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In today’s digital world, it is important to build a strong online presence for any local business looking to reach customers and to stand out from the competition. For small businesses in New Mexico, getting your name out there online can help you connect with more local customers, build widespread brand awareness across the state, […]
In today’s digital world, it is important to build a strong online presence for any local business looking to reach customers and to stand out from the competition.
For small businesses in New Mexico, getting your name out there online can help you connect with more local customers, build widespread brand awareness across the state, and establish credibility as an authority in your industry.
An effective online marketing strategy can include optimizing your website, leveraging social media, focusing on local SEO, managing online reviews, and more.
In this post, we’ll explore some key tips to help New Mexico businesses build a strong online presence.
Your website is often the first touchpoint between potential new customers and your business.
That’s why having an attractive, easy-to-navigate website designed specifically for your brand is so important.
It is also important to ensure your site is:
And makes it effortless for visitors to find information (NAP) about your business, contact you, or make a purchase.
Use relevant keywords throughout your site content so customers can find you when searching for local businesses like yours. This includes keywords in headlines, site menus (when relevant), page content, meta descriptions, and more. Using WordPress plugins like YoastSEO or Rank Math allows you to choose your schema markup which helps search engines understand what kind of content is being presented on your webpage.
*Note: In the past, some SEO advice encouraged putting target keywords in your image alt text to boost rankings. However, search engines like Google now prioritize alt text that makes images accessible over keyword-stuffed alt text.
The best practice is to write your image alt text to be descriptive for visually impaired users relying on screen readers, rather than trying to cram in keywords.
Describe the image content, context, and purpose accurately. Convey the same user experience for those unable to see the image that sighted visitors will get.
Accessible alt text provides a better user experience and aligns with modern search engine guidelines. By focusing on inclusive alt text for images, you can improve accessibility as well as SEO.
Having visible contact information and calls-to-action to encourage visitors to get in touch, book services, join your mailing list, or buy your products is also key. An optimized site establishes your professionalism and makes doing business with you easy.
Research from Sistrix shows that over half of all clicks from organic search results go to the top three listings.
When customers search for businesses on Google and other search engines, you want your company to appear at the top of those results pages. To make that happen, focus on local SEO strategies like:
New Mexico customers are active on social media, so leveraging platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn can help spread the word about your business and be cost effective. Share engaging posts, photos, stories, and videos to build an audience, drive website traffic, and boost brand awareness across the state.
Run contests and local promotions on social media to incentivize customers to engage with your brand. Paid ads are also a smart investment for reaching more potential customers but that is if you are ready.
Be sure to monitor notifications and respond promptly to queries and feedback. Building relationships with followers online and offline is critical.
If you’re just starting to establish your brand’s social media presence, it’s best to focus your efforts on a single platform instead of spreading yourself too thin across multiple channels.
Pick the one platform that seems most relevant for your business and audience.
This could be Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (now called X), LinkedIn, etc. Spend time optimizing your profile, posting high-quality content consistently, engaging with followers, and running targeted ads if beneficial.
Once you gain traction and establish a solid presence on your initial platform of choice, then you can expand to additional social networks.
But initially, master one channel at a time. This allows you to dedicate your time and resources into cultivating an impactful presence in one place first.
Your online reviews and reputation directly impact whether potential new customers will trust you and choose to do business with you.
Proactively generate positive reviews on sites like Google, Facebook, and Yelp. Respond professionally to any negative feedback and seek to address issues and improve.
Use tools like Google Alerts to monitor brand mentions and reviews across the web.
It can be tempting to try burying negative reviews under a flood of positive testimonials. However, the occasional bad review is inevitable and provides a valuable opportunity to highlight your customer service.
Rather than ignoring or suppressing critical feedback, respond professionally and publicly. Thank the customer for taking the time to share their experience. Demonstrate that you take all praise and criticism to heart because it helps improve your business. Offer to make amends if feasible.
By reacting sincerely and constructively to negative comments, you can often transform dissatisfied customers into vocal supporters. They appreciate that you cared enough to listen and make things right.
Other customers will see your response and recognize you are accountable. Handled properly, negative reviews allow your best qualities to shine.
To build a strong online presence takes work, but pays dividends for visibility and new customer acquisition. By optimizing your website, focusing on local SEO, leveraging social media, managing your online reputation, and executing other digital marketing strategies, local New Mexico businesses can build meaningful connections with more customers in their communities and drive real business growth. Reach out if you need any assistance expanding your online presence!