How to Use Your Website as a Marketing Tool

Your website has the potential to become a powerful sales machine. It forms the basis of all online marketing with the capacity to branch out to all other online marketing avenues.

Learning how to use your website as a marketing tool is an important first step for any business manager who is starting to realize the importance and potential of SEO. Here are some basic tips on where to begin.

1. Perpetuate Your Branding

Your branding must become synonymous with the industry you’re in. People should be able to recognize you whenever they see a meme, infographic or video you’ve created.

Creating a memorable logo design has the potential to skyrocket your visibility and steer people directly to your website. Once you have one, you should be adding it to every piece of content you put out there.

If it’s cleverly designed and unique, the audience you’re trying to target (the ones consuming your content on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube) will flock to your site.

2. Create a Longform FAQ Article

Since 8% of all Google queries are questions from users, it’s time you capitalized on this by answering all the questions pertinent to your industry.

An FAQ article is a type of blog that consists predominantly of questions and answers. Google picks up on “question and answer” dialogue and will immediately rank content that answers those questions best.

As a question answered, your site will immediately gain momentum by becoming the go-to knowledge hub for those who are already interested in your products or services.

3. Design a Blog Pillar Post

Blog pillar posts are more powerful than normal blogs because they are designed to appeal to people as well as Google’s algorithms.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create a blog pillar post that boosts the ranking on your website and adds value to your audience.

1. Come up with a great concept that adds value to your audience and make sure it’s relevant to your industry.
2. Create a title that’s list oriented. The longer the list of potential ‘hacks’ or ‘tips’ you can provide, the better!
3. Start by writing about 3 of those concepts.
4. Publish your blog under a catchy title, such as; “3 Failproof Ways to…” or “3 Neglected Methods to…”
5. Add an image or video for each one.

Now for the important part…

1. Add another tip each month, making sure you also change the number in your title as you add those tips.
2. Also update the existing content in the blog wherever relevant.

This constant adding and updating gets Google real excited, and within 6 months your rank is sure to improve significantly.

4. Sell Directly from Your Site

You don’t have to transform your website into an eCommerce site to sell your products or services online. Your website already has the ability to present products and sell them directly.

Add products along with prices and offer delivery wherever you are able. Before you know it, you’ll have a much more convenient way to sell your products in a world where people are more prone to stay at home and have things brought to their front door.

5. Ratings and Testimonials

Become the type of business manager that thrives on good reviews. Then boast about those reviews by adding them in the most prominent places on your website.

Testimonials and positive Google ratings should appear on your website where they are most noticeable, so gather them up and start showing them off!

Google uses a 5-Star system to rate businesses. If yours is higher than 4 stars, display it on your home page and instil trust in future users looking for your services. It’s the surest way to develop credibility among your audience in a world where competition is so strong.

6. Conduct Interviews

Interviewing industry experts is a great way to set yourself up as an industry leader and trustworthy source for whatever your business sells.

Conduct interviews and post them directly to your site. Or post them on YouTube and create a video feed on your site that allows users to watch it without navigating away from your page.

Who can you interview?

• Suppliers
• Affiliates
• International experts
• Local experts

Basically anyone who can add interest and value to a topic related to your industry.

7. Create Tutorials

Teaching your audience is one of the most powerful marketing tools you can utilize—and you can do this directly from your current website!

Embed videos or simply create a step by step written tutorial on how to solve a common problem your target audience has to deal with regularly.

Your solution-based content will direct people to your site, where they will trust you, buy from you and refer you to others who have the same needs.