In the age when print, radio, and television advertisements have become outdated, many small business owners may wonder how they can increase awareness of their business to potential customers and clients. In 2018, a profitable business starts with a great website and solid web presence. Here are three ways that you can improve your website to grab attention from prospects online.

Use SEO Techniques

You may have heard of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) but aren’t sure how it can benefit your business. There are over 100 billion searches on Google every month, and many of those searches are for services. Businesses can increase traffic to their website by regularly creating new content, such as an industry blog. Sites that publish at least 16 blogs a month can increase their web traffic threefold, so it pays to update the content on your site regularly. Over half of all marketers say that blog creation is one of their biggest priorities, so working with a digital marketing agency can help you launch your blog and ensure it works with your overall web design.

Change the Places you Post

Nearly one third of all people across the globe use social media regularly. In fact, nearly three quarters of adults use Facebook. Working with a website designer to create advertisements for social media that direct back to your website can generate traffic and increase the number of leads that see your content. Creating a Facebook page for your business with informative blogs that direct back to your website can also be a smart choice.

Make Sure the Site is Up to Date and Easy to Navigate

Nearly 40% of web users will click away from a site if the outline is unattractive or if the images take too long to load. Most small businesses don’t have in-house marketing or web design, so in this instance, it makes sense to find a website designer that can work with you to find the right layout for your site. A website designer will also be able to walk you through how you can keep business running smoothly while your site is down for repairs and make sure the sites are redirecting appropriately.

In the age of inbound marketing, your website is like a digital storefront: it needs to be attractive, professional, and eye-catching to the right consumers. Working with a trusted web designer to make a few adjustments to your digital storefront can increase the recognition of your business and let you do what you know how to do best: get your product to clients.