How to get the most from your web presence is a struggle for many small businesses. No matter what the size of your business, it’s important to have a relevant message, delivered through an effective, optimized website. Small companies often comment that they get much of their new business from referrals, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t invest some of your time, talent, and treasure in your online presence. Sure, you may be able to maintain your business with a good referral process, but a web presence will ensure that you are able to grow it over time.
One of the most important digital marketing tenets is to ensure that your website is getting found! A simple tactic we suggest is to submit your website to the major search engines and internet directories. There are many excellent and productive sites you can leverage to the benefit of your organic search results.
There are over fifty such directories, and you can download the list by clicking this button:
Be advised that some providers may impose fees, while some offer a free limited/introductory package (and they will frequently attempt to up-sell you to a “premium” package). Look over the terms of service and make certain the additional fees are absolutely necessary. At Zen Marketing we recommend opting for a basic (especially if it is free!) service for a set period of time before considering upgrading. Let the provider prove they are working for you before investing more capital.
We recommend you go to each search engine and internet directories web page, locate the instructions, and then complete a monthly refresh of your listing. And if you utilize a comprehensive marketing platform like Hubspot® you will be able to watch which of these engines and directories your leads come from. Understanding the entry point data of your leads is important to evaluating your internet marketing effectiveness.
Getting your business registered will have an immediate impact on your inbound marketing efforts, in addition to helping your organic search results.
