What does 2021 look like for your business? Essentially one of three things could happen. It will thrive by smashing growth targets, it could sail through with consistent year-on-year results, or it could underperform.
The strength of a business’s marketing will have an influence on this outcome.
It is no surprise then that marketing, especially online marketing, is the go-to strategy for growing businesses. If you want your business to thrive in 2021 and beyond, here are 5 marketing mistakes you’ll want to avoid.
1. Leaving your website to it
Keep your website updated. Sounds simple? But many businesses build their site then leave it for months, sometimes years. It is important to keep it up-to-date; technically so it is secure and performing well, and by adding new content and functionality that helps you to grow your business.
If you have invested money into getting potential customers to visit your website then don’t leave them disappointed when they get there. Give them a good experience by ensuring your site is attractive, mobile-friendly, easy to read, loads quickly and there are no broken elements. Provide them with the information they are expecting, so it is easy for them to contact your company or purchase a product.
2. Ignoring SEO
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of increasing your company’s visibility on search engines such as Google or Bing.
There is no magic wand when it comes to SEO, and successful SEO happens when a business is getting the rest of its marketing communications strategy right, with content marketing and online PR playing important roles in demonstrating Google’s E – A – T guidelines: Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. Reviews play an important role in building trust, *90% of consumers will read online reviews before visiting or contacting a business.
3. Relying on just one channel
A channel put simply, is a way to reach your customers with your marketing message. The rise of social media and other digital platforms over the last 20 years has given way to a huge increase in the number of marketing channels available. The decision-making process facing today’s marketers about which channels to use, how and when, can feel overwhelming.
Rather than asking, ‘What channels should we use for our business?’ Ask yourself these three questions: ‘Who are my customers?’ ‘Where do they spend their time?’ ‘What channels shall I start with to reach them?’
As the largest search engine, Google provides a big opportunity for businesses looking to reach customers searching for their products and services online. With 49%** of all clicks coming from Google Ads campaigns, this channel should be a key part of your marketing strategy if you are looking to drive traffic to your website.
4. Not keeping up with competitors
To gain the edge over competitors, you should review where you sit in the market relative to the competition and define why a customer should choose you over them.
The digital world moves fast and throws up new opportunities but the fundamentals of marketing research, strategy and planning haven’t changed for decades, only the technology that we use.
As such, competitor research and positioning remain critical in planning for success. Using time-tested tools such as the 7 Ps (product, price, place, promotion, people, physical evidence and processes) will help you when reviewing your place in the market. Take each in turn and compare yourselves with your competitors. It will help you to uncover your business’s strengths and weaknesses and enable you to go on and communicate your unique selling points (USPs) to your customers, i.e. why they should choose you over the competition.
5. Take no notice of your data
Data is essential for good marketing planning. Relying on your instinct or what you think you know about your market is not enough.
We all have questions about how we should move our businesses forward. The answers are in the data and advances in digital marketing means that it is more accessible than ever.
Google Analytics, your social media accounts and online tools such as Ahrefs and MOZ provide a plethora of data about your audience. This will uncover opportunities such as potential new markets for your product or service. It will also help to guide you in terms of where you spend your time and efforts promoting your business.
Affordable Website Design Digital, based near Temple Meads in Bristol, helps business owners and marketers get results on search engines (SEO, PPC) and via social platforms as well as designing customer-focused websites.
Find out how to get more customers and beat the competition – contact us for a free marketing and website review.
