.PPC Protect Article, 2021
2.BIA/Kelsey’s User View Wave VII consumer study
