We’re glad the Australian economy is making good progress over the last month and we’re in the right direction to get back to life post coronavirus pandemic. Most of the businesses are already coming back to life and we’re thrilled all our clients are well-positioned to bounce back from the crisis. As we predicted during the coronavirus lockdown, there was a significant increase in website traffic, email engagement, time spent on social media, and online shopping. Although this increase was because most people had no other options but these habits are believed to persist going forward. There is still a huge potential to tap into audiences ready to explore or buy online.
Aligned with the statistical data, we suggested our clients make the necessary digital transformation. Today, along with all our clients, we see that most new businesses are on social media, old businesses now have eCommerce integrated into their websites, and most of them have email marketing set up. Also, now since businesses are opening up, people will be eager to search for local food places or salons. So it’s important to make sure that Google My Business is optimized.
Do you feel like your business has missed out on moving with the times? Perhaps you know the ins and outs of digital marketing but simply haven’t had the time to upgrade your website, integrate eCommerce or organise an electronic monthly newsletter.
There are two ways that can dramatically increase your sales instantly – one through online and the second through foot traffic.
Email Marketing
Yes, this is not something new. However, the recent email analytics data show that open rates have risen more than 15% in the last three months. Business owners should jump on to their email database and communicate with their customers. Talk to them about how you survived the difficult phase and what you have in store for them post-COVID. You know your customer better than anyone else, so tap into them.
Email marketing platforms are more sophisticated than ever before. Platforms like Mailchimp, Hubspot, ActiveCampaign, etc., have advanced features to understand your reader and give you the best analysis. Using deep learning and AI, these platforms allow you to reach your target audience in the best possible way, and at the right time. To start off, you can use Mailchimp which is free for up to 2000 email contacts. Another good platform is ConstantContact, which will cost you around $80/month with up to 5000 contacts. Make sure you create beautiful designs for your promotions, newsletters and sales emails.
Google My Business
We can’t emphasize enough on the importance of Google My Business, especially for local small businesses. It is the one local search platform that will dramatically improve your online existence in your locality. Businesses like restaurants, beauty salons, hair salons, coffee shops, etc., can hugely benefit from this. Your business listing can pop-up on the top of both Google Search and Google Maps if it’s properly optimised. Claim your business and actively manage it by updating photos, posts, products and services.
Managing Director of Boost Social, Elisha Fiorentino believes Google My Business has played an instrumental part in growing Boost Social. Through posting weekly to the platform and leveraging from reviews. “We’ve seen expediential growth here at Boost Social, through using Google Reviews and the GMB platform.”
Word of mouth is now online and more than 80% of people scroll past a place with less than 3.5-star ratings. The ranking and reputation of your business depend on the number and quality of reviews/ratings, along with all the other activity on your profile. It’s a great weapon if used suitably.
At Boost Social, we believe in giving value to our clients and our readers. This article is to help educate you on how to grow your business and sales through online platforms. We understand that most business owners do not have time to do these by themselves. Do not hesitate to ask us!
