Guide to Selling on the Internet

Capture customers on the Internet and improve your global sales by following the steps indicated in this guide to selling on the Internet.

1. Prepare for Online Marketing

Website

You will need a website to promote your products or services. 

The best option is WordPress because it allows you to easily install a theme, install plugins and get what you want on your website at a reasonable cost. 

You can start by getting hosting at Webempresa or Hostgator for a reduced price, and then you can easily register your domain and install WordPress.

The website is the target of all the digital campaigns that we launch.

Google Analytics

It is essential to use Google Analytics on our websites so that we can know exactly what is happening on our website at all times. 

Google Analytics will provide you with real-time visitor data, audience information, acquisition data, and conversion tracking. 

You can get information about your website visitors, who they are, where they are from and what their interests are. 

By using Google Analytics data to your advantage, you can grow your audience faster and improve the user experience on your website.

Go here to install Google Analytics on your website.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console will help you monitor your website in Google search results. 

You can see how many clicks you are generating from Google organic searches and connect that data with Google Analytics. 

Whether you have a website or a local business, Search Console can help you find the top keywords so you can grow your online business.

Go here to install Google Search Console on your website.

Google My Business

Your Google Business page is vital, especially if you have a local business. 

You can put your services, hours, address, information, photos, phone number and much more. 

Additionally, customers will leave reviews and you can earn additional business if you have a strong Google Business profile. 

People are constantly searching for local businesses, so your Google business profile is vital. 

You can even add posts to show visitors and reply to reviews to manage any customer service issues.

Go here to manage your Google Business page.

Social media profiles

The main social media platforms are Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Snapchat. 

The mistake many entrepreneurs make is trying to use all of them without support staff. 

I recommend considering Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 

If you are not sure, see what your competitors are using, because it depends on the type of business. 

For best results, choose 3-4 networks that work best for your business and stay active on them to build an audience.

SEO and local SEO

Search engine optimization is difficult for non-experts, but it is the best way to reach potential customers. 

Whether someone is looking for local restaurants, a dentist, or a new pair of glasses, SEO will help you drive traffic to your business. 

You want to rank high in search engines so that people can easily find your products and services, contact you, shop on your website, or visit your store. 

Regardless of your goal, investing time and money in SEO will give you the best long-term results.

2. Engage Your Customers Online

Most consumers find new businesses by searching online when they want to buy products or services. 

When I visit a new city, I Google, TripAdvisor, and Yelp for restaurants in those cities. 

When I need a plumber, I Google to find the top-rated plumbers near me. 

When I need a new shade, I can Google or Amazon for ideas.

YOU NEED TO APPEAR IN THE EYES OF PEOPLE LOOKING FOR THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES YOU OFFER!

Get started with Google

You want to rank high on Google. 

You can use a tool like Google Keyword Planner or a tool like SEMrush to find the keywords that people search to find a business like yours. 

Whether you have a restaurant in Madrid or sell garden furniture in Malaga, keyword research will help you learn more about how to optimize your website.

Hire an SEO professional to optimize your website for search engines.

Understand your competitors’ strategy

There are many competitive analysis tools, but the best strategy is to understand what your competitors are doing. 

You can use competitor analysis tools such as SEMrush, SpyFu, BuzzSumo and/or Social Blade. 

Know which social media channels your competitors are using and which search engines they are optimizing for. 

For example, if you’re in the travel industry, websites like TripAdvisor and Yelp play a huge role in getting more customers. 

If you’re in the home decor industry, websites like Pinterest and Houzz can help you win over more customers.

Know your target audience

Knowing your target audience is basic. 

Most 18-25-year-olds don’t go into fancy home decor stores. Most people over 65 don’t buy power tools. 

By understanding your target audience and who actually buys products and services from you, you can target your content and online marketing strategy to your target audience.

Tools like Google Analytics can help you understand the demographics and interests of your audience. 

You can use that information to win even more customers.

Create useful content for your customers

Creating useful content will attract more customers to your business and help increase their trust in you.

