Post on 28-Jul-2015
ì How Small Businesses Can Have a BIG Online Presence
An industry specific guide for Promo4onal Distributors
Presented by Philip Shehadeh Customer Focus So7ware, Inc.
Customer Focus Software
ì Customer Focus So7ware (formerly Trade Only) is a technology company dedicated to delivering pracCcal soluCons to help promoConal distributors prosper!
Topics Covered
ì How to compete with big businesses online with a small markeCng budget
ì How to aGract your target group online
ì Online tools you can use to improve your online markeCng efforts
ì How to analyze and interpret your website traffic and visitor behavior
Competing with the “Big Guys”
ì The truth is – it’s difficult to compete with the big guys (and that’s okay).
ì What you can do is leverage yourself as the best in your niche field or locaCon.
ì Through opCmizing your online presence by niche or locaCon, you will be far more successful than if you try to sell everything under the sun and compete with the big guys who have a larger markeCng budget than you.
Attracting Your Target Audience
Ask yourself a few ques4ons
1. What does my target audience look like
2. Do I have more than one?
3. Who are the decision makers within the organizaCon?
4.What are they “buying” from me?
5. Who are your best prospects and where can these audiences be found on the internet?
Attracting Your Target Audience
ì A useful customer profile is akin to a comprehensive how-‐to guide on reaching your ideal customers.
ì What language would my customer use to iden4fy
their current problem? (Think SEO) ì What is their greatest hesita4on in trying out my
offering? (Think credibility) ì What is the best way to engage with my customer?
(Think Social Media, Email Marke4ng, Blogs, NewsleJers, Online forums)
Optimized Website OpCmized URL
Keywords in H1 Tag
Popular choices with “Buy now” funcCon
You need users to take an acCon on this page. Whether it’s a purchase or “Contact us” form
Include keywords within content on page
Optimized Website
ì CreaCng a sitemap helps search engines beGer crawl and categorize your site (allowing your site to be found)
ì You can easily create and verify a sitemap for your website through Google Webmaster Tools (it’s free!)
Optimized Website
ì At the boGom of your website, list the ciCes you serve in the footer of your website. This boosts your SEO, and will allow local users to know that you’re reaching out to them.
ì You can also note that you provide worldwide sales. But your chances of succeeding increases when you have a localized approach.
Email Marketing
ì This is a great way to stay top-‐of-‐mind with your clients.
ì Constant Contact is ideal for beginners since it offers a 60 day free trial for you to send out emails to select groups.
Email Signatures
ì Update your email signature on a regular basis.
ì Set up a standard email signature for all company emails and include things like a cool new product, your blog, events you’re aGending or a customer tesCmonial video.
Take note of how they included social media, their website, locaCon, contact informaCon AND their latest product (which allows someone to buy on the spot)!
Surveys
ì Create a quick 10 quesCon survey for your buyers using a tool like Survey Monkey. It’s a great way to get new insights on upcoming events that need promoConal support.
Social Media
LinkedIn–Make sure you are linked to your buyers if they are on LinkedIn. This way they will be noCfied when you update your profile with a new product or promoConal offering.
Facebook – Unlike websites, people don’t typically visit Facebook pages. Chances are that a7er the iniCal “Like” of your page, they won’t visit it again. However, they will see what you post in their News Feeds.
Newsletters
NewsleJers – Create a simple monthly newsleGer. Promote upcoming buying Cmes (seasons, events, etc.) and include creaCve markeCng ideas that include promoConal products.
Web Analytics
Important web analyCcs KPIs will vary from industry to industry depending on the type of company and goals. However, as a PromoConal Distributor there are top KPIs that you should be monitoring.
1. Audience
2. Traffic Sources
3. Page Tracking
4. Goal Conversion Tracking
5. Cost Analysis
Building Your Online Presence
ì There’s a lot that goes into building your online presence, from establishing your goals, to actually creaCng your different profiles and accounts, to building a website (your home base), all the way to figuring out the best ways to engage and interact across these different mediums.
Building Your Online Presence
1. Strategize: What are your goals?
2. Build a solid plahorm
3. Always be opCmizing and improving
4. Be social
5. Build relaConships
6. Track