The Small Business Digital Marketing Checklist
The small business digital marketing checklist is a tool to gauge where your digital marketing currently is, what your business needs to get started, and what steps you need to take to build a digital foundation. Walk through this list and ask yourself whether your company can check off each item or not. If there are any items on the smb digital marketing checklist that you can’t check off, at least you know where to get started.
Item #1 – Website
At first glance, it may not be a surprise to many that a good website is a necessary step to running a business online. Others may ask, “What do I need a website for if I sell on Etsy? Or as an Amazon reseller?” A website adds legitimacy to your operation. It shows interested buyers that there’s a place to find you, reach out to you, and connect with you.
In this day and age, your website has to be mobile-friendly. Since the start of 2020, over 51% of online consumer traffic went through a mobile device. If your website is only optimized for a desktop experience, then it complicates the user experience. Worst-case scenario, they leave and go buy a similar product or service elsewhere.
If you want to take things a step further, start to focus on your search engine optimization (SEO). In simple terms, SEO is the work you do on your site in order to rank higher on search engines such as Google. This includes updating website copy with specific keywords in mind, creating external and internal links for your site, improving website speed, and so much more.
Item #2 – Blog
Here’s a not-so-secret secret: a blog is an SEO goldmine. When you load up a blog post with essential SEO keywords you’re looking to target, you’re more likely to get a hit on a Google search. Because of those keywords, you appear as a stronger or more relevant match to a customer’s questions or product searches. However, it’s not enough to load up a blog post with keywords and hope you get clicked on. If your content isn’t interesting or appealing a customer will bounce back off the page–ultimately hurting your Google quality ranking.
Post often to your blog—at least a few times a month if not once a week. This shows your customers that you are actively updating your site and willing to take the time to share insightful information with them. Speaking of which, make sure your content is insightful, entertaining, and engaging. One great thing about blog posts is that they make excellent social media posts.
Item #3 – Google My Business Page
Early in the awareness stage of the marketing funnel, a consumer becomes familiar with a vendors who sell their desired product or service. One way to win that fight early on is with a Google My Business page. A Google My Business page is an essential hub that displays customer reviews of your business, your location on Google Maps, your phone number, and other important information that a client may be interested in knowing about your business such as hours of operation or a menu.
Reviews either convince a prospective customer to check out your business or scare them away. 72% of consumers won’t take any action until they read reviews. That’s why it’s important to make sure that your Google My Business page is up to date with positive reviews. Encourage customers to leave a review after positive interactions, or send out messages asking past clients for good reviews. You can even ask former employees to leave a positive review from their time working in your business (make sure to tell them to state that they’re a former employee and talk about why they liked working for you). However, DO NOT set up a tablet or computer inside your business for customers to review you while inside the store. If Google sees too many reviews coming in from the same location or IP address, it will remove them.
Item #4 – Social Media
The last essential element is to have social media profiles, and show that your company truly is “social”. Make sure that you’re posting at least 2-3 times a week, but not daily unless you’re getting strong engagement on your other posts. If you’re posting daily and Instagram or Facebook sense that your posts aren’t generating excitement, your posts can be deprioritized by their algorithm.
Also, make sure that your content relates to your specific audience. Your brand persona speaks a certain language, and it needs to align with their expectations. If your business only sells cat toys, you’re going to confuse your audience if you announce a sale on rawhide bones. Don’t cause your audience shock or confusion through unexpected messaging.
The purpose of the small business digital marketing checklist is to help small businesses organize their web assets. As you grow your priorities may change, but these fundamentals will help you start out. Have any more questions? Our team would love to get in touch and help you make waves with your digital marketing. Contact us today for a free consultation!
Matthew is a Brand Strategist who has a passion for learning, and for improving the world around him. He does this by helping share the stories small businesses have to share and building bonds between businesses and communities. He’s currently working through a movie marathon of all the Academy Awards Best Picture winners.
