Your Business March 2020 - 137

Websites

B

efore buying a product or a service,
most people want to check out the
business involved. And doing so is now
easier that ever, with online searches
taking just seconds. In fact, a website
is often the first a potential client will
see of a company, which is why it's essential for
any business to have a decent online presence.
You need to be where your consumers are - and
that's online. Studies show that digitally advanced
small businesses experience significantly better
revenue growth than those with low levels of digital
engagement. In the UK, internet users spend nearly
six hours online each day, while 77% of adults have
a smartphone. Figures from Statista show that
e-commerce spend has grown by 14% year on year,
while the "Digital in 2019" report found that 81%
of people aged 15 or over make online purchases.

Where to start

First, set aside some budget, as well as a chunk of
time. A website doesn't have to be costly, but you'll
want to make it look as professional as you can.
Next, work out what you want your customers to
know. But be smart - you have around 10 seconds
to make an impression on a potential customer
before they leave. The key questions your website
should answer are: who you are, what do you
offer, and how can you be contacted? Don't make

Turn visitors into customers
Chris Brown of totalsurf on why good SEO is crucial
You've probably spent thousands on your site, and it's
taken considerable time and effort. If people aren't finding
it on Google and visiting, it's become a cost as opposed
to an asset. Good SEO will drive the right traffic.
Cutting-edge keyword research identifies what people are
actively searching for. Searching for, say, "chiropractor" just
won't rank like it used to; you need to consider the related
searches that will not only drive more traffic, but show
Google you know your service, profession or product.
An SEO company like totalsurf will perform deep keyword
research to identify which terms win traffic for your competitors.
We then research these topics and keywords, and reveal
thousands more terms that people are looking for around them.
From that, we create your content plan around what people
want to find. By aligning highly detailed technical optimisation,
deep keyword research and a strong content plan, we are able
to ensure that sites rank for valuable terms. This means that
you not only get higher visitor numbers but targeted visitors,
who are far more likely to be converted into customers.

Social media science

WORDS TRACEY LATTIMORE

You have around
10 seconds to make
an impression on a
potential customer

Get your social media use right and you open up a world
of opportunities, says Marie Page of The Digiterati
Social media is where your customers are. It can be an incredibly
effective way to raise your profile and make sales, if done
correctly. A mixture of good content, clever targeting and
clued-up advertising approaches can bring customers in.
Your social media needs to work in sync with your website.
Businesses often lose money on advertising messages delivered
too early - typically, heavy sales messages, targeted at a cold
audience. To start with, learn how to add the Facebook pixel
to your website so you can track who is responding to your
campaigns. You can then target these people with ad campaigns.
Great images and videos are a must, and videos work best
with subtitles as most people watch with the sound off.
The Digiterati help you harness a powerful formula of
social media, website and email, working in tandem, to
drive sales, reduce overheads and improve returns. We
want you to become digitally empowered. The Digiterati
isn't a typical marketing agency - we give away all of
our marketing know-how to help our clients succeed!

137

136 YB2020 Websites and SEO jw CMv2 final.indd 137

13/02/2020 10:34
Your Business March 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Your Business March 2020
