Getting a startup off the ground is no small feat and you’ve put in the work to make it happen. You’re starting to grow your list of clients and customers. You’ve made some good hires. You might even have a decent space to run your company out of. All that’s left is to succeed as a business, right?
Well, the road to success isn’t always a linear one. In fact, you may not even be sure what success for your company looks like. Hiring a digital marketing company is a great place to start. Now, you may be thinking that your startup isn’t big enough yet, or that you can’t afford to hire a company to market your business.
A lot of startups may think like you do, but here’s the twist. A digital marketing company does so much more than you may think, including assisting your startup in getting ‘big enough’ to be known and established in your market. Here are a few things that your digital marketing company can do for you that will help your company thrive.
They Develop Your Online Presence
In the year 2020, your online presence is more important than ever because unlike years prior, every company has an online presence. Websites like Yelp, Google My Business, and other directory sites may automatically generate your company’s listing and fill out the information using user-generated information. That may sound convenient. After all, if these sites are automatically creating your online profiles, there’s no need to go in there and do it yourself, right? If only it were so easy.
They Optimize Your Online Business Listings
In every case, it’s much better to be in control of your online listings, as there are many components that are vital to your startup’s success. The first is accurate information. After all, people are going to be using this listings to find out where you’re located, what your hours are, and how other customers have experienced your products or services.
Your customers’ experiences with your business are broadcasted to internet users via online review systems. Customer reviews are one of the most important parts of your online presence, as they are often one of the determining factors in whether or not a potential customer will become a paying one.
They Handle Your Customer Reviews
As you can see, reviews have a huge influence on your online reputation. In the eyes of most customers, reviews are an “unbiased look” at your company. You may claim that your company offers the best products and services in the world, and you may do just that, but without the reviews to back up your claims, they feel empty.
Now, you may be thinking, “If I do a good job, the reviews will just come flooding in, right?” Well, in a perfect world that would be the case. Unfortunately, it’s never that easy. Digital marketing companies provide the advantage of enabling your business to get reviews in a legitimate way that doesn’t include buying them or using methods that Google would deem inappropriate.
But it’s not just important that your business gets reviews; you must ensure that you receive legitimate ones, as Google and other online business directories are cracking down on fake or coerced reviews. If you get a flood of reviews that ping Google’s algorithm designed to spot fakes, then those reviews will get flagged and even deleted.
Once you’ve caught Google’s attention as a suspicious entity, getting new, legitimate reviews will only get harder. However, when you work with a seasoned digital marketing company, you’ll be able to get reviews without worrying.
They Show Customers Your Best Side
How the public views your business is very important, especially in the early stages of your startup. A reputable digital marketing company can help you better handle those unavoidable negative reviews in a way that turns them into positive assets for your company. After all, one of the most important and basic elements of marketing is a thorough understanding of public relations.
Now, here’s a quick scenario for you. Let’s say you run a restaurant and you make the very best pizza in all of Maryland. You will likely garner a lot of good reviews about the product itself. However, even with the best pizza in the state, you may still get a few lower-starred reviews from customers claiming that they had a bad experience at your restaurant, whether it had to do with their wait time or an interaction with a staff member. What can you do? For many business owners, the instinct is to respond defensively. “We have the best pizza in the state! Our staff wasn’t rude to you; they were just busy!”
Though these emotionally-charged responses may feel good to get out, they can wreak havoc on how potential customers may see you, even if you’re entirely in the right. A digital marketing company will have a host of strategies and methods for handling bad reviews that will have you coming off as a reasonable and empathetic business owner. After all, everyone gets a bad review now and again. Potential customers are well aware of that, and if they notice you respond appropriately to upset customers, they often forgive you for it.
Digital Marketing Services are Scalable and Affordable
Now, here’s the beauty of working with a digital marketing company like Advantage Internet Marketing. Our services are scalable. We genuinely care about the success of our clients and we’re here to help you design a package of services that fit both your budget and your needs.
Whether you have questions about our digital marketing services for your startup or you’re ready to get started on improving your online presence to help you thrive in 2020, contact us today. We’d love to sit down with you (or Zoom with you!) and help you get ahead of the curve.