If you have a pool supply company, you can create helpful videos for installing pool supplies. If you have a jewelry business, you can post articles on different types of jewelry, metals, and popular trends. If you have a tax advisory company, you can write articles on different tax laws. If you are a yoga instructor, you can create yoga videos and helpful yoga-related content. 

Regardless of your industry, you can create content that helps drive people to your business and encourages them to buy your products or services.

Online marketing is an investment.

I worked with a restaurant years ago to create their website and help their local marketing strategy. They also had a professional photographer who took pictures of the food and the restaurant. 

They were able to show people exactly what to expect when visiting the restaurant and keep an up-to-date menu online. 

In addition, they learned to post their daily specials and photos of their meals on social media such as Facebook and Instagram. 

It could have been an upfront cost to the restaurant, but it is still successful today and once the restaurant had a strong online presence, it was able to gain more customers and ultimately more orders overall per day.

You must understand that online marketing will require an investment of time or money. If you are not sure what to do, try to find a digital marketing expert to advise you and start building your online presence.

Work with professional designers and photographers

If your brand needs a facelift, if you need professional photography, if you need to design graphics, work with a professional designer. 

They are excellent at what they do and people don’t use them enough. 

If you are not a logo designer, do not try to design your own logo. 

If you are trying to show potential clients something about your business, always hire a professional photographer.

Email Marketing

You can use a service like Mailerlite or MailChimp to create an email list and send messages to them. 

Whether you own a wine bar and want people to know about tastings and new products or sell sports equipment on your e-commerce website, email marketing can help you deliver new offers and content of interest to your current customers.

3. Paid Advertising

Google Ads

People often go to Google to find the information they are looking for. 

You can target keywords that are valuable to your business and generate new customers. 

There are also many advanced tactics for tracking conversions such as leads or sales. 

You can also use audience targeting to reach people who were previous customers or who showed interest in your products or services. 

Additionally, you can run Google display ads through Google AdWords targeting the Google Display Network, which reaches about 90% of the entire internet.

Bing Ads

Bing Ads is very similar to Google Ads, except that its ads run on Bing and Yahoo instead of Google. 

In fact, you can run identical campaigns in Google Ads and Bing Ads targeting the exact same keywords, serving the exact same ads, and driving traffic to the same landing pages.

Facebook Ads Facebook

Ads can be used for all types of businesses, whether it’s a local business trying to reach people in your local market or a large e-commerce website. 

There are many different types of ads and campaign goals, so you can run different types of ads to achieve any goal.

Pinterest Ads Pinterest ads are

n’t being used enough by people and it works great if you’re trying to attract people interested in crafts, recipes, DIY, home and garden, health, and more. 

You can also run business-related ads because more and more people are using Pinterest in a wide variety of niche markets.

Instagram Ads

Instagram is another social channel where you can run social ads.

You have different advertising options in addition to all the awesome Facebook ad targeting. 

Instagram ads are a great way to reach your audience, increase video views, promote content, and drive sales.

YouTube Ads YouTube

Ads can work for any marketing purpose. 

Do you have a new product or service that you want to promote? 

Do you want to bring potential clients to your business? 

Do you want to promote your software product? 

Regardless of your product or service, a targeted YouTube ad campaign can certainly generate results for your business.

LinkedIn Ads LinkedIn

Ads give you access to business professionals and people looking to make professional connections.

You can show your ad to marketers and promote something like a free e-book or video series.

You can also send an invitation to a product presentation webinar pointing to the profiles, positions and companies that most interest your business.

4. In Summary

Create a website, create content on your website, solve the problems of your customers with your content, know your target audience, optimize for search engines (SEO), copy your competitors, use the channels of social networks, give your customers a good user experience online and offline, and use paid advertising to reach new customers.

Online marketing may seem complex, but it is essential for any company that wants to compete today, and even more so if you want to grow your business.

Alex Romero – Experto Marketing Digital
Marketing Digital Malaga