Coachtheworld.co.uk

Know, Like & Trust - the 3 key themes of good internet marketing.

Have you ever searched for a specific local business online, only to find listings on other people's sites?

It's hard to believe, but there are still quite a few bricks and mortar businesses that haven't created their own website, yet without a website, businesses have no presence online. But it's not just about keeping up with all the other local businesses, there are huge profit and customer relationship benefits as well, ‘Consistent Visibility’ Even though local businesses are offline, their customers are online. By only being visible when customers walk down the street or drive by, these businesses are invisible the rest of the time, and the internet is an extension of their shop window.

However, people spend a huge amount of time online, whether it is on their computer, smartphone, laptop, or tablet. They search for information online, not by driving down the street.

It is so important to Communicate with customers regularly and a website gives the business owner a venue for collecting email addresses and other forms of contact, which in turn is a vehicle for communication, plus most people still check their email regularly. Instead of spending money on print advertising, it's much cheaper to send customers special offers and discounts via email.

At the same time, email can be used to build a relationship with customers by offering other tips and advice. All communication with online customers is a form of ‘Building your Online Brand Awareness.

Your website is completely under your control, so businesses can use it to create and promote their brand image. Everything from the design of the site to the content and interaction that occurs there, builds the image that you want the world to see. You can use it as a dynamic billboard which the whole world can see and interact with.

People make purchasing decisions based on recommendations more than any other factor, so by including testimonials from customers, businesses can offer and demonstrate the social proof that prospective buyers need to be confident in your goods or services.

Ratings and reviews are another way to help people make purchasing decisions, though they are more difficult to control. Trust pilot was a great way of getting the notoriety needed to boost your ratings however be wary, for what once was a free service driven by customer ratings, is now a fee driven service. The key is to, ‘Go global’ , as a local business, you have a very limited prospect and customer base, however, once a business goes online, the potential for more sales is only limited by the logistics of shipping, and international delivery rates are cheaper than ever.

So that's not an excuse, in fact, some websites have made it feasible for even the smallest individual business owner to give the whole world access to their products.

While it's certainly possible to survive purely as a local business, the potential to grow and prosper is far greater when you have a website also.

It's just a matter of being visible to customers and prospects in the place they spend much of their time the world of the internet is your shop front, all you have to do is attract customers.