Manning River Times

6 Ways to help your business stand out online

You can take active steps to ensure your product offering will appear a cut above the rest. Picture Shutterstock
You can take active steps to ensure your product offering will appear a cut above the rest. Picture Shutterstock

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So, you want your business to stand out online? Truth be told - in an oversaturated online marketplace, it takes a lot to differentiate your offerings from those of the competition! Despite this, if you follow our six essential tips on how to have a more unique digital presence online, you can take active steps to ensure your product offering will appear a cut above the rest. To learn more about our essential online visibility tips, just keep reading!

1. Use modern selling tools: Engage in digital marketing and search engine optimisation strategies to promote your business online

Engaging in digital marketing techniques is a sure-fire way to help your business stand out online. A rapidly growing and increasingly widespread method of digital marketing that has developed of late is known as Search Engine Optimisation or SEO for short.

SEO has existed for as long as search engines and has taken on a wide array of forms as platforms like Google have shifted their priorities and fine-tuned their algorithms.

SEO has various components and different techniques as part of its strategy. One of these is the process of creating backlinks, also known as link building.

For locals in the continent down under, link-building in Australia has been growing in popularity so much so that Australian digital marketing and SEO agencies specialising purely in link-building services are popping up all over the place!

As a decidedly convoluted and extremely involved process of SEO - link building, for many people, remains a mystery.

So, what is SEO link building?

Essentially, link building is the process through which referring links to a specific website are uploaded to external sources - that is to say, other websites. These links (which link back to the website the SEO experts are trying to promote) are commonly referred to as backlinks.

You can think of it as search engines wanting to see a lot of talk about your business, as a popular business is likely one they will want to put high in the rankings for people to find. So, by having lots of links from relevant sources, you can show Google that people like your website and will likely want to be able to find it easily. In other words, fake it 'til you make it!

2. Foster positive word of mouth: Encourage Google and Facebook customer reviews of your business

Encouraging and fostering positive word of mouth in the form of Google and Facebook reviews is another great way to help your business stand out online. Importantly, when potential future customers look up your business online, Google Reviews will be one of the first things that appears, and that prospective clients will come across when searching for your product offering.

This is because Google Reviews are linked to your Business profile - in both Google Maps and also, in Google search engine result pages.

Positive Facebook reviews are also an extremely effective way to help your business stand out online. Like Google Reviews, these are linked to your business profile on Facebook and often appear at the top of search results listings when potential customers look up your business on the popular social networking platform.

3. Identify Your Niche: Learn Who Your Target Audience Is

Learning your target audience is essential to promoting your business in the right places and to the right people! By doing this, you are identifying your niche - which is essentially, the section of the population that is potentially interested in your product and business offering.

Needless to say, it is not always easy to learn how to find your target market. Completing an online marketing e-course can help with this, as can completing a formal qualification in marketing or business. Conducting your own market research is also important, and will also help you identify your product market fit.

4. Research your product market fit: Identify where your business fits in the market

So, what exactly is Product Market Fit? And how do you identify how this relates to your business or product?

First and foremost, Product Market Fit can be defined as the space in the market where your product can add value. Uncovering this can involve conducting market research to ascertain and identify any gaps in the market.

That is to say - are there any specific products for which you can identify a certain level of demand that is not currently being met? If so, this is where you have an opportunity to create a business concept that can add value to the market.

5. Encourage repeat business: Build a consistent client base

To encourage repeat business and build a consistent client base, you need to have a good understanding of the marketing concept known as the Customer Journey. As part of this journey, customers will engage in a buying cycle within which they (hopefully) consider, purchase, utilise, and then return to purchase additional products.

To foster this, maintaining a positive customer journey is essential. This includes providing customers with post-sale attention and service, to encourage them to come back as repeat clients in the future.

6. Never stop learning: Stay up to date with current and emerging market trends

Lastly - don't ever stop learning! For your business to stand out, you need to stay up to date with current and emerging market trends. This will involve conducting regular research into your product, your market fit, and your customer. Ultimately, your willingness to keep learning and improving will dictate your business's success.