How to Successfully Brand and Promote Your Online Retail Business
August 13, 2014 - Branding your business online is the smartest way to edge out your competition. Before the web was such a populated platform, brick and mortar businesses knew that the way to promote their brand was to be available where the people were. Now, the people are online and successful branding requires a consideration and focus on marketing on the web.
According to the Local Consumer Review Survey, 85 percent of consumers hunt for businesses online. Additionally, you can get a leg up on other small businesses because as Business News Daily reports, only 63 percent of businesses carry an online presence and 25 percent simply do not show up in a basic search. The market is yours for the taking—read on to learn the tips and tricks for effective online marketing.
Be Accessible on Social Media Sites
Social media use among adults has risen 712 percent since 2005, according to comScore. People are heavily involved with social media and check Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin on a routine basis. In fact, people spend one out of every six minutes on the Internet on social media sites, according to The Pew Research Center. The Internet is filled with the potential new customers. Your first step in effectively marketing your business is to launch a social media campaign by creating profiles on all of the major platforms so that potential consumers are aware of who you are. Once your profiles are complete, be sure to actively maintain them and be responsive to people who wish to connect. By being available on social media, you can immediately access potential customers where they spend their time, instead of interrupting the normal flow of their lives.
Create a Logo for Instant Recognition
Logos work to create a presence and hype around your brand. Additionally, people will remember a picture over any number of words as it will connect to who you are as a company. Along with Internet use, consumers are focused on multitasking and are more likely to notice your business through a creative logo than an email or text filled newsletter. 66 percent of consumers use a tablet or phone while on a computer or watching TV, according to the Online Publishers Association. After you have created profiles on social media sites, be sure that your brand stamp is present and consistently represented on your platforms as well. Build your emblem with an idea of who you are and how it will represent what you do. Logo Garden, an online logo building tool developed with entrepreneurs in mind, can be used to bring your brand to life. Keep your target audience in mind when creating your image and make your priorities clear before you choose what will ultimately represent everything about your brand.
Create a Mobile Website
Your website needs to have a user friendly interface that is responsive to mobile customers. An astonishing 234 million Americans use mobile devices on a regular basis, notes comScore. Consumers are using devices for online shopping in addition to their normal activity. 66 percent of mobile users state that smartphones aid in their shopping decisions, according to eMarketer. Be sure that your website works effectively when launched on a mobile device. You might be thinking that a lot of work has already been put into your website, and you are not interested in overhauling all of your work. Sites like duda offer options that can convert your current website to a mobile friendly version to help suit your needs.