You’ve probably heard the famous saying: “It takes money to make money.” This is particularly true when it comes to producing results via marketing. Fortunately, there are many ways to market your website on a shoestring budget. By using some key techniques, you can ensure that your content is seen by the right people without breaking the bank.
Marketing plays an essential part in the success of any business. It’s the channel that brings your content, products, and/or services to the attention of your core audience. Some of those individuals will then go on to become paying customers, driving your conversions up.
Despite its importance, however, many small businesses continue to under-invest in their marketing efforts.
For example, the majority of business owners report wishing that they had invested two to five times more money in marketing every year. At the same time, marketing is the smallest annual expenditure among small businesses, and is significantly outweighed by the purchasing of equipment and technology.
This is most likely due to the often high price tag that’s attached to marketing. The expense of creating promotional media can be incredibly high. Putting so much money into just one aspect of running a website may seem daunting, especially when there are other costs to consider, such as hosting and maintenance.
When budgets are tight, marketing might be the first expense you look to cut. However, your efforts in this area should be considered an investment in the future of your website. Just to give one example, businesses make an average of $2 in revenue for every $1 they spend on Google advertisements.
In other words, putting resources into marketing can help you generate more income further down the line. After all, without careful marketing it’s unlikely that your content will even be seen. This aspect of your business is an essential part of bringing in traffic and securing conversions.
Fortunately, there are a number of cost-effective ways to promote your website. Let’s take a look at three of the best methods for making the most of a small budget.
Harness Social Media
Despite its original focus on interpersonal communication, social media is now one of the most effective marketing tools. Creating an account is free on all the major platforms, making this the perfect solution for small businesses without a lot of money to spend.
When using social media to promote your site, it’s important to first consider the basics. For example, you’ll need a well fleshed-out profile on each of your chosen platforms. Don’t forget to include your business’ name, links to your site, and any relevant contact information. This will help you establish a more professional brand image, and begin to build user trust.
Most platforms will also offer budget-friendly paid advertising options, along with additional marketing tools. The Facebook Pixel, for example, is a highly-detailed tracking tool that’s designed to help you reach a targeted audience.
Social media is even an excellent place to provide customer service, especially on a small budget. In fact, it can cost six times more to solve a customer issue through a call center than it would using a social media platform. Being responsive on these sites will also help you build credibility, an important factor in securing conversions.
Focus on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process used to increase a website’s position within Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). When used effectively, it can be an excellent way to get your content noticed without spending a cent.
The simplest method for boosting your SEO is to use long-tail keywords within your content. These keywords are designed to closely match the queries potential customers actually make, meaning that your website is more likely to rank highly for those searches. You should also ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and properly secured, as both can affect your rankings.
While there are never any guarantees when it comes to SEO, taking the time to carefully craft a strategy can have a positive impact on your site’s visibility. Of course, the best thing about SEO is that it can be a completely free marketing tool. Its success is largely based on your individual efforts. Plus, there are many free tools to help, such as the Google Keyword Planner.
There are also some useful premium tools that can aid in the SEO process, as well as platform-specific solutions such as Yoast SEO. While these are useful, however, they aren’t essential in driving traffic to your site.
Make Use of Email Marketing
Marketing via email can be an ideal way to target your existing customers, and reach out to potential new ones. Crafting strong emails may seem challenging, especially when you have a million other things to do. Fortunately, there are several handy tools available that can help you automate the process.
MailChimp is a particularly efficient solution, enabling you to schedule content, segment audiences and craft your emails with ease. This tool will also provide detailed analysis on how well your content is doing and offer tips for improvement. Best of all, a basic MailChimp account is completely free.
Of course, there are plenty of other email marketing platforms to consider. If you have the available funds, investing in a modest premium plan might also be justified. Revenue from email campaigns makes up an average of 21% of a small company’s overall revenue, making email marketing is a viable source of income.
Failing to promote your content effectively could lead to low levels of site traffic and reduced conversions. Despite this fact, many small businesses under-invest in their marketing efforts. This is due to the often substantial price tag some techniques can carry. Fortunately, excellent marketing doesn’t always have to be expensive.
Do you have any further questions about marketing your website on a tight budget? Let us know in the comments section below!