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Get Social: Bringing Your Business Up To Speed In 2013

 

by Adam DeGraide

 

Why create a strong digital presence? Because your customers are online, and they expect nothing less! This year, commit to executing a resilient digital marketing strategy, coupled with an effective training program. Your goal is to convert those social consumers into profitable sales.

 

There are certainly several avenues you can take in implementing an outstanding web presence but, this year, there are three key areas in which you should focus your efforts: mobile, social, and search.

 

Methodically Move to Mobile

You must be flexible, yet thorough, in your efforts to attract and interact with your potential customers. And as we move into 2013, it’s all about mobile. With a dramatic increase in smartphones and tablets, consumers no longer need desktops — or even laptops — to browse the web.

 

 

 

 

Look at it this way: Speed covers a multitude of sins in the sales process, and mobile apps are just another way of addressing the issue. When it comes to internal communications and distribution of leads, mobile can be critical. Location-based tools can particularly help in reaching customers anywhere and everywhere — resulting in up-to-the-minute information.

 

Your company must adapt to remain relevant, but be selective in your tactics. Do your research, and choose mobile programs that are a good fit for your brand. It’s not just mobile apps and location-based services; other options include mobile shopping, NFC, real-time bidding, and multi-screening.

 

Nevertheless, be sure to avoid the pitfalls of doing too much too fast. It’s not just about creating mobile solutions; you want the customers to actually use them. Think about the opportunity, but also the potential.

 

Get Social — and Inventive

You must communicate with your customers in entertaining, personable, and meaningful ways. Providing a service or product is not effective in itself. Instead, your ecommerce development must be timely and relevant. Being knowledgable about your marketplace and giving customers what they really need is key. Remember that the goal is to convert sporadic or random online visitors into loyal customers.

 

Sync your website with mobile services. The two must be compatible and complement each other. For instance, your website should always have embedded links to social media platforms. This will increase your traffic and engagement, but don’t stop there – be sure to create a strategic social media plan.

 

 

 

 

In choosing which platforms to use, think about what makes sense for your brand. It’s best to streamline your efforts and find your niche. Who is your customer, and what is he looking for? From here, create unique and personalized content through a bold and engaging online presence.

 

Execute Those Search Options

To create a truly user-friendly experience, it’s smart to create a mobile version of your website. Look to sites like Twitter and Facebook for examples on how to adapt. It’s not just about scaling the website to fit the screen; you must incorporate new elements that make the mobile experience unique and inviting.

 

If you have invested in a mobile-optimized site, then your focus should be on mobile SEO. Users search differently using a mobile device; searches tend to be timely, local, and rely on Google’s autocomplete option. This means you must be sure to optimize for shorter queries. It’s also clever to modernize the navigation so users are brought to the most imperative pages on your site.

 

All in all, you must clearly define your brand and target customer before executing a digital marketing plan. Focus on a concise strategy through the use of mobile, social, and search this year. Once that step in complete, make sure your online traffic is creating opportunities – it’s what having a digital presence is all about.

 

 

 Adam DeGraide is the CEO and founder of Astonish, which was recently ranked 267th on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. DeGraide and his team are the driving forces behind a vision to help the insurance industry across the country grow its businesses by using the Internet. Now currently serving over 800 retail brokers in America, Adam DeGraide and his team at Astonish are encouraging the insurance industry across the country to “join the Internet marketing revolution, or get left behind!”

 

Photo Credits

watcharakun | cooldesign | FreeDigitalPhotos.net | Adam DeGraide

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