Most small business owners treat the online digital efforts as some sort of junk drawer. Buy a domain and put a website on it, some social media there, maybe a little bit of WhatsApp statuses every now and then, communicate with clients using Gmail addresses (Lord help us). I know, because I was that business owner. Over my 15 years of experience, I have discovered that your digital marketing efforts should not exists as silos. They should exist as an inter-connected eco-system, pushing you forward and ahead of your competitors. Big businesses have whole departments that work this way with each team member specialising in one piece and all team members ensuring their efforts are aligned at all times to create somewhat of a monolith.
This might seem like a monumentous task! I have refined a system specifically for small to medium businesses that allows you to manage your budget efficiently and get to the peak of the mountain by executing key steps as modules rather than having it all figured out immediately!
Lets begin at the beginning
Maybe you are at the point where you are conducting business but haven’t had the time or resources to start a website. If you have one, please skip past this paragraph. If you don’t your main form of marketing right now, I assume, is WhatsApp statuses and broadcast messaging. You potentially have some sort of social media as well as these are quick and easy to set up. These may bring 2 or 3 leads if you’re lucky but effectually, you’re spending a lot of time for very little return. At this point since you may not have a domain you’re probably communicating with clients via Gmail. Please read this insight as to why you’re working against yourself doing that.
What if I told you that even worse than the little return, people are not going to find you on google if they search for your services. Its a bit of a downer to hear but its a fact. Social media space is rented. Having your own domain and website built based on sound UI/UX, user interface and user experience, the psychology behind how users make decisions online, allows you to guide your ideal client to converting the way you want them to. You get to jump into the drivers seat and get clients to find you. That’s your very first, most important part of your eco-system. The nucleus around which everything must evolve and your homebase!
Homebase is built. Now what?
You have your domain, you have a website. Maybe you built it yourself or you paid someone to do it. Maybe years ago. Maybe its just sitting there collecting dust or maybe you are sending it out and getting a few conversions from it. When it was built was it built with what I mentioned earlier, the psychology behind how users make decisions online? Was it built for users and built to impress Google?
In my experience however, most small to medium business owners view their website as not very useful in converting interest to clients. The reason for that is because your homebase is likely sitting in the middle of a dessert.
You may not have connected your socials, you may not have integrated analytics, the website has been sitting there for years without a single update to let google know its still there. In most cases I find that clients come to with websites that google doesn’t even know exist. The website has not been submitted or it has been but is sitting on page 50 of search results as Google doesn’t see it as an authority in your field.
This is where we start playing high school popularity. Who’s the prettiest. Who is better known. Who knows best. It should be you. That’s the basic definition of SEO – Search Engine optimisation. In order to convince Google that you should be put in front of your client ahead of your competitors, you need to show google that them sending traffic your way is worthwhile.
That’s your next big node in your eco-system. See how it connects to your website?
The island is a ghost town
Picture tumbleweeds. Vultures (bots) picking away at your hard-won website. If you built it yourself, you likely spent hours, days, weeks. Maybe you got something really good looking from ChatGPT and you were so excited to launch and then… crickets.
Lets go back to the popularity contest. So you’ve done the socials, you’ve done what the articles said to do for Goggle, yet the tumble weeds continue tumbling.
Google needs to be courted which is no easy feat. Googles metrics are strict and change very often and it’s hard to do the business you do and still have to be a master at online marketing. Social media algorithms change all the time. You are still way back in the que to being put front and center when a potential client searches for your specific purpose or product because none of this is a one and done effort.
Lets get that ghost town a-booming!
Whether you have nothing, scattered pieces, or a ghost town, the root issue is lack of architectural integration.
This is where digital architecture comes in. All these pieces of floating efforts to get your business in front of your clients must tie in to one another to create a grand ecosystem. A system and strategy is required that allows them to always be talking to, feeding and strengthening each other.
This is the critical step most business owners miss. Your digital team is not yet a team. Including things like CRM’s, mailers and automation is how you get your business making you money while you sleep. Effecting we spoke about above is your baseline. The nodes connect to homebase and connect to each other via supportive technology.
And none of it is as expensive or inaccessible as you think
As a small business owner I have a deep understanding of how cashflow issues can impede you. I have developed sound systems and packages that can take from 1 to 2 to 3 on whatever budget you have.
Whether you’re starting from a blank page, trying to wire your disconnected tools together, or wondering why your site is invisible on Google – you don’t need more random tactics. You need a blueprint. Let’s talk about building your digital architecture.
Send me your details and lets start bringing your vision to life!
