Posted on March 22, 2013 by Webfor

“Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match!” ~ Fiddler on the Roof

With the economy lifting, our phones and emails are buzzing with inquiries. Consumers are finally making purchases using their hard earned cash, and as a result, we’re hearing more and more businesses calling out for help!

You may be asking, “Help with what? Economic upturn is great for business!” While economic improvement is excellent news for small businesses in particular, owners are now asking questions like, “How do I target the folks I want to have call me?” , “How can I get in front of MY ideal customer?” , “What’s the best approach for more visibility online?”

These are all great questions! Between the constantly changing Google Algorithm and shifting consumer buying patterns, finding methods for increasing visibility and responding to increased demand for products and services can be a challenge.

At Webfor, we advise our clients to “stick with the basics.” Namely, remember why you went into business in the first place. Harness your original passion and use it to ride the economic upturn like a wave (surf analogy!). In doing so, you can build a brand that will attract your target clientele.

The following are our top 5 ways to build your presence online for an audience of potential customers!

#1 – Your Website: Having an up-to-date, content rich website is extremely important when wooing customers. Showing them (and Google) that you’re an expert in your field and presenting a site full of pertinent, timely information is essential. Site navigability is also key.

Speaking of key, when was the last time you updated or added to your website? Repeat after me: blog. Freshness of content is an important SEO factor when Google crawls your site. Even more important is having original content. Make sure the information you share is yours and yours alone.

#2 – Go Mobile: Do you have a mobile website? Is your mobile site easily accessible on all mobile devices? Does it give the caller a one-push button to call you? EZ directions to help people as they’re driving to find you?

Mobile internet searches are the fastest growing segment of the online community. Figures for 2012 have been estimated at 20% and future predictions have mobile searches at upwards of 50% by the year 2014.

It is in your best interests as a business owner to cater to a mobile audience.There’s nothing more frustrating to a mobile user than having your site be slow to load and then having to enlarge your website on their screen.

#3 – Social Media: Are you building your audience on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram? We see the most successful businesses living by a, “To know me is to love me” mentality. Stepping out in the Social arena is one of the most fun ways to stay on your target customer’s mind. Offer tidbits of information that people can comment on and share to make social media work – and keep working – for you.

#4 – Blogging: “Blog” can be a 4 letter word for some. Staying fresh and up to date by consistently adding content to your site helps potential customers decide to choose you and keeps current clients interested.

As if customer devotion isn’t motivation enough, consider this: Google loves content. It’s a love affair that started a couple of years ago and continues to be strong today. We find many business owners simply don’t have the time to blog. It’s your choice; either make the time or hire a good SEO company to help you.

#5 – Link Building: Having high authority sites linking to your website is a sign of trust and authority in the eyes of Google. Either as a resource link or contextual (within an article), quality links are as important to Google as electoral votes are to an election. Google wants to rank the highest trafficked, most highly respected, content rich sites available to their users.

Remember, attracting online attention is all about user experience when it comes to being ranked by Google, as it should also be for you when keeping your customer’s best interests in mind. If you’re a business looking to increase your client base, attract a higher quality customer, or simply have more people walk in your door, don’t hesitate – follow the matchmaker’s advice!