It is undeniable that the use of digital tools has facilitated the connection between businesses and consumers online. However, it is also true that nowadays, business owners face a relentlessly competitive digital space that can be overwhelming as they struggle to reach their audience and increase sales – and local Richmond business owners are no exception.
Fortunately, there are several actions you can take to make the most of these digital tools and strategies to reach customers, boost sales and make your business stand out and thrive in the digital realm. Here are five tips to leverage digital marketing strategies to drive sales performance for your Richmond-based business.
1. Prioritize Local SEO Optimization for Local and Service-Based Search Terms
Many local consumers, including Richmond shoppers, begin their shopping journey with a generic local Google search. Consumers might search for things like “Richmond plumber” or “Richmond daycare” to find organizations or services that they need. This creates a fantastic opportunity for Richmond businesses to attract prospects who are in the market for the products and services these businesses offer, and bring these prospects to the businesses’ websites where the prospects can learn more about what the businesses offer.
By investing in a website’s search ranking improvement on Google search results for local and service-based search terms, Richmond businesses can gain the opportunity to turn these local shoppers into their customers.
It’s not just Richmond consumers who start their shopping journey with a generic search: consumers or travellers from other cities can also start their shopping journey with search terms. For example, travellers from Seattle may search for something like “Richmond hotels” or “things to do in Richmond” to find accommodations or entertainment ahead of their trip. If you’re in the Richmond hospitality industry, you can capitalize on this opportunity to attract prospects to your website by investing in content creation for your website that is related to these search terms so that your website can appear higher on Google search results for these terms.
2. Launch Geo-Focused Product and Service Based Google Ads Campaigns
While improving your website’s search rankings for local search terms is a great approach to gaining new customers, this digital marketing approach can be time-consuming.
To see results more quickly, consider launching Google Ads campaigns. Google Ads is a Google-powered digital advertising platform that lets you serve ads on Google search results for specific queries your business bids on. For example, if you’re a Richmond dealership and you want to promote a specific brand and model such as “BMW M3”, you can bid on this phrase so that your ad can appear on Google search results for the search query “BMW M3”. You can increase the efficiency of your Google Ads campaigns by narrowing the reach of your Google Ads campaign. For example, if you only want to serve the Richmond market, you can narrow your Google Ads campaign location to only Richmond. If you want to attract prospects outside of Richmond, you can specify the cities or areas in which you want your ads to appear. Setting this geographic reach helps your ads target prospects only in those areas where you want to focus, which improves the cost-efficiency and results of your Google Ads campaigns.
3. Develop Branding Videos to Introduce and Personalize Your Organization
Richmond is a beautiful city beloved by local residents and by those who are looking to move into the city. Currently, Richmond attracts numerous new residents each year, many of whom are unfamiliar with local organizations. For example, new Richmond residents may not know where a local Richmond auto body shop is or where their closest Richmond spa is located. It’s likely that when a new Richmond resident visits your website, it’s their first time learning or hearing about your organization. Therefore, to put your best foot forward and showcase your brand in a positive light, consider producing videos of your office or staff to personalize your brand and charm your audience.
4. Partner with Local Richmond or Metro Vancouver Influencers
Collaborating with influential individuals or organizations in the Richmond community can amplify your brand’s reach and credibility. Look for local bloggers, social media influencers or community organizations that align with your brand’s values and audience demographics. For example, if you’re a Steveston coffee shop, you can partner with coffee or foodie Instagram influencers who are based in Richmond or Metro Vancouver to feature your coffee shop in an Instagram post or a series of stories. Engaging in this type of collaboration will help your coffee reach people who are interested in coffee or food (who isn’t!?).
5. Setup Google Analytics 4 Tracking on Your Website
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics, which is a Google-powered analytics tool. Once GA4 has been installed on your website, you can gain insights about your website users’ behaviour. For example, you can see which pages they are visiting and which online sources such as Instagram or Google have brought them to your website. This information helps you better identify your audience’s interests as well as the effectiveness of your digital marketing initiatives, and then use these insights to better your overall marketing performance. For example, if you see that website visitors attracted by Google Ads are more likely to inquire about your product or services, you can assign more of your marketing budget to Google Ads to increase the number of inquiries.
Ready to continue growing your business? Incorporating these tips in your global marketing strategy can help improve your sales performance from different angles. Fine-tuning the ways in which you reach your customers, focusing on your target service areas, gathering and utilizing helpful web analytics, and implementing different ways to showcase your business are all great steps to take towards your sales performance and, ultimately, business growth.
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Posted on April 24, 2024
Guest blog post by RW Digital.
Ray Wang is the Principal at RW Digital, an independent digital agency based in Richmond, BC, Canada. RW Digital’s aim is to help businesses use web technologies, digital advertising, and data analytics to promote their brands and gain more clients in today’s ever-changing digital space. The agency takes pride in consistently delivering exceptional work to our clients.
