You are open for business and your website is ready!
The design is exactly what you want, the text describes your business perfectly and the images represent what you have to offer clients.
Now you need the public to visit your website and learn what your business is all about.
How does that happen?
What methods can be used to put your website in front of the eyes of people who can use your products or services?
How can you entice people to enter your internet sphere and take advantage of the benefits of your business?
This is the next challenge that must be conquered in order to grow your business using your website presence.
1. Start with Local Citations & Directory Listings
A local citation is a listing of your business on the internet via directory websites.
An example of a local citation is your business name, location and phone number mentioned on another website, such as the online Yellow Pages or local Chamber of Commerce websites.
In similar fashion, being mentioned in directories that list only businesses in your particular field is important, too.
Lawyers, for example, have directories that list them and their law firm by specialties, such as criminal defense or family law.
Having local citations of your business and links to your website placed in the right locations on the web means that your website will have a better chance of appearing on the first page of Google search.
Some sites have more authority in Google’s algorithm and therefore a link to your business’ website from one of those high-authority sites is more valuable than a link from a less authoritative website.
As your own local citation is spread across the internet, the authority of your own site will improve.
This will give you an advantage over your competitor if he has not taken the time, or executed properly, this practice of getting his businesses mentioned on high-ranking websites.
2. Next, Focus on SEO
SEO stands for search engine optimization. This step improves the chances that your business will appear in Google’s search page results when someone types in words that describe your business.
However, this is not a matter of chance. Search engine optimization is a science with predictable and repeatable results. When done accurately, it can produce significantly more revenue for your business.
A good way to start the SEO work is to compile a list of phrases that describe your business.
For example, if you are a lawyer looking for new clients, your list would include phrases that describe the services you offer, such as divorce attorney, attorney in Champaign IL and child custody lawyer.
People who are looking for these services will type these sorts of phrases into the Google search box.
Since you are a local business, a mention of your town is crucial.
For example, if you are located in Danville, Illinois, your website would have this important fact mentioned several times, including in your website’s metadata keyword list.
When Google crawls your website to determine what your site is about, ‘Danville Illinois’ will be among the keyword phrases that are indexed in relations to your website.
If, for example, you own a bakery in Danville, Illinois, and a person types in “wedding cakes in danville illinois”, they will see your business listed in the search results rather than bakeries in different towns, even if those business are larger and more well-known than yours.
However, SEO should not be a hit and miss endeavor. A local businessman wants to be certain that his website will be seen by as many potential customers as possible.
Therefore, a proven SEO strategy should be outlined and implemented for each particular website.
3. Maximize the Benefits of Blogging
Blogging is the act of posting articles on your website. These articles are designed to appeal to people or businesses that can benefit from your products or services.
Your website gives an overview of your business but these blog articles dig deeper into the different aspects and benefits that can be gained from doing business with you.
For example, if you are a personal trainer, you would see that articles are posted about body building, healthy eating, the proper use of the gym equipment and the benefits of hiring a personal trainer.
These articles will peak the readers’ interest in your business, offering useful information, and feature you as an expert in your field.
Posting an article frequently will help your website get noticed.
Google wants to present up-to-date information to those who are using their search feature, so having at least one article posted each week is the minimum amount of work that must be done to send a signal that new information is available to viewers. Posting several articles a week is recommended.
Each article should be laser focused on one aspect of your business.
Keyword selection, density and text readability are search engine optimization factors that play an important part in how likely the post will be listed high on Google’s search results pages.
Even the article’s title is significant and can make or break the number of views a blog post receives.
So a lot of time and effort has been put into your website design, text and images. Now is the time to focus attention on how to get visitors to your website. There are no good shortcuts.
The best way to get lasting results is to have your local citation placed strategically on the internet, have proven SEO strategies implemented and articles relevant to your business added to your website.
