Why You Need More Than a Website
Posted: January 29, 2019 - By Kalena McElroyBuilding an eye-catching optimized website is usually the first step for small businesses when it comes to establishing an online presence, but it doesn’t stop there. Making a good first impression is key and in many instances, your business website is not the first place customers land. Managing your online presence is an ongoing process and there are supplemental tools to aid you along the way.
Manage online reputation
With 24/7 connectivity, all it takes is a quick online search for customers to view business information, ratings, and reviews. A study by BrightLocal found that American consumers read an average of 10 online reviews before trusting a business, and yes, they do read the company’s replies. Consistently failing to respond to customer reviews implies that their opinions don’t matter and you don’t care.
RepBoost allows you to manage your online reputation within three key sectors: reviews, visibility, and competition. The feature detects the quality of your business listings and allows you to delete duplicates and add in missing information on sites like Google and Yelp. You can also monitor and reply directly to all of your online reviews and see how you stack up to your top competitors. Finally, the feature’s competitive snapshot displays your business’s overall scores in areas like marketing, reviews, visibility, social media, and promotions in comparison to the local competition.
Obtaining those reviews can be a challenge for small businesses, but is essential in establishing a diverse online presence. In order to capture as many positive customer reviews as possible, utilize automated review request emails or text messages. In addition to thanking customers for their visit, automated review requests send them directly to review sites like Google or Yelp, making it easy to leave a review for your business.
Automate customer communications
Repeat customers are a fundamental part of running a business. Efficient communication between a business and its customers is an important factor in relationship building and loyalty. Automated customer relationship management tools simplify the communication process.
In order to reduce no-shows, appointment reminders and confirmations are sent via text, email or voice, and customers can be contacted directly through the Two-Way Text feature eliminating the need to hop on the phone. Automatic recall reminders can be set up to reach out to customers who you haven’t seen in awhile and draw them back to your business. Other great strategies to keep your business top of mind include automated marketing campaigns such as newsletters and promotions, or branded postcards for clients who prefer physical reminders.
Send engaging email marketing campaigns
Spend less time promoting your business and more time focusing on your clients by utilizing automated email marketing campaigns. It takes just a few clicks to send mobile-optimized newsletters and promotions, reducing headaches at the office. There is also the option to design a custom campaign from scratch. Want to let your customers know about a new service you offer? Share this information quickly with a custom targeted email marketing campaign fitted with a ‘Request an Appointment’ button to also generate new appointments.
It’s well known that email marketing has a much higher ROI than traditional marketing strategies. One report by DMA estimates the average return is $38 for each dollar spent, others have calculated the profit to be even higher. With targeted email marketing campaigns, you can be sure your messaging will reach the relevant audience, boosting open rates, and further increasing your ROI.
Direct searches only provide so many leads, it takes much more than just a website to be visible to online consumers. All of these tools will help you establish a diverse online presence for your business and boost visibility.
