Why online presence for a business is more important than ever?
We live in uncertain times, and the impact of COVID-19 has been immense on small and medium-sized businesses. But people are using more and more online services as a result of quarantine. And Going online and having a strong online presence is the best opportunity for your business to stay strong in these unprecedented times.
Customers are looking for places that they can do online shopping/ deliver to doorstep etc Instead of going to supermarkets or restaurants, more people are now looking online for local businesses to deliver products to them instead of going to the place themselves. This proves that Google ranking matters. Especially when a customer would use keywords related to your business, your business should be the one that is displayed in the browser page.
Traditional marketing methods are slightly outdated and no longer hold so much power as they did before. Sure, still people read newspaper ads or watch TV, so they will see if you advertise on them. But, nowadays, people will see you if you decide to put your ad on social media, but this also has its limits. But have an interesting website and with proper SEO, this can be your most productive digital marketing method because Search engines like Google will be the first place any new customer will search for your business.
Your competitors are cutting costs to their marketing budgets and losing their momentum. Many businesses are now in a survival mode rather than trying to expand their markets and this leaves the market wide open for you. Consumers are looking for the best ways to fulfill their needs and if you plan ahead, this is the best time to reach the wider consumer market while your competitors are losing their edge.
It is important to plan for the future. The world of marketing and business is changing and it is imperative to adapt to the changes to be successful and gather more customers around you. Covid-19 pandemic only brought these changes faster and quicker. Many businesses in Sri Lanka do not utilize SEO for their advantage. SEO benefits are long term and the results take time to manifest. Therefore when the market gets back to normal, you will be far more ahead than your competitors because you decided wisely to invest in SEO and marketing strategies when they did not.
Consumers need a clear choice in the industry. When your competitors cannot be that choice, you must be ready to step into that position. Consumers use organic search engine results to find an alternative solution when they cannot find an adequate supplier to their needs. So Google and other search engines will be the first place they go to search for an alternative. And that is where you need to be.
It takes time for customers to build trust with new businesses/services. So does SEO. SEO takes 3-6 months to manifest the results first and only gets better with time. The SEO results are organic and will continue to grow unlike paid advertising do. You need to give time for your business to acquire a top ranking in SERPs. And you will be there and you will be ready when customers want to find and purchase what they need.
So what are you waiting for? Make sure your business is ready to go online. And if you are already online, Make sure your website is Search Engine Optimized and visible to all quality traffic and potential customers.
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