Another year has come and gone. Now that the revelry of the season has passed, 2017 is stretched out in front of us like a blank canvas—full of possibilities! This year, take your business and profitability to the next level by making these online marketing resolutions:

1. Start a Blog (or Be More Active in Your Current Blog).

   If you are looking for a surefire way to improve website traffic, naturally work in keywords, build authority, and boost brand awareness, consider adding a blog to your website or dusting off and reviving that old, outdated blog with some fresh posts. And then plan on blogging once or twice a week. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Maybe you are just providing an answer to a frequently asked question, posting a recipe, or explaining the uses for a specific product or service. Aim for at least 300 words and write naturally, as if you are speaking directly to a customer. Don’t fancy yourself a grammarian? Run your post through Grammarly.com to catch errors.

2. Become Active on Social Media.

   Improve your reach by harnessing the power of social media. Yes, it can be tedious and time-consuming at times, but it can also be an inexpensive way to market your brand and build a following. Depending on your specific niche, different social media sites will yield different results. Remember those blog posts you were thinking of writing weekly? You can push those out through your various social media channels to reach a larger audience. Got a new "featured dish"? Why not snap a photo and post it to Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for your customers to see? Running a special? Spread the news through social media so your followers can share the love.

3. Focus on Local Search.

   When you search for a product or service in your area, what pops up in search results? Yes, you will see some business websites, but you will probably also notice several local directories pop up. For example, if you search for restaurants, you might see TripAdvisor and Zomato. If you search for law firms, you may see Avvo, Justia, and other related legal directories. Make 2017 the year that you ensure that you have set up a Google Business page, a Bing Places for Business page, and have submitted your business information to other relevant local directories, like Yelp, Manta, Superpages, YP.com, and others, depending on your specific type of business.

4. Study Your Website Analytics Regularly.

   Whether you use a WordPress plugin, Business Catalyst analytics, or something more robust, like Google Analytics, be sure to study your website analytics to discover how visitors are searching for you, what pages on your website get the most traffic, how your landing pages are performing, which products/services are most popular, and much more. We recommend having Google Analytics set up on your website because it provides the most accurate, comprehensive information. It is also free, so that’s a plus.

There are many ways to set yourself up for online success in 2017, but with time and effort, the four tips listed above will make a big impact on your website visibility in search results and customer conversion rates. Need help implementing any of the tips above? We’re here for you! Contact us today to learn more about any of our internet marketing services or GET A FREE QUOTE.