How Consumers Discover Your Business Online
When looking to build engagement with your consumers, it's important to ask them how they discovered your business online. Collecting this data will not only give you valuable insight into the platforms your customers use but will guide you to the areas you need to invest in the most.
Below are four areas that may be driving customers towards your business online:
Social Media
Where it's your own social media content or an influencer that has shared a post about a product you sell, social media plays an important part in driving consumers to your site. Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are used for gaining knowledge about the identity of your brand and can be a great way to connect with your audience and promote loyalty. The content you share not only has to stand out from the crowd, but should include a 'call to action' to drive people to your site. Whether it's a snippet of a blog post that went live a few hours before or a discount code that consumers have a limited amount of time to use, social media is a brilliant tool to use.
Google Maps
When looking for a product or service online, consumers always tend to look for what's available in their local area and will search for services near them online. Utilizing map ads on Google and pairing it with location keywords online will improve your discoverability and search engine optimization. A Google geolocation has many benefits to a business and will improve the credibility of your brand, ensuring all the information a consumer needs is present here will build confidence and boost sales. In fact, Geo Maps have supported over 1.2 trillion in sales online so it's vital to use this tool to your advantage.
Review Sites
Review sites are great for discovering new brands and understanding how consumers have found the customer service in the past so it's a good idea to add your business to as many review sites as possible online. Choose sites that are specific to your industry and local review sites too, the more history you build up here the better. TripAdvisor is great for hotel and restaurant reviews whereas Which? has excellent reviews on household goods. It's important to respond to all reviews that are given to your business as it will improve the credibility of your brand. Engage in forums that are related to your brand and offer advice and helpful links to your site if it's relevant, the more active you are online, the more discoverable your brand will become.
Building a large community of consumers online will always increase discoverability so its's important to nurture this marketing tool for a while. Make connections with influencers that can spread the word about your brand and provide helpful and informative blog posts on regular occasions. Create content that will encourage conversations about your business and the industry your a part of and remember to stand out from the crowd.