We have all sat in on a meeting or two where someone has said that ‘doing digital’ will solve any number of problems. Sure, digital can give your business increased exposure, a competitive edge and new insights on your customers. But digital has many faces, and saying that you will ‘do digital’ is about as vague as claiming you will ‘do business.’ Determining the strategy, platform and channels you must utilise will flesh out your digital diversity, allowing you to fine tune and perform at a higher level. Next time you have the same meeting, present these 5 essential inclusions that will afford you the cut through that your business is looking for.

Digital Diversity: 5 Essential Inclusions You Need to Implement

1. SEO

Those three letters pack one hell of a punch. SEO (search engine marketing) is a strategy that starts but never really ends. How you rank on Google is determined by a great number of things, all of which you can control if you find an agency like Digital Next, to get your business on the proverbial and literal (Google) map. This can be achieved through link building, which increases the number and quality of backlinks allowing you to tear past your competitors on the climb to the top spot. You can also gain a few quick wins by optimising your onsite content with keyword rich descriptions and information. If you want to increase your rank and page authority, find an agency that can deliver just that.

2. Responsive website

Website aesthetic is one thing, but how it performs and looks in the backend can be a completely different conversation. A responsive web design will ensure that you are serving desktop or mobile optimised content, at a speed that will keep them on the page and not bouncing. Who you are as a business and what you provide will inform your web design, and yet so many websites do not have the compatible plugins to perform basic functions.

3. Social media

Social media is not a hobby, it’s a channel. A powerful one at that. It’s also where you will find all your customers and several more prospects. Your native and paid social strategy can be highly targeted, and can bring in a nice return for a relatively small investment compared to other more aggressive channels. If you are new to social, you will want to seed your pages before you start spending money and always test your campaigns on a smaller sum before you go all in.

4. Consistent branding

You may think this sits in the brand bucket, not the digital one. You would be right and wrong. Consistent branding will govern what your tone is and will allow you to be smarter with how you interact with audiences online. Your eDM’s, ad copy, regathering and even 404 pages should be in your brand colours and unique brand tone. Don’t waste any touch point, and start being known for exactly what you want to be known for on every platform they engage with.

5. PPC and Ads

Whether you are in the goods or services industry, you can benefit from Google Shopping and Google Ads. Serve up your unique products on the platform your direct audience is searching on, and capture the sale. Google is constantly upgrading and adding to the functionality of its platforms, to a point where customers can actually be presented with your products as well as the stockists, product volume available and directions to get there. All in one keystroke.

If you are considering digital for your business, it’s not a case of ‘if’, it’s a case of ‘which’. Discuss your unique business needs with a digital agency, and see what recommendations can be tailored to deliver on brand exposure and conversion you need.