The Beginner's Guide to Internet Marketing Fundamentals

Define your Goals

To start, define your target audience and what you want to achieve with your website - an increase in conversions? More attendance for an event? With detailed milestones, it is easy to track your success and plan strategies.

Create Content - consistently

Google's SEO algorithms reward websites that post frequent and relevant content. It helps search engines understand that your site belongs to an active, engaged business that deserves attention. If you're an ice cream shop, for example, keeping an updated menu online and sharing your recipes and upcoming events is a great way to please the Google bots. 

bitcookie blog writing cms

Thankfully, content creation is easy! Most websites, including Bitcookie sites, are equipped with a Content Management System so that you can handle all of your online information without knowing any code. For restaurants with seasonal menus, or online magazines with articles posted daily, a CMS is crucial. Without a CMS, your page content would be stuck within code and would be tricky to change on the fly.

Creativity Leads to Conversion

Consistently posting relevant content on your website will propel your search ranking - but in order to increase conversions, you need to engage readers with your content. Show them something they haven't seen before. There are thousands of "What kind of Disney Princess are you" quizzes (about 26,100,000 results on google) - don't add to the pile of monotony or your business will be lost.

Sharing unique ideas that no one has ever seen before is exciting and gives your brand an edge as an innovator - not just your average ice cream shop, but an ice cream shop that built its own machines to make the perfect vegan cookie-swirl ice cream, automating an entire system to cut costs on purchasing milk. What sets you apart? Why is something news-worthy? 

Use [high-quality] images

upload photos

We're all flooded with information - get your reader's attention with professional images highlighting your product or service. It is far more appealing to share an image of your tasty ice cream than to try describing it in text. Images hook and captivate the reader. 

Again, this is an easy feat if your web platform comes with a CMS. Our image uploader makes it easy to update your photo gallery or pages - just select your file and hit upload. You can also drag-and-drop images in the gallery in grid or list view to organize the display. 

Socialize...

Networking on and offline is critical. A great way to find your place on the web is to embark in a journey of seeking out your own business: how are your clients looking for other ice cream shops? Do you need to post your business information in listings like Yelp, UrbanSpoon, CitySearch, or Local.Yahoo?

Let's not forget the most popular social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest... Where do you need to be? You don't have to maintain every social account available online. Find where your target demographic hangs out and searches for information. Post strategically in the hours that you think they may be checking their Twitter feed or email. Be precise, patient, and calculated. Retweet or share relevant content in addition to posting your original content. Share often, but not too much - once a day is plenty. The key to frequency of sharing is based on the quality of the post. If your posting just to post, that will burn out your audience.

bitcookienc twitterWHO TO FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA

  • industry leaders
  • local businesses
  • potential clients
  • current clients

How to propel your brand IRL (in real life)

  • Attend related events: sell your ice cream at outdoor markets
  • book a vendor spot at an annual event
  • cater city functions
  • participate in charity walks or fundraisers
  • team up with other businesses to bring unlikely combinations together: like a local wine company's best blueberry fermentations as an ingredient in your ice cream

...And then funnel all traffic to your website

After you've updated your social sites, make sure they all have backlinks to your website. Of course you want to have a following on your social accounts, but your main goal is to pave a path for your reader to flow to your site, experience your brand image, and make a purchase.

Track it all with Google Analytics

Track the impact of all the changes you've been making to your website as often as possible. Pay attention to all the information: we have seen drops in page views and simultaneously a huge increase in conversions. Also, the metrics that really serve your business are not necessarily "likes" and hits but how valuable those visitors and fans are - try to keep your eyes on the important data and avoid getting sucked up in these pop-metrics.