Set yourself some goals for the year
One of the most important parts of planning for the year is setting your goals. The best types of goals you can set are SMART goals.
SMART stands for:
- Specific, so you know exactly what your goal is
- Measurable, so you can see how well you’re doing along the way
- Achievable & Realistic, to make sure it’s something you can actually accomplish
- Time-Bound, to encourage you to get it done within a certain time frame
These goals will help you work towards creating a better business and improving your marketing. They’ll help you stay on track and bring in more customers to your business.
By implementing SMART goals for 2021 you’ll be able to stay focused on what you need to achieve to help your Waterford business grow.
Stay up to date with the latest trends for 2021
The best way to stay ahead of your competitors is to stay updated with the latest trends in digital marketing for 2021.
Here are three trends we think are going to be an important asset to Waterford businesses.
Optimise your website for voice search
Almost 50% of users on the web are using voice search to get the answers they need from Google. Not only this but 20% of all mobile queries are voice-activated. This number is only going to go up in 2021 which is why it’s important to get your website optimised for voice search.
Voice search is a handy feature that allows users to make searches hands-free using search assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. Voice search can be done anywhere in a matter of seconds.
When a user texts to search for a place they’ll usually write something along the lines of ‘restaurants in Waterford’ but with voice search, they’ll speak in a more conversational tone. They’re more likely to use long-tailed keywords which means you’ll have to optimise your content and website to match this.
One of the best ways, to make sure you’re optimised for voice search is to have a fully up to date Google My Business listing. If the user is using Google Assistant for their query you’re more likely to come up in relevant searches if you have an active Google My Business account. |
Be aware of ad blockers
Ads can be quite overwhelming to a lot of people which is why they install ad blockers to prevent ads from littering their screen.
Ad blocking is beginning to slow down in popularity but unfortunately for those of us who need to advertise, it’s not going away any time soon. About a quarter of users install ad blockers on their browser to prevent pop-ups and this is expected to increase to
If you’re running a Waterford PPC campaign for your business and your audience is using ad blockers then you might be in a bit of trouble. It doesn’t matter what you do to your PPC ads if your audience has ad blocker installed they won’t appear on their screen and you’ll end up wasting money.
The best way to adjust to ad blocking is to keep an eye on what your audience is doing. If you notice that your target audience is quite fond of ad blockers then PPC campaigns might not be the most effective campaign to run.
When coming up with your marketing plan for 2021 be sure to think of other ways you can market your business to help avoid those pesky ad blockers. |
Make use of chatbots for your Waterford website
AI (Artificial Intelligence) has really taken the world by storm over the last couple of years and 2021 will be no different. AI can help your Waterford business eliminate repetitive marketing processes and keep you focused on more important tasks, like your SMART goals.
In the past, customer service employees were hired to answer all questions or concerns regarding your products or services – now you can leave it up to a handy AI chatbot. You might feel that AI won’t be as good as the real thing, but to be honest, AI is getting so good that a lot of people barely notice the difference.
Here are a few benefits of installing chatbots on your website:
- They’re available 24/7
- You don’t need to pay them an hourly wage, so they’re cost-effective
- They save you time answering repetitive questions
- They nurture your relationship with your customers
Chatbots are becoming increasingly popular and in 2021 we might see customers actively looking for chatbots on websites. What this means is if you rely on traditional customer service methods your potential customers might become frustrated that they can’t get the answers they want straight away from a chatbot.
Consider installing a chatbot on your website today so you can stay ahead of your competitors for 2021. |
Don’t forget about your goals after a few weeks!
The last thing to remember when planning out your digital marketing strategy for 2021 is to keep your goals in mind. There’s no point in listing out all your goals, writing them down, and working towards them, only to give up a few months in.
Don’t start the year off strong and forget about everything you’ve worked for half-way through the year. You have to work towards your goals all year-round and if you do you’ll see some amazing results for your Waterford business this time next year.
Stick to your plan and keep on track of your goals to make 2021 the best year yet!
At Whelan Web Design, we love helping local Waterford businesses grow their brand and their presence online. If you’d like to talk about how to improve your company’s social media marketing get in touch with our team today.
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