While there are many excellent choices to invest your tax refund….investment account, stocks, retirement savings, children’s college education fund etc. One often overlooked area for business owners is self-marketing and branding.
Why is that? After talking with several business owners, two answers became apparent. First, local business owners are often stuck in a rut. They simple lost their zest to be super successful and simply approach each day just like any other. Second, they feel they are not marketing savvy and hiring a marketing expert is too expensive. So it’s easier to simply repeat the same marketing programs from years past. Basically, in both scenarios, they follow the road of least resistance.
Let me recommend an alternative investment option, an investment that pays the business owner back through higher sales and increased profits. Break the rut, and allow your businesses to use Internet marketing to boost their sales. A properly organized Internet marketing plan is best accomplished through building a stronger website (website development), and properly optimizing the content and code for Google users, known as SEO (search engine optimization).
While local businesses have long struggled to complete with larger, nationwide, big box stores. With the Internet, small and medium sized businesses (SMB) can finally level the playing field. And the best place to do so is the Internet utilizing Google, since Google still controls slightly over 90% of the daily Internet searches.
Investing your tax refund should not make a business owner feel like it’s just another expense, but rather an investment. How do a business owner determine if their business is a good candidate for an investment in Internet marketing? If you answer “no” to most of these questions below, you should
- First, does your business have a website?
- When you type in your business name, does your business take at least 8 of the top 10 organic search spots?
- Do you update your website for fresh content at least bi-weekly?
- Is your current website responsive, meaning mobile friendly?
- Does your current website improve your company’s credibility and professionalism?
- Most importantly, is your website helping you grow sales?
If you answers above, mostly include “no”, your business probably has a poor Internet presence. You are most likely leaving a lot of business opportunities to your competitors. But not to worry, with a little financial investment and your participation of time, you can catch up to your competitors.
The first step would be to contact a website development company you can trust and ask for a “free” Internet marketing evaluation. Ask for specific recommendations and complete a client questionnaire for best service.