Fast-moving online marketing technology offers a wealth of tools for today’s businesses
Technology moves at breakneck speed. Particularly in the world of social media optimization (SMO) and online marketing technology, new tools and opportunities arise every week, sometimes every day. Let’s take a look at a few ways that your business can bring technology solutions into your online marketing plan.
1. Website Contact Forms
Does your website design include a well-designed and easy-to-use “contact us” form? It seems so simple, but so many business sites forget the most basic element: how to get in touch with the business. The form should be short enough to encourage submission but have strategic wording and data capture points so that you are better prepared to provide a relevant, timely follow-up. Make your forms as simple as possible. Lower the barriers for people to contact you by asking for only the information you need, rather than trying capture every detail about a potential customer. If you ask for too much, your prospect may shy away from filling out your form. Instead, just ask for the info you’ll need to contact them, and offer assurances that you will not sell their information or otherwise distribute it without their permission.
2. Calls to Action
Even more important than the contact form is a strong call to action, or multiple calls to action, communicated in several key places on your website. A call to action tells your website visitor what you’d like them to do. It’s a guide for how to use your site. Calls to action can be included in your website copy, as well as in strategically placed call-to-action buttons that link directly to forms. Website user engagement and lead conversion goes up dramatically when you include call-to-action buttons on multiple pages of your site, such as: “Schedule a Consultation” or “Ask the Doctor” or (as you see on the Campfire Digital website) “Get Your FREE Assessment.”
3. Social Media Inclusion
Whether you are a dentist or a veterinarian or a general contractor, your website should incorporate some aspect of social media marketing. Whether it is recurring blog posts, Twitter streams, RSS feeds, Google+ links, LinkedIn buttons, Facebook page embeds or all of the above, adding social media to your website increases page view times, entices visitors to seek more information and builds your presence across the Internet.
4. Local Search Elements
If you operate a business with a physical location, i.e. an office or storefront where you see clients, then local search is essential. Today’s search engines prioritize personalized, localized results. They want to make results specific to you, which includes offering options in your immediate area when you search for anything from orthodontists to coffee shops. Google Map displays and Yelp reviews are just a few ways that your business can grow its local presence. Google Maps are an excellent way to bring contact information and geographic data to your existing and potential patients. Yelp reviews are a trusted resource to show your practice’s professionalism and instill trust among patients. And combined with a well-executed social media strategy, Google+ Local is an essential resource for improving local search results for your business.
5. Flexible, Accessible Content
Does your website function in a variety of browsing devices? Can the content be displayed and accessed across mobile devices, tablets and desktop browsers? A properly designed and developed website will function at its best in any browsing environment. It will be responsive and accessible to search engines on both mobile and traditional desktop computers. Always make sure your site is responsive and built to accommodate the wide range of browsers in use today.
We’re just scratching the surface of all the high-tech online marketing tools available to businesses today. To learn more, contact Campfire Digital for a free website and social media assessment, as well as a consultation about how you can use today’s technology to benefit your business.
