As the world becomes increasingly digitalised, it’s easy to find your business lagging behind the competitors with a neglected website which adds little revenue. But it’s never too late to begin online marketing for your business, and there’s no time like the present.

2012’s new marketing techniques

Local and national newspaper circulations are declining and TV and radio adverts are often too expensive. Fortunately, there is now a new way to increase awareness of your business and expand your customer base.

You don’t have to be an online business to make the most of online marketing. Your business – no matter how small and how local your customers –can benefit from the new techniques on offer from online marketing companies.

Local businesses can feel like a very small fish in a very big pond online. Thanks to Google’s location search, you don’t have to be in competition with the sharks. A professional search engine optimisation agency can improve your website’s prominence with local people, or people searching in the local area.

Whether you have an existing marketing department or you’re a one man band looking to promote your business effectively and affordably, don’t overlook the importance of these online techniques:

Search Engine Optimisation

Search engine optimisation helps search engines like Google work out what your business is associated with. Keywords related to your business (such as "emergency plumber in Shropshire", "hairdresser in Birmingham", or "cheap shoes") will be researched and focused on, and the aim is to increase your website’s prominence in the search engine results pages for these particular terms. The higher up your website, the more visitors you are going to receive from that search engine. Think of your own searching techniques, for example. Whatever your search term, you are unlikely to venture past page one, and most likely to click on one of the top results.

PPC and Google AdWords

While search engine optimisation could be compared to your business being featured in a story in the press, pay per click (PPC) marketing is the modern equivalent of a paid-for newspaper advert. PPC advertisements are paid adverts which show alongside search engine results, and you may have noticed Google’s PPC AdWords ads on the right hand side of the results page.

How are SEO and PPC Marketing Achieved?

Each search engine optimisation company uses different techniques to boost online visibility, so speak to potential agencies about their methods. Their work will generally involve writing and distributing online articles and press releases, and creating page content and blog posts for your website, all using the relevant keywords which people are searching for.

PPC like Google AdWords is also targeted to particular keywords, but with these you pay for each click your advert receives. The ads must be intelligently targeted to result in conversions – either sales, bookings or enquiries on your website - or you risk paying for clicks which offer little or no return on investment. Fortunately, PPC professionals can manage your account for you and help your business generate sales. These could be online sales, if you have an online store, or offline, such as a booking or enquiry about your services or products in your shop or business.

Hiring the Professionals

Search engine optimisation and PPC Google AdWords can generate a lot of business, yet require time and expertise to be profitable. It is therefore important to hire an experienced agency rather than attempting the complex techniques yourself. You may not require both of these services, and a discussion can help assess which techniques are right for your business and budget. Search engine optimisation is tailored to each business, and offers infinite potential to attract customers and clients to your business.