Being online is fast becoming a necessity rather than a need. Customers now expect businesses to have a website in most cases – even the small ones. And businesses, from the local gardener to the bakery, are fast becoming aware that they need a website to keep up with changing times.
This is good news if you’re looking to take your internet marketing consultancy business local.
To get started you will, of course, need a good grasp of marketing. Your job will mainly be to educate local business owners about internet business. It’s important to realize early on that you’ll be an educator in this field because many small business owners don’t know a lot about the internet. They know they probably need a website but the knowledge may stop there.
To really thrive in the local market, therefore, you’ll present yourself as the internet marketing expert who helps small businesses develop a web presence. Here are a few steps to getting started:
#1 – Let your website speak for you. Firstly, create a website which explains all of your services in clear terms. Let potential clients know how you can help them and more importantly why you are the person for the job. Include information on your website about the services you offer and their importance.
For example, let people know why a website is important. Explain how it can be a virtual 24-hour shop front, that many people now first search on the net when looking for a local business, and that they may get more customers and clients from having a web presence. All of this information will help you get the message across to potential clients of the importance of your services.
#2 – Create a free booklet. There’s no need to create a high-end glossy brochure; what you need here is a simple booklet packed with easy-to-read information about starting an online business. Distribute these to local business owners so that they can read at their leisure all about putting the business online. Make sure the booklet is geared towards the complete beginner and explain all the basics, include the benefits of having a web presence, and information about how you help people achieve this.
#3 – Use case studies. Educating potential clients about internet marketing isn’t always easy. Case studies can help to cement a clear picture in the reader’s mind of how certain services can help. Include information about clients you’ve helped in the past. You may want to use the example of the local business person whom you helped to build a website and as a result increased their customer base. Give examples of how you did this and make it easy for the reader to see how this can potentially help their business too.
Starting up a local internet marketing consultancy business is a great move. Every business around you can potentially use your services. If you take on the role of educator in this field, it will be much easier to gain and keep new clients.
