With a staggering 66% of the UK population now online, every business owner knows having an online presence can drive sales, increase enquiries and provide customers with access to information about your products or services. As a start up or small business it’s impossible to ignore the opportunity the internet presents, allowing even the smallest company to punch above its weight. This new level playing field has meant some 2.79 million of the 4.5 million small businesses in the UK now invest in websites.
From the all singing all dancing websites where customers can purchase products online, to the humblest of 10 word listings, UK businesses are really starting to invest in their digital presence. But, the small business community is really missing a trick.
New research from adCenter, Microsoft’s paid-search platform, today reveals 62% of the 2.79 million small firms with an online presence are not investing in search marketing campaigns to help potential customers find them online.
For small companies it’s critical to realise that just setting up a website or listing is pointless if none of your customers can find you. It’s like opening a shop down a side street and boarding up the windows.
The fact of the matter is that collectively, small firms are wasted an enormous investment of over £3bn – with the cost of a website averaging £1,750. In today’s online economy, just having a website is no longer enough – you have to ensure you have visibility in the market, by driving traffic to your site. Search marketing is one of the most cost effective ways to do this.
The Microsoft adCenter small businesses and search marketing report, shows there are a number of myths putting small companies off search marketing. It seems that many believe it’s too time consuming, too expensive or too complicated. For value-conscious, busy firms, not seeing a rapid return on investment means a waste of valuable and limited time.
However, the report shows that the majority of small companies (76%) who are promoting their website on search engines see an immediate increase in sales. Search marketing even lets you track a customer click all the way through to a sale, working out your exact return on investment, making it one of the most accountable forms of marketing out there.
As a helping hand in getting started here are some search marketing top tips for small businesses:
- Choose the right keywords – speak the same language as your customer
- Estimate the cost of recruiting a new customer, then set aside a fixed budget and timeframe to assess results
- Know your audience – up-weight your bids for certain genders, ages and places
- Choose your ad copy words carefully and use an evocative URL
- Monitor your campaign – you can change elements as you go along for better success
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