Kickstart your sales online by owning your own website!

Written by Emma Robertson Gellar
Published on Jul. 21, 2017

There has been a significant shift in the marketing industry in the last few years. Entrepreneurs have switched from billboards to the internet. Many New York entrepreneurs have kickstarted their online sales by starting a website.

 

Start A Blog

 

A blog is an excellent way to output good content. Platforms such as WordPress make the process easier. Even corporations such as the New York Times use WordPress. But if you do not own a news outlet, a blog will still create a lot of lucrative opportunities. It contributes to a process known as inbound marketing. People will share your links because they appreciate your insight. This will indirectly lead to conversions.

Beyond that, a blog will establish your experience. This is typically achieved through long-form content. Some bloggers mistakenly think that they have to accommodate the short attention span of their readers by writing short posts. That is not strictly accurate. That will make it more difficult for your blog to stand out. There is enough regurgitated material on the internet. People appreciate depth. It demonstrates that you know what you are talking about.

Further, blogging will create a good way for you to interact with your audience. It will create an inlet for reviews. You should pay special attention to negative reviews. Negative reviews can show where your blindspots are. Further, you can use your blog to show your audience that you care. If they start a GoFundMe campaign or are promoting a fundraising event, you could share those on your blog. All of these aspects of blogging will facilitate a deeper relationship between you and your target audience.

 

Establishing Your Professionalism

 

 

 

It might surprise you to learn that people will form first impressions of your company on the internet based on your website. Your website is like your face on the web, and a poorly designed website is like a black eye. A professional web design will be aesthetically pleasing and highly functional. Of course, it can be difficult to create a professional website if you are not a professional web designer. Many New York entrepreneurs use website building tools.

A benefit of using these tools is that they come with frequent site updates. These updates will repair glitches that can impact navigational issues. They also improve the loading time. Consumers are typically not willing to wait very long for a page to load before going to another site.

Another aspect to consider is mobile optimization. Experts are pointing out that mobile browsing has generally overtaken desktop browsing. This means that your website will have to be equally as accessible across every device.

 

Local SEO in NYC

 

 

 

An effective digital marketer will prioritize SEO. Most your traffic should come from search engines. This is accomplished by discerning search engine trends and applying your research to your website. While it is a little complicated, WordPress offers SEO plugins that simplify the process.

For some businesses, local SEO can be very useful. It involves driving local search engine traffic to your website. It can be accomplished by anticipating and utilizing keywords relevant to your industry and the city. If you own a gym, you might use a keyword like "gym in New York City."

You should also learn how search engines are changing. Many consumers are using Google Voice. This means they are querying the search engine orally. Bloggers will have to adapt to this trend by using keywords that people are likely to say instead of type. They will probably be less precise and more natural.

 

Save On Advertising

 

A few NYC entrepreneurs might think a website is just another expense. But it is actually very profitable in that it does not cost much and there is an incredible Return On Investment (ROI). It is pretty much free to implement SEO keywords into your blog. Further, you might be pleased to learn that paid advertisements are generally falling out of favor. People scroll right by them. The most effective way to get attention is to produce content, use SEO and share on social media.

If you do sell ad space on your site, you will have to find a balance between being too subtle and too flashy. The former will not get noticed while the latter will ruin the user experience.

 

Collect Email Addresses

 

It might surprise you to learn that email addresses are actually worth a lot. Entrepreneurs use these email addresses for their newsletters. A newsletter will be a direct line of communication between you and your audience. You can use your website to collect them. Some bloggers will host giveaways wherein they offer free products to a few lucky customers among everyone who signs up. It does not have to be an expensive product. People appreciate anything free. Think of more creative ways to collect email addresses from your audience.

 

Social Media Fodder

 

 

 

Social media marketing is actually underrated. Some entrepreneurs think it is a phase that will eventually fade into irrelevancy. But social media provides too many relational benefits to fizz out. The perseverance of the industry is evidence of that. It has been a powerful force since the old days of AOL. Facebook is still growing. Consumers are constantly using it to ward off boredom and keep up with friends and family.

Your blogposts should appear in the midst of that. A frequently updated blog will be good fodder for social media. Most social media experts suggest using every platform that you can find. If you use an integration tool such as HootSuite, keep in mind that what is appropriate on one platform might be inappropriate on another. A business can tweet multiple times a day. But Facebook users will get annoyed if they see multiple posts in the same day. Do some research into how social media can drive traffic to your blog.

The Big Apple is changing. It is a digital world, and entrepreneurs who do not adjust their methods will be outstripped by competitors. Follow the lead of successful NYC businesses like the New York Times by using WordPress.

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