5 Online Business Strategies You Need in 2021

The world of business is constantly changing. Online business, even more. The best companies embrace rapid advancements in technology as a part of their corporate infrastructure. However, as a newcomer or competitor to an online business, you cannot afford to ignore specific tools available to you.

For example, and perhaps surprisingly, only 30% of small to medium enterprises utilize search engine optimization. Among other digital and data-driven strategies for business, SEO is a vital aspect that you should incorporate into your broader corporate model. Based on available data, SEO alone will give you an immediate advantage over 70% of the competition.

Automation and AI Tools

The past ten years have been an exciting time for artificial intelligence. Specific AI tools have become essential in modern business and are almost a requirement for your company. Of many of these, you may not be aware. For example, affordable email marketing through automation software like MailChimp has unrivaled power for delivering messages to select groups of people. These AI apps are now used daily by many companies.

Other AI tools are subversive yet used every day. Grammarly, for example, might look like a standard spell-checking tool, but it is a sophisticated AI that analyzes every aspect of the wording or grammar of a document, to fit predefined goals. These goals include structure, style, and tone. Other AI tools work behind the scenes. For example, Amazon’s buying suggestions system is a highly complex AI and machine learning tool that adapts to changing user input.

Branding and Awareness

As a company, it is vital that you seek some branding. Minimally, this includes a company name and logo. More comprehensively, you can develop corporate colors, taglines, slogans, typefaces, and print media such as business cards and letterheads. Any aspect of branding should be consistent and precise across your company as it aims to identify your company immediately. It also aims to separate your company from others.

To help separate your brand from others, you should copyright and trademark all brand material where applicable. Finally, unless you are a qualified designer, you should hire a digital marketing or professional branding company to develop your corporate identity. These agencies are incredibly skilled and can design and produce consistent and recognizable branding aspects that set you apart from everyone else.

Social Media

It might have been an option in the past, but you can ignore social media no more. Modern platforms are essential tools for digital marketing and business. As of 2021, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram account for 50% of company revenue. Additionally, analyses have found that social media marketing campaigns influence 75% of B2B and 84% of C-level executives.

Implementing a social media campaign is straightforward in principle, but a strong understanding of how the systems work is necessary. Each platform offers unique targeted advertising opportunities leveraged by direct ads, earned media, and influencer marketing. For example, Facebook allows you to specify key demographic information for each of your ads, directing ads to those most likely to click on them.

Pay-Per-Click

The cornerstone of online advertising, Pay-Per-Click advertising is vital for generating sales. If only for the cost-effective methods implemented, you should consider PPC as you only pay for your ad upon a click. While a click indicates that a user is at least interested in your products or services, the trick is in leveraging techniques to convert these clicks into sales. However, a PPC campaign drives traffic directly to your site.

Website traffic is a crucial aim for any online business strategy. A reasonable PPC conversion rate is between 10% and 30%, which means that 70% to 90% of users may leave your site without buying something. But that’s OK because they will potentially return later on. The point is that they see your site, browse it and bookmark it – adding to your direct traffic statistics. Direct traffic is site visitors who visit without using a search engine, i.e., via a bookmark or URL.

SEO and Associated Tools

In addition to direct and paid traffic, you should direct a portion of your efforts to developing organic traffic. Organic traffic comes from visitors who visit your site by clicking a link in a search engine. Organic traffic comes from leveraging search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to associate your website with keywords and phrases. SEO is one of the best methods of increasing business since organic traffic is essentially free with billions of potential clients.

SEO isn’t quick, though, and requires time for research, a long implementation period, and a good understanding of the subject. Search engines like Google can take a long time to begin to associate your business with a specific search term. You can achieve Google ranking through consistent, relevant, and quality information on your site. Items such as blogs, videos, and images contain keywords. However, SEO extends to coding, local information, and backlinking from relevant sources.

The Final Word

Taking your company online is a crucial aspect of 21 century business. From simple automation to complex algorithms, AI can help. Marketing agencies will also help you establish an online identity through branding and marketing campaigns. These campaigns include social media platforms as well as paid and organic advertising via SEO.