4 Free Digital Marketing Tools to Increase Revenue
As small business owners we’re always looking for ways to reach new customers and increase revenue. The ever-expanding world of digital marketing provides us with an overwhelming amount of opportunities to accomplish this goal. The contents of this post were originally compiled as a presentation for the small business owners in the Louisville Business Network. The feedback was so sensational that we decided to share with all of our clients and connections four free and easy digital marketing tools that will help you increase revenue for your business.
1. Google Plus Business Page
We all want to rank highly for our desired search terms. Have you ever searched for one of your keywords only to see your competitors photos and reviews? Make sure your business looks as good in the Google search results by maintaining an active Google Plus Business page.
These pages allow you to share photos of your location, business hours, location, contact information and reviews. This information will populate in relevant Google Maps listings and Google Search Results. Collect client reviews and testimonials directly on your Google Plus page to improve your credibility and rank. To create your Google Plus business page visit Google.com/business.
2. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is an absolutely fantastic free resource for small business owners trying to think of creative ways to increase revenue. Google Analytics tracks all of the traffic on your website and gives you enlightening data about the volume of traffic on your website, traffic sources, and user behavior on the site. All of this information can help you make judgements about the strengths and weaknesses of your digital marketing strategy. Extremely high bounce rate? Perhaps you need to work on your on-site user experience to increase engagement. Low traffic numbers through Organic Search? Time to evaluate your keyword density and search engine optimization initiatives.
Google Analytics can be as complicated or as basic as you desire. For anyone, it’s important to understand the fundamentals. As you get comfortable, the more you learn about interpreting the data and using the conversion and goal tracking features, the more in depth you can evaluate your marketing initiatives. Google Analytics is completely free and easy to install. Simply visit Google.com/Analytics.
3. Email Marketing
Email marketing-or newsletters-have quickly become the most profitable digital marketing strategy. This article claims a 3800% ROI! Why? You’re reaching out to your audience members directly in the comfort of their own email inboxes. Sure, we all hate getting the spam, but most of us can admit that there are a few value-packed email newsletters we always click. The key to success with email marketing is to send something that’s actually worth clicking on. Give your readers an insightful article, some personal commentary, and/or a special deal or promotion.
There are a variety of email marketing softwares. Our favorite is the free and easy to use MailChimp. Setup a free account, organize your contact lists, create email campaign templates and get valuable engagement data after every send. Grow your newsletter subscriber list with a stimulating signup form on your website. Entice new subscribers to sign up by offering them a free eBook or PDF download. These can also be free and easy to create!
4. Keyword Research
So many of our online goals crux around our search engine ranking, but often times many of us are unaware of what our current rankings are. One of the fundamental components of each digital marketing strategy we execute here at Mtn. Dog Media is the keyword research phase. Here we create a spreadsheet of 40-60 desired search terms. (i.e. something a user would type into Google for which you’d like to be found.) We compile these terms using a combination of our own creative brainstorming, examining the “similar search” results in Google, and keyword research tools like Storybase.com.
Once you have created a list of your desired search terms you can use tools like Accuranker to help you track your website’s current search engine ranking for each term. For our digital marketing clients, we monitor rankings every month. This can help you decide which keywords you need to emphasize in your search engine optimization efforts.
Each of these four tools and techniques can be easily integrated into your monthly marketing routine. Use Google Analytics to track the success of your efforts and make changes accordingly. Are you interested in learning more about digital marketing strategies that could increase revenue for your business? Don’t hesitate to schedule your free consultation with Mtn. Dog Media today!