Digital Transformation of SMBs

Once your website is launched, consumers can start visiting your page. Here are some ways to promote your website:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): A marketing technique of fine-tuning a website so consumers looking for businesses like yours can quickly find you on search engines.  A free technique you can perform is modifying the content and structure of a website's text to match likely searched keywords
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising: A model of advertising that allows businesses to pay when their ad is clicked by online users. Typically, you pay a PPC service to have your ad appear when a chosen keyword or phrase is searched
• Other search engine options: Some search engines may allow you to list your business on various parts of their sites in order to make it easier for consumers to find you

An online marketplace is a third-party website that lets businesses post their products for potential buyers to see and purchase. Here are some considerations to keep in mind:

• When selecting an online marketplace, think about factors such as the type of product you're offering, who your target audience is, and where they go online to shop
• Your marketplace listings should showcase all that consumers may need to know about your product, including compelling visuals, information about your brand, and any relevant shipping considerations

There are several digital marketing tools you can use to promote and market your business, including:

• E-mail: May be used to announce promotions or relevant news to your customers under certain circumstances. Get your customers to view your e-mails by providing relevant and personalized content and ensuring you have a clear call to action (or what you want your consumers to do)
• Social Media: Allows you to engage with your customers and share relevant content with them. Keep consumers engaged by sharing your expertise, making product and promotion announcements, and asking them to join the conversation
• Review Sites: Remain competitive in part by finding out what your customers are saying about your business. Strive to keep your online reviews strong and current. Go the extra mile by responding to both positive and negative reviews quickly. And don't be shy about asking customers to share online how your business is doing

Loyalty programs can help encourage customers to visit and return to your business. Some guidelines for creating a loyalty program:

• Offer rewards that customers want, create an easy path for getting rewarded, and allow customers to earn rewards in a timely manner
• There are several options available to help you get your loyalty program up and running:
  • POS provider: Check to see if your POS provider has a built-in loyalty rewards program system
  • Card-Linked Programs: These programs are usually offered by payment networks, banks, and third parties. They typically allow customers to seamlessly enroll and automatically receive rewards
  • Plug and Play: There are various plug and play loyalty solutions online. When evaluating these, think about what offers and rewards matter most to your customers and pick the provider that best suits your business
• Once you've set up your loyalty program, be sure to promote it to your customers. The more they use it, the more likely they are to turn into loyal customers

You can use technology when it comes to managing other parts of your business:

• Supplier and inventory management: A variety of products and software can help you track inventory, and manage purchase orders (POs), invoices, and contracts more efficiently
• Tracking business expenses: Small business debit and credit cards can help track expenses quickly and easily, provide purchase protections, and use controls to protect from employee misuse. See the Partners section below for potential option
• Staffing & payroll optimization: A multitude of programs can provide guidance on tasks such as predicting labor costs, scheduling hourly employees, and managing payroll