1. Establish a Strong Website
Think of your website as a person, 1st impressions matter!
- Optimize for mobile and speed: Around 80%+ of todays people are using a cell phone to actively search online so its important to have a mobile friendly website. This also is a ranking factor in SEO.
- Invest in SEO: Integrate an SEO agency into your tool kit to help guide your website to be keyword relevant and optimized for SEO. There are many things in web design and development that aren’t known or implemented for SEO purposes and this is where an SEO agency comes in handy.
- Use HTTPS: Most search engines today require a security certificate as there are more and more ways to circumvent websites without one. Its also a ranking factor.
- Include clear branding and messaging: Think of your website as a representation of your products, services and unique service offerings. Messaging needs to be dialed in to make you stand out from other businesses.
2. Create and Regular Quality Content
Think of your website as your sales person, why would someone buy from you?
- Blog consistently: Not only is this a super valuable ranking factor for SEO more now than ever, its also a way to showcase your expertise, knowledge, unique value propositions to stand out from the pack.
- Leverage multimedia: There is no longer usually a one click to conversion, people look for multimedia for various reasons, from Youtube, to another way to see and get to know your business better so use these tools.
- Maintain brand voice and tone: As mentioned, your website is your sales rep, you got them to your website and now they want to know why they should choose you and how to contact you. Be realistic, professional or other tonality you want to convey that would bring trust and resonate with your audience.
3. Be Active on Social Media
As mentioned, its no longer one click to conversion in most industries so you should have a footprint across as many places and platforms as possible since people will look for you online for various reasons. Trust, legitimacy, what others say, many factors to this one.
- Choose the right platforms: Focus on the networks where your target audience is most active (e.g., Instagram for B2C, LinkedIn for B2B).
- Post regularly and interact: Don’t just broadcast engage. Respond to comments, answer questions, and participate in relevant conversations.
- Monitor brand mentions: Tools like Google Alerts or Hootsuite can help you track what people are saying about your business.
4. Manage Online Reviews and Reputation
Reviews can significantly affect a business’s credibility.
- Claim your business profiles: Google business profile, Bing Places to name a few are some of the most common local directories people might find you to voice activated ones like Apple Maps. These are local ranking factors for SEO.
- Encourage positive reviews: Ask happy customers to leave feedback. Make it easy for them with direct links or prompts. QR codes help this process in person businesses and this too is a ranking factor for local businesses.
- Respond to all reviews good or bad: Thank customers for positive feedback, and address complaints professionally and constructively.
5. Optimize Your Local Presence
Especially important for brick and mortar businesses.
- Set up and optimize your Google Business Profile: Add accurate hours, address, photos, and categories.
- Use local keywords on your website: Include your city, neighborhood, or region in your site content and metadata.
- Get listed in local directories: This local SEO ranking factor is important as Google and other search engines will look for your name address and phone number to be consistent across all the various directories out there and there are about 60 I can think of as of today!
6. Use Digital Advertising Thoughtfully
Paid ads (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook Ads) expand your footprint and reach.
- Target carefully: Use demographics, behavior, and intent data to get your ads in front of the right people.
- Maintain consistent messaging: Align ad copy with landing pages and your overall brand image.
- Track and adjust: Use analytics to monitor performance and refine your campaigns regularly.
7. Monitor and Audit Regularly
Your footprint can change quickly.
- Perform regular audits: Check to ensure your messaging is consistent across all platforms, advertising channels, backlinks, branding. These things matter as if you show an inconsistent offer, it might confuse or scare away a potential customer.
- Use tools like Google Analytics, SEMrush, or Moz: These can help you assess site performance, backlinks, and keyword rankings.
- Stay up to date with digital trends: Things in digital marketing are changing at a rapid pace. A digital marketing agency can help you stay ontop of how its changing and how to adapt to changing platforms and strategies.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Neglecting negative reviews: Silence implies guilt. Always address criticism.
- Inconsistent branding: Mixed visuals, tones, or messages confuse customers and weaken trust.
- Overposting or underposting: Both extremes can harm engagement. Find a consistent rhythm.
- Ignoring security and privacy: Data breaches or non compliance with laws like GDPR can severely damage your reputation.
Case Study: Turning a Digital Footprint Around
A small bakery in Westchester, NY struggled with declining foot traffic. After auditing their digital footprint, they discovered:
- A website last updated in 2018
- Poor local SEO
- No online reviews and an unclaimed Google Business profile
- Inactive social media accounts
The fix: They revamped their website, claimed and optimized their Google listing, started posting weekly on Instagram, and incentivized reviews with discounts. Within six months, local traffic increased 40%, and online orders rose by 60%.
Summary
Your business should be thought about as an extension of yourself. All interactions you have, do have an impact and so does your business. People don’t often forget what they encounter, experience or read so navigating and strategizing your digital footprint should be done carefully with consideration to who will see it. Using a digital marketing agency can help guide you in this online aspect to keep all things looking positive about your business.