With more businesses going online, their efforts to maintain a solid customer base and attract new prospects must adapt. The visual and tactile approach of doing business in person will need to be replaced by digital interaction that can compete in a global marketplace. Here are successful strategies to help remote businesses bring in new customers.
Build an Inviting Website
Your company’s website is the representative “office” for your business. Instead of being a physical space, you now operate from a virtual place. Hire a website designer to provide a professional site that is appealing to visit and easy to navigate. It should contain adequate information that is useful to prospective customers without being overwhelming to casual browsers. Arrange a half dozen or so sections or pages that might include information about the company, product descriptions, payment options, and contact information. Customer testimonials or reviews are also helpful in convincing visitors to give your business a try.
Establish a Web Presence
When setting up your website online, use relevant keywords and search terms that will facilitate the search engines’ ability to locate your business. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a process that can make your website readily accessible to searchers who look for those terms. You may also want to promote your business via social media by registering with Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, and Twitter. Offer helpful industry information and business updates to keep viewers coming back to read more. The graphics should be simple and tasteful.
Include Interactive Features
Your website and social media accounts should provide opportunities for visitors and followers to contact your business to place orders or ask questions. There should also be features that solicit viewer feedback to get their opinions and recommendations on your products or their experience in doing business with your company. Be sure to respond promptly and courteously. You might also want to offer occasional discounts for special products or services to those who click on the link within a given timeframe. This can help to keep people visiting your website in hopes of landing a discount.
Consult a Digital Advertising Expert
Contact an advertising agency that specializes in remote businesses. You can learn how to keep your products in the public eye by using cutting-edge advertising methods to get web users to visit your business. Working with an advertising professional will allow you to better understand what kind of demographic you should be targeting.
Operating a remote business comes with challenges and opportunities. Make the most of your company by spreading the word in these and similar ways.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan
