The benefits of having a business website are very well known. From selling a product or service online (instantly reaching a worldwide market) to using the website as a simple business brochure – giving customers basic information about your business, product, and/or service. The internet is an excellent source of information -individuals may use a business website to get a business address or phone number or they may be looking for information about new products or current promotional offers like when HostMonster web hosting offers a HostMonster coupon to its new customers – it is essential that a business makes sure pertinent information is available and easy to find.
Search Engine Ranking (SER) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
To understand the benefits of social media used for a website there are a couple of things one should know about. SER and SEO are acronyms that webmasters and business owners should be very familiar with. Because there are millions of websites online, search engine ranking is a major part of people being able to find a website. There are many, many search engine ranking factors, Google uses more than 200 algorithms to determine search engine ranking, but many SEO experts provide some general guidelines and tips for getting started. This article will focus on the benefits of social media used in conjunction with a website and how social media can help with search engine ranking.
Benefits of Social Media used in Conjunction with a Website
- Twitter posts, Facebook “likes”, and links in both have a positive correlation with higher search engine ranking
- Social media indicates that real people are “talking” about your brand, products, or services
- Both Google and Bing have confirmed that links through Twitter and Facebook have a direct impact on search engine rankings
- Social media provides a simple environment for businesses to interact more intimately with customers
- Social media provides a place for quick updates, news, and special offers
- Social media is yet another medium for customers to leave comments, feedback, and questions
- Social media is instant – reach hundreds or thousands of people within seconds
This is only a tiny glimpse of some of the benefits of using social media in conjunction with your website. Even though a website can be dynamic with regular updates, articles, special offers, etc.; there is only so much a company is going to change on a daily basis. There are very few websites that customers, or potential customers, are going to visit on a daily basis. Fortunately for businesses, millions of people are using social media daily or even multiple times throughout the day. With a little bit of marketing, a business can get hundreds or even thousands of people to “like” or “follow” them; thus providing incredible marketing power.
Social Media and Spam
As with any other marketing, a business should never use social media to spam customers. Spam is sending messages to a group of people that either didn’t agree to receive them or sending so many messages that it becomes annoying and has no benefit (spamming is illegal). Remember that is it just as easy for your customers to “unfriend” or stop following you as it was for them to start. Also keep in mind that while still social media is still relatively new for marketing and websites, many businesses are getting onboard with social media and too many messages flooding these social media outlets becomes counterproductive. If over-used people will recognize the message as spam and skim right over it or hide your company updates from their feeds. Making sure that every message has real value to customers will ensure a business’s success in using social media in conjunction with a website.
Examples of Social Media used in Conjunction with a Website
It is easy to see that a there are many potential benefits to using social media for business. Let’s take a look at a couple of examples.
- XYZ Web Hosting Company is launching a huge new product. With a very well designed and established website they are hoping to make thousands of online sales in the first few weeks. However, management recognizes the need to draw new and returning visitors to the company website to learn about the product launch. A smart marketing manager comes up with a short, creative blip about the company and product and includes a short URL that goes straight to the new product page. The marketing team posts this blip on Twitter, Facebook, and other popular social media sites. Because the message is timely, creative, and has real value, XYZ Company is likely to see thousands of visits to this new product page in the first few weeks.
- John’s Pizzeria has noticed an increase in lunch time traffic at their competitor’s business down the street. John noticed their business marquee out front says “Like us on Facebook”. John visits the company’s Facebook page and finds that the establishment is offering a free drink with every purchase between 11am and 2 PM on weekdays. Looking back through previous tweets and posts from the same company John sees that the company has regular “Manager Special” offers and other time sensitive promotions. What a great way to drive in extra traffic. John visits the competitor’s website and finds that they have “Like Us” and “Follow Us” buttons right on the homepage with prominent text promising customers “Exclusive Offers and Discounts”.
The possibilities are endless. A key benefit comes from that fact that search engines are using social media as an indicator of how often and how many real people are talking about and using a website. The higher a websites search engine ranking, the more traffic and business the site is likely to receive. Check out some of the top ranked websites for even more ideas about how to use social media in conjunction with a website.