The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses across the world to change the way they operate in so many ways. In that time, the retail landscape has changed considerably and businesses must now embrace all things digital if they want to ensure their operations are strong enough to survive. Search Creative specialises in digital marketing in Chester and understands how to deliver a portfolio of digital services that can help businesses to survive and thrive, even in the most challenging marketplaces and circumstances.
We strongly believe in the power of digital and to emphasise its potential, we think it is worthwhile taking the time here to explore the current state of the digital landscape and run through how a full program of search engine optimisation (SEO), content management and pay per click (PPC) advertising can support businesses like yours to reach and surpass your core goals and objectives.
As we have seen over the last few months, remaining flexible and adaptable to changeable conditions and marketplaces is imperative to the survival of businesses operating in every industry and sector around the world. It is unlikely that things will ever return to the way they were before the COVID-19 pandemic started to cause so much disruption. As we all adjust to our new normal, we need to be proactive in our approaches and make informed decisions in order to strive for new successes moving forwards.
The digital landscape post-COVID-19
During March 2020, retail sales saw a decline of almost 10%. In the following month, however, the e-commerce sector saw unprecedented growth as consumers adjusted their shopping habits in response to the situation they were experiencing. Just as an example, businesses operating in the online grocery sector experienced growth in excess of 100% and those offering click and collect services also saw higher than average transactions.
So, businesses that were prepared for or had the capabilities in place to facilitate this shift immediately benefited. Conversely, those with poor digital offerings have found this time extraordinarily difficult to navigate. Digital professionals like ourselves have been hyper-focused on an inevitable shift to digital for some time and we recognise that a strong SEO strategy is imperative to the future success of businesses operating within a wide variety of industries and sectors.
Consumer shopping habits have changed significantly in a very short space of time, largely due to necessity. What this change is also likely to do, however, is continue as more consumers become increasingly comfortable and confident when engaging with the digital space. Remember, consumer psychologists consistently state that it only takes around 65 days for a new habit to form, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise when consumers continue to turn to the digital space, even when they don’t necessarily have to.
This news is good for businesses that have been capitalising during this time but for businesses who have struggled, all is not lost. Provided that you take this opportunity to devise and implement a strong digital strategy that has the power to grow with your business, success is well within your reach.
Let’s take a look at how partnering with an agency specialising in the delivery of high-quality SEO in Chester can help your business to identify new opportunities and benefit from situations that might, initially, appear challenging.
Content creation and the importance of effective optimisation
Over the short term, as they have been spending more time confined at home, consumers have been spending more time online. Social media usage has increased and in response, proactive business owners have been channelling resources into engaging with their community and building brand awareness in ways that feel authentic and approachable.
Consumers are actively consuming more content and businesses are responding by creating more of it in an attempt to satiate demand. It is not enough to simply push out streams of content without ensuring that it is appropriately optimised with both audiences and search engines in mind.
We know that the potential exists to attract new streams of traffic to your website and content is an excellent way to do this in a valuable and extremely cost-effective way. SEO can be utilised in a variety of ways to benefit your business and content optimisation is essential to ensuring that your business is hyper-visible to the right audience, in the right place, and at precisely the right time.
From targeting the correct keywords to delivering information in formats that your ideal audience is most receptive to, the Search Creative team are committed to delivering online marketing in Chester that is best-placed to help businesses like yours to nurture and engage a community of consumers who are interested in what you have to offer.
What does the future of digital marketing in Chester look like?
You have likely heard the phrase “content is king” before and it is such a prevalent term because it’s true. Content is one of the driving forces behind every strong marketing and SEO strategy but we are still encountering decision-makers who are reluctant to invest in this integral component. We recognise that the current climate is causing myriad financial pressures, however failing to create and share high-quality content can lead to lasting damage to your business that could become apparent in a variety of different ways, including failing to:
- build brand awareness amongst your ideal audience
- attract streams of high-quality, highly convertible traffic
- drive a strong click-through rate (CTR) to your most important webpages
Search engine algorithms actively reward websites that are frequently updated with relevant and informative content that audiences really want to engage with and find valuable. Remember, search engines actively want to deliver the highest quality results to every user which is why they invest so much time into constructing intelligent search algorithms that understand how to serve the best results for each query.
