- SME Brief
- Posts
- Online Tools to Help You Compete Online
Online Tools to Help You Compete Online
What does Google mean to you? Many of us trust Google to help us find exactly what we are looking for, and Google takes this very seriously. Did you know that search engines like Google crawl website pages and only recommend websites that provide the best content and are mobile-friendly, etc.?What does this mean for you as a small business owner? You want to be one of those sites that Google recommends because it can mean the difference between thousands of potential customers finding your business and being left out in the cold. So, if you want Google to start recommending your business website to searchers you have to make sure it offers useful & relevant answers. Get your business’ website to rank on the first page of the Google search - see our top tips below:
Target specific keywords so that you can directly market to the right customer. Find out how to do this here
Make sure your website is responsive and mobile-friendly. [Find the best website hosting services here.]
Make your web pages structured for Google search.
Provide good shareable quality content.
Create a profile with all the relevant info on Google My Business. It's a free marketing tool.
Have backlinks from other relevant websites.
More advice to help you get noticed online:
Make use of Google ads.
Create a local search strategy.
Provide press releases about your business to local media.
Make use of SEO tools to see what keywords your customers are using when they do a Google search.
Get testimonials from your customers - read more here.
READ: Get Maximum ROI From Your Business WebsiteIn this week’s newsletter:- New on the website: Review - Email Marketing Services- Find the best business finance for your business- Boost your business with a R5,000 Ad spend Voucher- More Online Tools to Help You Compete Online
- Limit the impact of late payments - here's how
Have a great, productive week ahead!
New on the Website This Week!
**New Business Solution Review** Top Email Marketing Services in South Africa
Get info on pricing, the benefits, and how to choose the right platform for your business.
Find out about the 4 Top Brands including the features, pros and cons, and the cost.
ALSO READ: A Guide to Launching a Food Truck Business
Want to take your business to the next level? Let us help you find the best Business Finance.
Choose from:
Purchase order/Tender finance – Access financing to fulfil a large purchase order from a government or corporate client.
Working capital finance – Boost the working capital available to your business to cover day-to-day trade and operations.
Unsecured loan – Get access to a loan not backed by collateral or security.
Bridging finance – Cover immediate costs while waiting for your next cash flow boost.
Inventory finance – Get a loan to help with the purchasing of products for sale.
Boost your business with a R5000 Ad spend Voucher
Do you employ any casual or temporary workers in your industry? We are calling upon all business owners in manufacturing, construction, hospitality, or logistics to have your say in developing a platform to make your recruitment processes quick, reduce HR costs and gain access to a network of pre-vetted casual labourers. Take our quick survey and stand a chance to win an R5000 voucher for your own SME’s digital advertising spend.
More Online Tools to Help You Compete Online
Work smarter, not harder. Start investing in tools that make you more discoverable to your customers. Below are our top 3 solutions all business owners should know about.
Google Alerts – It helps you to keep track of your online reputation. Read more here.
Google Adwords – This is where you pay Google to have your company displayed at the top of relevant search results. Learn more about Google Adwords and Pay-per-click here.
E-commerce Website Builders - Many of them can help drive potential customers to your store using search engines through SEO best practices and other plugins and add-ons. Read more here.
Find Out How to Limit the Impact of Late Payments with the Small Business Bounce Back Guide
To help entrepreneurs on the road to recovery from the devastating impact of COVID-19, SME South Africa recently launched the Small Business Bounce Back Guide in collaboration with Sage, to provide much-needed help and inspiration to the country’s SMEs.Included in the Guide are hacks to help small business owners to limit the impact of late payments. Here are strategies on how to get paid on time:
Invoice accurately – make sure that your invoices are error-free and comply with the customer’s requirements
Make it easy for customers to pay – start by offering a range of convenient payment options, including debit and credit card options, and integrate payment solutions such as SnapScan, Zapper, QR code, EFT, and instant EFT.
Communicate clearly – ensure customers are aware of your payment terms and include this on every invoice as a reminder.
Put processes in place to remind customers to pay – for example, add receipts to your emails and resend the invoice so you can see if the recipient opened them.
Automate processes – make use of accounting solutions to automate parts of the invoicing process.
Small business owners can get access to information on the following in the Small Business Bounce Back Guide: business compliance, funding, marketing, financial management, and more.