Big name tools aren’t just for big businesses. Your small business can benefit from these online solutions in the same way as (or with even better results than) big businesses. Consumers enjoy the local appeal that your business brings to the table, and when you add these big business tools to your arsenal, you become a triple threat (the third being your product, of course). In this post, learn how you can leverage big business tools to their maximum potential for your small business.
1. Yelp
Websites like Yelp are indispensable to small businesses. Word-of-mouth marketing has always been one of the most effective tactics for businesses to get their message out to the public since audiences are much more likely to trust the opinions of peers than businesses whose main goal is to make a profit. When third parties who have no vested interest in the cause throw in their two cents, consumers are more likely to listen. Yelp adds a personal appeal that is not present in all other marketing tools.
To take advantage of the benefits Yelp has to offer, create a small business owner account and profile, making the information as complete as possible. Your business might already have a profile; in that case, just claim the site as your own with the easy-to-follow steps.
It’s important to remember who are you reaching with Yelp. While the information has the potential to reach any person who is online and searching for your business (or related terms), the main demographic for Yelp is educated individuals in their 20s and 30s. If this is your target audience, advertising with Yelp is even more beneficial for your small business, giving you direct contact with key consumers. Power users review restaurants and retail stores frequently, which can be valuable word-of-mouth marketing for you. Make sure to monitor your page regularly, however, so you can appropriately respond if a negative review surfaces.
Nielsen found in a recent study that 44 percent of Yelp users visit a local business after looking at its Yelp page. Additionally, 41 percent of users will purchase a product from the business after looking at its Yelp page. Implementing Yelp for your small business in a complete and diligent way will help advertise your business and likely result in tangible benefits.
2. Twitter
Twitter is a driving force for small businesses, reeling in 500 million users who send 400 million tweets per day. This free social media outlet generates a loud conversation and allows your small business to reach customers, potential customers and others in your industry.
To maximize the effect of your business’s Twitter account, make sure you fill out your company’s information in the bio and website link. A good bio gives individuals a first glance at your company and helps them decide whether or not to follow you, and a link to your site makes it easy for people to learn more about you. Once you have completely set up your account, include your handle on your professional site, personal site, and anywhere else you have a social media presence. Then starting tweeting rich, engaging content that encourages audience response and gives them a call-to-action. If your tweets are particularly compelling, you can get retweets which give your business a wider audience.
3. Google Analytics
Perhaps one of the most important tools your small business can use is Google Analytics. It is essential for any small business to understand how consumers are finding your company online and what marketing tactics work best to drive traffic to your website. This free analytics program gives businesses both general stats like visits, time on page, and bounce rate, as well as referring sources, ad performance and more, displayed in detailed and comprehensive reports. Using this data, you can increase the tactics that are driving well-qualified traffic and conversions, as well as kill strategies that have no tangible benefits.
Google Analytics also helps you understand important information about your audience. One important factor it tracks is which browsers your website visitors are using. If the majority of visitors use Google Chrome but all of your website features aren’t compatible with that browser, you know to prioritize support for Chrome in your development pipeline. In addition, Google Analytics provides data about the top exit pages on your website, letting you know what is causing your customers to lose interest. You can then make the decision of whether to delete that page completely from the website or make appropriate revisions to increase engagement. Another important factor to consider is the keywords or search terms that are driving potential consumers to your website. Using this report, you can optimize your website and blog content for those keywords to maximize traffic for well-performing terms.
These useful big business tools allow your small business to reach a wider audience and grow. What other tools do you use for your small business?
