In this modern and technologically advanced world, there’s an infinite amount of ways to promote your business. Digital marketing tools have become popular for businesses of all sizes, because they’re easy to use and often provide a reasonably high return on investment.
The flip side to this, however, is that the amount of businesses using digital marketing creates fierce competition. That’s why having a good understanding of your competitors not only helps you see what others are doing, but can also be used to make profitable improvements to your own website and digital strategies.
1. Discovering what a good website looks like
It’s helpful to view a competitor’s website both with an analytical eye, and through the eyes of a prospective customer. This will help you understand what a good website looks like – what they’re doing wrong, what they’re doing right, etc.
When researching the competition, look at their page layout, how smoothly you move through the site, and if their use of imagery and design catches your attention. Most importantly, read through their copy – how are they talking about the products and services they offer? Can you do better?
2. Using guests as bloggers
Guest blogging is when you enlist someone not necessarily affiliated with your business to blog on your website as a once-off. The author of these blogs should be influential in your industry, and could be contacts in your professional network, former colleagues or employees, or people you’ve reached out to via social media.
A guest blogger can cover a number of relevant topics, including industry insights, their own personal experiences, or something similar. These kinds of blogs are not only interesting to your customers, they’re also a great way to round out your website and potentially boost your SEO rankings through the use of keywords you want to appear in search results for (you can learn more about how good copywriting can boost SEO and conversions here).
3. Making the most of social media
As we already mentioned, there are infinite ways to promote your business online – including Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Snapchat, newspapers, paid ads, and YouTube, just to name a few. But it’s important to note that simply having social media accounts is not the same as making the most of them.
The key to successful social media marketing really lies in active participation. Your active presence on social media allows you to demonstrate your value to customers – not only through what you offer, but who you are as a business.
Have a browse through your competitors’ social media accounts and see how they interact with customers. This will help you determine the best way to use social media according to your industry, as well as help you begin to carve out your own unique identity based on where you think competitors do well and where they have room for improvement.
4. Keeping design and copy simple
Whether it’s on your website or through your social channels, keep it simple! Make sure your web navigation is clear, your copy answers all possible questions, you provide clear and effective calls to action, and you’re not being so pushy trying to make conversions that you turn customers off.
Most people browsing the web scan content more than they actually read, so simplicity is often the way to go. If you can win them over in a few strong paragraphs, you’ll get a long way ahead of your competitors.
If you’re not sure where to start, or want a hand at crafting compelling copy, contact the team at Shuttle Rocket. Our team of local copywriters will work with you to create website copy that complements your brand’s unique personality.