Numerous small businesses understand they should invest in digital advertising and other forms of online marketing, but despite their best efforts, the results generally fall short of expectations. Poor search ranking positions, low web traffic, a lack of strong incoming leads to the business, or wasted advertising money are some of the major concerns local businesses experience from online marketing not performing. The reality is that online marketing is not failing them; instead, strategy, execution, and consistency are!
In this blog, experts at Light Buzz Media list the top five reasons why local businesses experience difficulty with online marketing and barriers to growth.
1. Lack of A Marketing Strategy for Online Advertising
One of the greatest challenges small business owners face is developing a structured marketing plan. Marketing is typically a reaction to what is happening, e.g. putting something on their Facebook account or shooting off ads without any market targeting, or posting random blog articles without a future expectation.
Without a defined and structured marketing strategy that correlates to the overall business strategy, the best digital tools will still not produce sufficient results. Successful online marketing occurs when there is a defined plan for the target audience, the applicable channels, the messaging strategy, and the conversion/activity goals.
2. Sub-Par Local Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Visibility
The Internet, mostly in the form of search engines, is the primary way people search for businesses before making a buying decision. However, the majority of small businesses do not show up in the locations that matter the most, i.e. Google Search and Google Map because of reasons such as:
- Not having a complete Google Business Listing profile
- Local citations that are inconsistent with the actual business name
- A lack of or too few reviews of the business on Google
- Having a website that is not optimised properly for local search rankings.
If your business isn’t appearing for local search terms, potential customers are finding your competitors instead.
3. Trying to Do Everything In-House
Local business owners often juggle many roles, marketing being one of them, which creates a long to-do list for them. Unfortunately, digital marketing requires continuous optimisation, technical understanding, and continuous monitoring.
When a local business does not have enough time or experience with managing SEO in digital marketing (search engine optimisation), advertisements, content and analytics correctly, they typically see inconsistent or no results. This leads them to believe that “online marketing does not work,” but it is actually being executed improperly.
4. Ineffective Websites That Don’t Convert
Even if the local business directs traffic to their website, there typically will be low conversions because of several factors, such as:
- Slow loading times
- Confusing layouts
- Confusing messaging
- A clearly stated “call to action” is not available
The absence of the above factors prevents visitors from turning into buyers.
A website should be a 24/7 salesperson! However, many local businesses treat their website like a digital brochure.
5. Chasing Tactics Instead of Building Trust
Many local businesses have jumped from one trend to another (i.e. social media ads, AI tools and influencer posts) without creating long-term trust and credibility. Today’s success through the use of the internet heavily relies upon reviews, testimonials, local authority and consistency in branding.
Without building trust, traffic will not turn into leads.
An excellent way for local stores to enhance profit margins is through Internet marketing, provided it is executed appropriately. The major factors involved in the success of online marketing include proper planning and implementating a SEO plan, brand identification (how easy customers can find your business), consistency of presence on the internet, and the ability to convert leads into sales.
Ready to Fix Your Online Marketing?
If you're a local company having issues generating leads, getting ranked high in search results or are struggling to get a good return on your marketing, we can assist you. Light Buzz Media, a leading digital marketing agency, specialises in helping local businesses attract the right customers and turn traffic into revenue.
Schedule with us today for a free Internet marketing audit and strategy session to get started turning your business presence on the web into a financially successful business.