Make sure your website is listed with major search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing. This is the bare minimum for being noticed online. Practice searching for your site on each popular engine as well to see what comes up.
Use different modes of social media. You might start with a general site like Facebook, a business networking site such as LinkedIn, or a microblogging and all-purpose site like Twitter. However, consider expanding to picture-based sites like Pinterest or Instagram. Also look for any types of social networking platforms specific to your industry, like Glozal for real estate, Lawyrs for law, or Architizer for architects and designers. Don’t forget about your social media. Many companies put up a social media page and then neglect to update it. Once you have a page, schedule regular weekly or daily updates. And don’t just try to amass followers; try to engage them. Use giveaways and promotions. Respond to their comments, and address any concerns in a timely manner.
Give potential web leads something to do. When someone does arrive at your page via your SEM efforts, they should have some clear options of what to do. Make it easy for them to leave their contact information or purchase your product or service through ecommerce. Your web content management system might already have an ecommerce plugin or application, such as WordPress’ MarketPress, or you can add ecommerce capabilities through a third-party provider, such as PayPal.
Look for trends and patterns. Are there particular times of the day, week, or month that you experience more or less travel? What about the geographic regions your visitors come from? Try to figure out why. Determine which ad words give you the best bang for your buck. Also identify weaknesses. Maybe you don’t have that many followers on social media, or maybe your online sales are sluggish. This is all information you can use. Isolate potential leads. Notice who comments on your social media posts. Look for people who have used your coupons, taken action on your website, or replied to your newsletters. These are all people that are leads.
Have a press tab on your website that includes copies of or links to your full articles. Pull out the best quotes from articles that speak highly of your business. You might also to an “As seen in…” graphic. Use press mentions in signage, handouts, and other paraphernalia you bring to trade shows. Include press hits in your email newsletters and social media posts too. Print out and frame your favorite articles to hang them on your wall.
Make the survey user friendly and brief. Ask multiple-choice or “closed” questions: ones that can be answered with one word or phrase. This makes results easier to analyze for you, and it makes questions easier to answer for your respondents. Introduce some variety to your queries. You might add some yes-or-no’s to your multiple choice questions, or you could have them answer some queries on a scale of 1 to 10, for example. This might also be the exception to the rule of sticking to closed questions. You could ask an open-ended question or two for variety’s sake.
Look for well-attended events. Sometimes an event will show an RSVP headcount, or the group will list its membership numbers. This can help you see which groups and meetups are most popular. Read reviews of past events, if possible. This can help you see if the events were, in fact, well-attended and well-liked. This may also help you see if the topics of the meetup match up with its the advertised title and description.
Find common experiences. With alumni, you can talk about a number of topics to find common ground. Ask about majors, sports and other extracurricular activities, favorite places to hang out at school, and graduation year (if it doesn’t already say it on the nametags). [7] X Research source Arrange to contact them after the event. Since you’ll want to follow up with any potential leads you meet, ask for a business card. You could offer yours first and then they may reciprocate, or you can initiate. Send a nice email saying you were pleased to meet them, and schedule an informational interview at their convenience, if you’d like. [8] X Research source
