Employing best practice online techniques leads to greater business success.
Due to the wide-ranging possibilities in website design and internet marketing tools, a business must take into account the best fit (particular solutions that matches their own unique needs and expectations) as well as best practice (the standard or commonly used for business in general) to maintain an effective business online.
Most businesses choose services similar to how consumers shop. As a consumer, you might read several Yelp customer reviews. For businesses, it’s about checking out what their competitors are doing or using and trying to reproduce it. From websites to automation and everything in between, there are many different ways to connect with your customers and broader audiences online.
There is a multitudinous array of ways to position your business online. Some businesses will send out monthly specials, others will choose weekly. Some businesses will have a custom app developed, some will not. Businesses that set clear marketing goals are able to combine the best fit and best practice for their business and industry. If you’re not sure about your business online presence when it comes to best fit versus best practice, let’s explore both.
Best Fit Explained and Examples
Best fit means acquiring the elements and solutions that are best suited to your individual business that meet specific business needs. This reflects a unique positioning that is not restricted by trends. For example, your neighborhood may have two auto body shops. The first may send a text message to their customers when their vehicle is ready. The second auto body shop may call customers instead. Even though these two auto body shops are in the same industry and even located in the same neighborhood, they use different methods that fit their business needs and their customers’ needs best. Best practice may be to text the customer when their vehicle is ready, after all, everyone has a mobile phone nowadays, right? While that might be true, the older customer may not be as tech savvy or find it difficult to text, therefore it would may more sense to call them instead.
Two Examples Of Best Fit
[ 1. ] Social Media Updates
Although social media can be an effective tool to promote brand awareness and engagement, it does not always fit in with every business type. For example, Apple has had a live Twitter account since 2011 but they have not posted a single tweet to it. In this case, Twitter appears to not be the best fit for Apple to use for their official Twitter account – instead they manage Twitter accounts that represent divisions within the company: @iTunesMusic, @AppStore, @iTunesTrailers, and another nine accounts.
[ 2. ] Google Ads
Having an effective online presence is important for any business and is key to maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage. But just how much of a presence is subject to best fit. A small local dry cleaning business may prefer to utilize social media and local apps for organic advertising online versus spending their limited budget on Google Ads. Business size, scope and goals are also factors. For a small local businesses and large international corporations, competition may be minimal and so Google Ads would not be regarded as best fit for the small local dry cleaning business.
Best Practice for Business Online
Best practice is a method or technique that, through research and experience, has proven to reliably lead to a desired result and has become a standard way of doing things. For example, accessing the Internet using mobile devices is an extremely popular activity; best practice precept dictate that you should have a mobile responsive website for your business. This is not aimed at any particular business type or industry, it is simply a standard way of complying with website design and development requirements.
To reinforce this, Google is known to be less favorable to websites that do not adhere to the mobile responsive best practice; thus limiting the potential amount of web traffic a noncompliant (not mobile responsive) website could obtain. Best practice sets the standard benchmark with which businesses should measure themselves against in order to ensure success online.
Two Examples Of Best Practice
[ 1. ] Mobile Responsive Websites
Reiterating the standards from the point above, it is best practice for business websites to be mobile responsive so that it renders and performs properly on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. Given that sales can be made online, then it stands to reason that your website os one of the best ways to drive sales to your business, both online and offline. Having your website ready to perform for online visitors is best practice to not only increase possible sales, but also generate more leads.
[ 2. ] Having a Blog
Blogging has been around for a very long time, but it has evolved as a literary form, generating a new and standard style that enable businesses and writers to express themselves in ways that connects with their readers. It is best practice to have a regularly updated blog within your website to engage with customers and ultimately make their lives easier. Business growth occurs in relation to your competitors, your target audience, and search engines. With fresh content added ideally at least weekly to your blog, this signals Google that your website is updated and therefore worth directing traffic to. Business blogs typically don’t involve ‘direct’ promotion of your products and services, instead the promotion just comes in a more ‘passive’ way. This informal approach can be a useful tactic to target potential customers and connect with existing customers.
Wrapping Up
In the improper implementation of best fit and the absence of some essential best practice elements online, your business could be at risk of search visibility, thus losing out sales and leads to your competitors. As a premier internet marketing agency based in San Diego, California our team has a vast amount of experience and can help you reach your website and marketing online goals. Call us at (858) 874-6528 or get a quote online.
About the Author
Hazel Burgess is the Founder and Creative Director of Envisager Studio, a premier website design agency specializing in WordPress website design, development and content marketing promotion. The company is based in San Diego, CA and works with companies that range from small business to enterprise level. Follow +Hazel Burgess on Google+ as well as Twitter.
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