Before the internet was invented, small businesses had only a few ways of marketing their products cheaply. Some of the methods used to market their products included printing out fliers or sponsoring local events with an aim of gaining more customers. However, these methods were expensive, time consuming and did not yield better results.
The internet introduced all kinds of opportunities for small businesses that were much cheaper and saved a lot of time for many businesses. Below are some of the best ways to promote a business online without wasting too much time and resources.

CREATE OR BUY A WEBSITE

This is the first step for any business that intends to thrive on the internet. A website holds all crucial information about a business and the services offered. At a glance, a customer should be able to gather all necessary information about a business without having to contact the owner.

Marketing Picture

All business contacts are well embedded in the website so that any person with queries can contact the business owner for clarification. Important business contacts should include a permanent phone number, email address, fax (if available), P.O BOX number and links to social media platform such as Facebook and Twitter.
Short video clips can also be included in the website to offer some sort of proof about the existence of the business.

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Some major advantages of social Media are that they are free, easy to use (no professional knowledge required) and they offer a massive network of potential customers. The only challenge with the social media is increasing followers without wasting time on people who are not interested with what a business is selling.
Some of the best social media sites that can reach potential customers include facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest among others. The goal of using social media is to provide your followers with up to date services as well as offering them a place where they can place their complaints.

It is advisable to constantly interact with the audience so as to gather as much information from them about your product.

USE A BLOG

Using a blog post for your business can be a great way to connect with customers or strengthen your brand which will ultimately add value to the business. A business blog is a cost-effective and easy way to promote any form of business. If done right, a blog can drive traffic to your website hence increasing your sales.
Blogs also offer an inexpensive and relatively simple means for you to gain visibility for your business. The blog keeps your website presence fresh and customers can access the website anytime they visit your blog. It is important to constantly interact with customers through the blog as this can be the only sure way of answering those frequently asked questions (FAQs) as well as listening to new ideas from customers and other business partners.

Always give the readers valuable contents as this is what will drive them to your website and social media sites.

CONCLUSION

Online marketing should be embraced by all businesses as it is a very cheap means of advertising and reaching new and old customers.