It's not always easy for small businesses to strike the proper balance between traditional advertising and those that utilize online platforms which have grown in popularity over the past decade or so, but now might be the time for these companies in particular to look into the ways in which they are handling themselves on the Internet where it concerns drawing in new customers or clients.
While most small business owners understand the general power of the online world when it comes to growing their companies, some may not know just how strong the influence can be, according to a report from Business 2 Community. For example, 93 percent of all experiences people have on the Internet begin with a Web search, rather than users going to any specific destination the second they log on. Further, three out of four people who conduct a search never go past the first page of results they receive. Interestingly, though, recent data suggests that most consumers who use social media tend to research purchases they are planning to make via those platforms.
For this reason, small businesses may need to do a lot more to increase their visibility when it comes to search engine optimization, so that those wandering eyes of prospective customers and clients will be able to find them with relative ease, while simultaneously building a strong social media presence that can help to highlight the benefits of products or services they may offer, the report said. Of course, this isn't always an easy or quick fix businesses can make to their websites or social media pages, but the benefits can be huge. The more pages that utilize keywords specific to what a company does that a small business website has, the more traffic it tends to receive. Likewise, social media tends to drive a lot of consumer opinion about companies; 65 percent of users say that they learn about products or services through these sites, and can significantly increase word-of-mouth.
Owners who want to better secure their companies' finances as they move into this new dedication to Internet-based advertising may want to look into small business insurance policies that are more affordable than those they currently have. Doing so, by shopping around for workers' compensation and general liability coverage, may give them added flexibility to devote funds to building their Web presence.
