Small business websites are a digital marketing tool therefore they must be designed to satisfy both humans (Internet users) and machines (Google search algorithm and users digital devices: mobile phones, tablets, laptops)
To satisfy humans, small business marketing websites must have great content, great functionality easy to use, and beautiful design.
To satisfy machines, small business marketing websites must have WordPress technology and Google marketing products.
Following some images with useful information about the use of Internet as a major media in the USA and the search marketing spend in the USA:
Great content
Internet is a digital media; therefore the most important asset is content. Google search algorithm looks for the most relevant content in each search, and places at the top 10 search results (first page of Google search results) the most valuable and relevant content for the user search, to satisfy user needs. So, if a small business wants to be at the first page of Google search results when a prospect customers search for its products or services, then this small business has to produce, publish and post valuable and relevant content about its products and services.
Google says that Internet users go to search in Internet because they want to do any of the following 4 actions: Do, Know, Go, or Buy. And Google also says that small business and brands only have that micro moment to be in contact with the prospect customer. If your small business appears at the first page of Google search results when users do the search, then you are getting or gaining a business opportunity. Google calls this moment the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT).
Following there is a video from Matt Cutts former Google anti-spam team chief, talking about great content for websites:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNm0FZ40haU
Great Functionality easy to use
Once the small business marketing website appears at the first page of Google search results, and the prospect customer hopefully clicks at the small business website link, then he or she goes to what is called a “landing page” at the website. This landing page must have at hand what is called a “call to action” button or link so the prospect customer can get in touch or contact with the small business. This can be a form, a shooping cart, a mobile phone number, or even an office or store address. What you want to make sure is that once the prospect customer “lands” at your website, he or she can contact you easily.
Following there is a video from Google about how to design mobile websites:
Beautiful design
My brother who is an architect always says that humans “eat” through their “eyes”. So, websites not only have to be functional but also have to be beautiful. Small business marketing websites must be beautiful. Of course “beautiful” is an abstract and subjective concept but there are good web designers out there that can design beautiful marketing websites, full of colors and beautiful images, with large and beautiful font types.
Follow this link from Hubspot with useful information about web design trends.
WordPress Technology
To appear at the first page of Google search results, a marketing website must comply with several technical Google SEO guidelines, and as Google says, all of these search engine optimization (SEO) technical guidelines are included in the WordPress technology for websites. Small businesses should request their digital agency to design and develop their marketing websites using the WordPress technology, including a SEO plugin.
Following there is a video about WordPress by Matt Cutts, former Google anti-spam team chief, where he said that WordPress takes care of 80-90% of the mechanics of search engine optimization (SEO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf_Zi__jv7k
Google Marketing Products
It is not a secret that Google is the Internet monopoly, not only for the search but also for the advertising. Google has developed several digital marketing products to help the small businesses with their digital marketing tasks. Small business marketing websites must be integrated to and comply with all of these Google marketing products. Some of these are the following: Google Analytics, Google My Business, Google Search Console, Google Maps, Google Communities, Google Adwords, Google Mobile Test, and Google Speed Test, Google Ownership Verification.
To conclude, I would like to leave the following message to the small business owner’s community: build your website with WordPress technology, produce and publish frequently in your WordPress Blog great content about your products and services, and integrate your website to all the Google marketing products. If you do these tasks you will begin to appear at the first page of Google search results and therefore you will begin to get new business opportunities permanently, because you will be always present at the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT).
This article was written by Julio Sanoja Rial, CEO & Founder of LeAds, a SEO digital agency that you can visit at www.msalesleads.com
You can read our previous article for small business digital marketing in the following link:
https://www.msalesleads.com/how-should-a-small-business-manage-its-domain-name/