Since high-quality websites are rewarded with more prominent ranking positions in search engine results pages (SERPs) they can drive better CTRs and benefit from additional traffic which they can then channel into their sales funnel and convert later down the line.
Whether updating your website means utilising prominent COVID-19 related keywords to drive results or instead focusing your attention on the creation of brand awareness building content, different components of digital marketing can be used to the advantage of your business and tailored to the unique objectives you are striving to achieve.
As an example here, although some businesses are channelling resources into the creation of sales-focused content in order to drive the most sales and secure even more conversions, if you operate in a sector that isn’t experiencing significant growth this approach likely isn’t going to drive the kinds of results you want to see. Instead, brand awareness should be your primary focus and there are myriad ways in which you could choose to do this to great effect.
From taking your audience behind the scenes of your operation to showcasing your knowledge in ways that help you to earn the trust of your ideal customer, it is often this type of content that creates a lasting impression and ensures that your business is one of the first consumers think of when looking at the types of products and/or services you provide. But remember, without proper optimisation processes, you will struggle to ensure the content you have created is being seen by the right people at the right times.
How can working with an agency specialising in online marketing in Chester help my business?
The best digital agencies take a multi-strand approach to every strategy they create and the ability to tap into the knowledge base and skillset of a variety of different digital professionals will provide tangible benefits for your business.
As an experienced team specialising in SEO in Chester, we ensure that content plays a comprehensive and considered role in the personalised optimisation and marketing strategies we create for each one of our clients.
Why?
Because, when integrated correctly, it is one of the most cost-effective strategies that will deliver a decent return on your investment (ROI) and high traffic equity long into the future. Don’t forget, the content you share now can be updated to ensure it continues to serve the needs of your business, even if those parameters change as your offering evolves.
To give you an idea as to what you can expect, here are some of the steps we will take during the initial phases of developing a tailored strategy to help you to propel your business further towards achieving your primary goals and objectives.
We believe that the strongest strategies begin with an audit of your current offerings. In addition to evaluating the structure of your website, this process will often highlight new ways to boost engagement, identify new keywords and subjects to target, and emphasise some of the technical refinements that can be made to strengthen your online presence.
Focusing on lead generation is also critical to success because in increasingly competitive marketplaces, you need to ensure your business has ways to directly contact as many of your prospective customers as possible. Strong calls-to-action (CTAs) are integral to powerful lead generation strategies, alongside offering personalised incentives or other bonuses that will help you to make valuable connections with your ideal audience. With this type of strategy in place and delivering results, any future sales downturns you experience will be much less jarring as there will be steps you can take to mitigate the impact and drive better results.
Additionally, all the work you put in here will ultimately benefit the quality of the user experience (UX) you are able to provide. Beyond appeasing the search engine algorithms, a high-quality UX actively demonstrates to your audience that you both understand and care about their needs. This could be the deciding factor that separates your offering from that of one of your closest competitors in the minds’ of your audience.
At a time when competition is at an all-time high, even apparently small steps can make a significant impact on your bottom line. With attention to detail being critical, partnering with an experienced agency means that you will have multiple pairs of eyes looking at every part of your strategy, which will help you to ensure that the most beneficial decisions are made at every opportunity.
The benefits of first class PPC management in Chester
Going back to our multi-strand approach, it would be remiss to overlook the potential that still exists within PPC advertising. Over the last few months, we have seen consumer priorities shift away from brand loyalty as certain products became more difficult to obtain. Instead, availability has taken precedence and businesses that have managed to effectively present themselves to as many prospective customers as possible have reaped significant rewards.
Whether you want to promote your business on a global level, a local level, or anywhere in between, the most powerful PPC strategies are carefully managed by teams with the expertise to respond to evolving marketplaces and changing demands. From boosting transactions to highlighting the additional services you can offer that will make the lives of your prospective customers that bit easier, PPC advertising can be a uniquely powerful tool that will deliver a solid ROI, even in financially challenging times.
If you are thinking about partnering with a knowledgeable agency specialising in SEO, online marketing and PPC management in Chester, Search Creative is equipped with the expertise to help your business to make an impact within your industry for all the right reasons.
