Although the restrictions are gradually being lifted, many of us are still spending more time on our computers, tablets, and cellphones than ever before. Our digital reliance is at an all-time high, whether it's to participate in a Zoom conversation with colleagues at work or to pass the time by online shopping on our phones.

Because most businesses can only offer a digital shop, your website is most likely your only means of brand representation. As a result, it's critical to your company's survival during these trying times.

Many businesses had to temporarily lock their doors during the pandemic to keep their employees and customers safe. Even if your business is currently closed, keep in mind that the internet is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Just because customers can't go into your business to make a purchase doesn't indicate demand has decreased or that they've stopped buying altogether; they've simply discovered a new means to do so.

A source for brand recognition

With the present pandemic, strolling down your local highstreet to shop isn't as simple as it once was. Customers are continuously looking for where they plan to make their next purchases by visiting Yahoo, Bing, Google, and other online search engines on a regular basis.

Make sure your company is well-represented at all times by having a website that is prominently shown on search engines, review sites, online directories, and other online locations where your company can be evaluated. Be sure to provide your street address, phone number, and email address in addition to your URL website address.

Other techniques of promotion are also made much easier with a website. As social media marketing continues to dominate the digital marketing landscape, having the ability to link back to a professional, user-friendly website with all the information a customer requires is invaluable!

Ease of access

Furthermore, if you plan to run ads (such as Facebook ads), you can send consumers to your website's digital store, a specific product, an information landing page, or whatever you think will produce the greatest results.

If you don't have a website, your competitors almost certainly will, which means you could be missing out on new clients or being at the top of your current consumers' minds. It is critical that no opportunities are lost, and the competitor gains an advantage, especially now that so many enterprises are operating online.

Websites that are designed with the user in mind may accommodate every type of consumer, whether they choose to call a phone number, speak with someone directly via live chat, or fill out a contact form. This makes handling customer service and providing the type of communication that your clients desire much easier.

Social media back up

You may cut customer support costs, save time and money, and provide much more information by offering answers to frequently asked questions in a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section.

In the long run, this will foster great customer relations and allow you to collect client reviews and testimonials, which you can then publish on your website to boost your company's credibility.

Looking for a new website? We’re happy to help! - Stay competitive

We recognize that businesses are navigating through a difficult period, and we want to assist! Our marketing firm in Marietta, GA, can help you create a professional online presence to help you update your clients and keep up with competition, from building brand-new WordPress websites to optimizing or revamping your existing website.

Call (678) 412-0921 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Let's Get Started

Most businesses spend a lot of time and money marketing, whether it’s something they pay an agency to do or do themselves.

Whether it is their website and SEO, flyers and brochures, networking meetings, Google Ads, social media marketing, cold calling, promotional mugs, vehicle wraps, all of these have one single point of failure, and unfortunately, a lot of businesses have this, especially during the pandemic. This can pretty much stop the vast majority of this marketing from working, costing businesses customers, and wasting their money.

Let’s explain this by way of a story…

We were approached by a company a few years back and requested for an estimate to fix their SEO and website because they weren't receiving any leads.

After some investigation, we discovered that their SEO was adequate, and that their website, while far from ideal, was usable. So, with the approval of a partner, we set off on a nefarious expedition.

We created fictitious accounts to make 10 phone, email, and internet contact forms inquiries. All of these were addressed to various departments. Only two of the ten inquiries had received a response after a week.

The trouble is, when you're looking for a supplier, you'll set aside some time, conduct some research, contact a few businesses, and then wait for a response. Those who do not respond are not taken into consideration. People usually only keep trying to contact you if they are serious about doing business with you.

In other words, this company was squandering about 80% of its business and wasting 80% of its marketing spend.

Our recommendation to them was to forget about websites and SEO and hire a new receptionist!

Regardless, we got the job!

Because more individuals are working from home during the pandemic, many businesses are missing out on revenue.

As a result, the single point of failure is failure to respond to inquiries in a timely manner. This is enough to make your marketing ineffective.

This can be as simple as picking up the phone and, if you miss a call, dialing the number again, even if no voicemail is left. But also responding to emails, even if it's just a basic "All received, we'll contact you within 24 hours" message.

There's no use in investing thousands on a website or digital marketing if you're not going to use it.

So, a good tip is to consider how persistent you would be in selecting a supplier; would you keep trying one that doesn't respond, or would you go on to the next? If you want to move on, consider whether you could accomplish this in your own firm, or even better, have someone test you when you're not expecting it!

Did you know that 90% of those who said they read online reviews said that positive ratings influenced their purchasing decisions?

That's a lot of individuals who will judge your company solely on the basis of a stranger's opinion, so why would you risk losing that business by not staying on top of review collection?

Word of mouth is no longer sufficient because everyone is searching online and comparing every business they come across, and whether you are number one on Google or number ten, negative or no reviews can have a significant influence.

We'll look at the value of reviews and how you can start collecting them right now in this article.

Customer perceptions of your business can be influenced by reviews.

It's all too tempting to dismiss a negative review and hope that no one notices, but once it's out there, you should address it... Consider this: you're looking for a marketing firm in Dorset, and the first thing you come across on Google is a complaint from a dissatisfied customer who claims the services are too expensive and the outcomes are bad... You'd go on to the next agency right away.

This negative review could be completely false, outdated, or even spam! However, if there was no reaction, no one would know.

Google despises negative ratings as well.

Bad reviews have an impact on more than just potential customers and/or clients; Google will read these reviews and penalize you as a result.
Take two Italian restaurants as an example: both have similar Google authority in terms of keyword rankings, and both keep their websites current and up to date. However, because one has a Google ranking of 2 out of 5 while the other has a 4.5, Google will naturally rank the latter higher in local searches.

Keeping Google happy is a simple way to remain ahead of the competition, and you've already won half the battle!

So, what's the best way to collect reviews?

To begin, you'll want to make sure that if you give people the chance to evaluate your products or services, you're confident that you'll get a positive reaction - remember, reviews show the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Next, you'll want to figure out which review platform is best for you. Here are some popular choices:

Google My Business — This platform is likely the most difficult to collect reviews on because reviewers must have a Google account, making it time-consuming. We've discovered that if you know your customers well, this is the greatest solution.

Many of our clients are now using Trustpilot as their review solution because it is free, quick, and simple for their consumers to submit feedback. You also get a convenient dashboard that allows you to respond immediately to your reviews (both positive and poor!). It's also Google-verified. 

Facebook — Since the vast majority of individuals you meet will have a Facebook account, seeking these reviews should be simple. Sending out a targeted email campaign is an efficient technique for us to gain more Facebook reviews.

Don't forget that any of these techniques can be combined with others.