At one time, less than 50% of typical business owners maintained an online presence, but this situation is rapidly changing. In most recent times the financial downturn forced business owners to look into alternative ways of enticing customers to consider their products and services. Conventional methods of marketing didn’t seem to be working as well anymore, if at all. Yet those who kept a keen eye on business trends soon realised that online marketing by itself was not showing anywhere near as much of a decline as other categories. Indeed, in many markets, online marketing seemed to buck the trend and moved strongly forward during those down years.
There is of course a lot more to it than simply building a website. We cannot say that “if you build it, they will come” as this is simply not the case. The website presence can be very powerful and aesthetically pleasing, but it has to be marketed and promoted correctly and in the right places in order for traffic to actually visit the site, let alone purchase anything. Certainly it’s involved, but it’s not an area that can be ignored anymore.
This is where we first came across search engine optimisation, or SEO. For the majority of people who are not used to Internet marketing, or have no experience in this area, this can be a daunting proposition. They know that search engine optimisation essentially involves the process of “optimising” a website, so that it eventually shows up in front of those people who are searching for products or services in your particular niche.
But where does somebody start? While there are any number of e-books and manuals available to help a newcomer understand and come to terms with search engine optimisation, it’s far from intuitive and can also be a time-consuming process. The typical business owner does not have time to go through a “trial and error” process here. This may be an important step forward for the business, but it can also be a time and money hog if you’re not careful.
This is where a good virtual assistant can be very beneficial. The virtual assistant understands what SEO is all about and knows that there are literally dozens of different approaches here. The virtual assistant will work with the business owner to explain, in layman’s terms, the variety of different approaches and what’s needed to be successful.
SEO is far from a static activity. It’s a dynamic process that requires ongoing attention. Virtually every niche is highly competitive these days and you need somebody who is in tune with the latest, cutting-edge developments. The virtual assistant ensures that he or she keeps up-to-date with this entire arena and is perfectly placed to provide the services necessary for the business owner.
Why struggle with difficult processes, definitions, targets and traffic flows? This is the perfect task for a virtual assistant and is sure to save the business owner considerable time and effort, to say nothing of opening up a new marketing avenue.
Have you outsourced your SEO to a Virtual Assistant? I’d love to read your comments.
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