More than 4.9 Billion people use the internet worldwide. In the United States, that’s nearly 92% of the population (307 Million) and 8.5 Million in Switzerland (or 98% of the total population).
This is an incredible opportunity to be visible within an audience that is simply no longer accessible through traditional communication channels.
With the increasing number of new social networks, international competition and new search engine features, it is not easy to implement an effective digital marketing strategy.
That’s why I decided to present you in this article the steps of the strategy I implemented for a company in the construction industry with a B2B business model. A sector with no real online presence.
The use of traditional communication channels
Over the years, many of the so-called traditional companies have established a strong reputation in their sector. They have built a network of customers, suppliers, and partners that have allowed them to have a great activity.
The growth was mostly based on referrals from their network.
They also used traditional communication channels (newspapers, radio, conferences, trade shows) and set up special events (open days, company jubilee).
New communication channels
However, some (new) players have adapted and now use more modern communication channels;
This is how we can see companies reaching huge growths, simply because they were able to take advantage of the visibility that the internet offers.
Often misinterpreted, the online presence of a company should not be limited to a “static” website that was put online several years ago;
The website as a pillar of digital visibility
Nowadays, many digital marketing professionals advocate the decline of websites. I am still convinced that a website is a valuable asset and that it should be an integral part of a good online presence.
Of course, social networks are key elements in a successful digital marketing strategy, they allow reaching and attract the attention of potential customers. Whether it is for a brand, a product, or a company’s own services;
Social networks are channels of communication, and a website allows to effectively establish the relationship of trust during the prospecting phase of a future customer.
The key points for a good online visibility
Adapting to mobile screens
With more than 58% of internet traffic generated through mobile devices (source), it is fundamental to have all of one’s communication and site adapted to this type of screen.
This rule of course applies to the entire site, whether it is the showcase part, as well as the E-commerce part in the case where products are available for purchase online.
I could see sites with a very well done “corporate” part, but unfortunately an E-shop space not at all adapted to mobile screens.
Also, communication formats (publication visuals, ad formats) must be thought out to display perfectly when automatically resized on mobile screens.
Establish a relationship of trust
To have a strong online presence, you must establish a relationship of trust with your prospects and customers.
Whether it is through social networks, but more specifically on the website of your company.
Just like a business card, a website must provide up-to-date information about your company.
One might think that putting your phone number visible makes it easy to contact you to ask for more information about your products or services.
This is no longer enough to attract a prospect’s interest. People are more and more likely to seek information on their own without directly engaging a service provider.
Therefore, a website that is not regularly updated with incorrect information does not inspire confidence for most new visitors.
The reference of the sector
Your website offers the possibility to establish your company as a reference in your sector. It is necessary to define the content that will appear on the different pages.
It is of course necessary on the one hand to highlight the specific services or products of your company, and on the other hand, to provide solutions to the problems that your prospects encounter.
Thus, proposing informative content allows you to create legitimacy in relation to the subject and your sector of activity.
For example, you can highlight feedback from some of your customers. Explain how their problems were solved thanks to the products you offer.
You can also create a guide to choose the product that best suits the needs of one of your potential customers.
Finally, detailed comparisons are very good solutions to establish the benefits of your different services.
The 5 steps to implement an online strategy
1. A good presence on the Internet has a direct impact on the turnover
The contractor’s website was relatively poor in content, with a fairly basic design and average quality photos.
Nevertheless, it is very often the first point of contact in the customer relationship.
I made sure it was up-to-date, compatible with cell phones, and most importantly, structured to highlight the company, teams, and leaders.
The presence on social networks
This was not the desire for this client, but, if you choose to be present on social networks as well, make sure your profiles are up-to-date.
Comments or questions about your profile or posts should be answered promptly;
You’ll need to regularly add interesting content for your audience to generate consistent interest and attract more leads.
From my perspective, it’s not crucial to be present on all networks.
It is better to have a regular presence on one network than to have an irregular presence on several networks.
Keep in mind that social networks like TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook are primarily about generating visibility. It is very rare to be able to convert a prospect directly through social networks (especially for companies in the B2B sector).
2. Establish proximity with prospects
The company’s website had an “about us” page that focused primarily on the manager’s history and various successes.
An “About us” page should be available on all websites. This is for two reasons:
- It adds transparency and proximity with your prospects
- Google uses it to enhance the trustworthiness of your site and thus display it in its search results (SEO).
So we have revised this page to add the history of the company (not just the boss). As well as the advantages, the specific services and products they offer as well as the list of the team and pictures of the premises.
After the home page, it is very often the most visited page of a website 52% (Source)
In addition to adding proximity, this page is a major asset to help you recruit new people.
3. Use customer testimonials
The Internet allows you to make an opinion with a company well before contacting it. The feedbacks of customers have a very strong added value for the online presence;
The website of the building company, had no customer feedback. It simply had logos of partners and companies they had worked with.
In addition to the logos, we have documented online the different projects they have had with their clients and especially ask to provide us with impressions on the work and collaboration;
4. Work on organic visibility (SEO)
The website of the construction company had very little content;
Most of the pages were focused on promotional information, with very specific terms related to services and products.
I reworked the content to offer information and articles around building and renovation in the niche of the company.
Un prospect recherche une solution à un problème. Les mots qu’il utilise pour ses recherches ne sont pas le vocabulaire ou les termes techniques employés par un spécialiste.
That’s why your site must inform your future customers “in an accessible and general way”.
Something simple for you may seem very complicated for your prospects;
Create content to improve SEO
You will find practical guides, comparisons and the latest news related to your activity or company.
Are you offering a new service? Make sure you highlight it by addressing your audience’s biggest issue.
By applying this method on a regular basis, you will appear more and more in the Google search results (SEO).
5. Promote services on social networks
The construction company had no social media profiles. Although we decided in the short term to focus on the website, the marketing strategy I proposed to them included the use of social networks.
These are a great way to showcase your company. Use (or recycle) content created for your website to give an overview of your solutions to specific problems.
Thus, you can create several publications related to an article you have published on the site.
We are talking about content distribution rather than creating publications that have no connection and therefore little added value for your audience.
This is a practice that many companies use;
- Create attention through publications on social networks
- Attract interested people to the website
- Propose to subscribe to the newsletter to create a first contact
The email strategy (also called inbound marketing strategy) can become a real added value to find new customers.
To summarize
The company in the building industry now has an optimized online visibility. It has become much more attractive for both prospects and future candidates.
We have implemented transparency in activities, services and have demonstrated credibility through numerous customer feedbacks.
It is now the main pillar of digital marketing and a new source of leads. The next step is to define the communication strategy on social networks as well as paid advertising (search engine marketing).
If you also want to implement an effective online strategy for your company, you must have a “solid” website.
Social networks are a good way to promote your activities, but in no way replace the added value of your site.
Content should be updated on a regular basis and should promote authenticity, transparency, and legitimacy of your business in relation to your industry.
Using the content created on your site to create posts on social networks is a very good practice.
You can build an audience by collecting emails (inbound marketing) and sending regular newsletters.
I help small and medium-sized companies to implement a digital marketing strategy.
If you want to define an effective digital strategy, please feel free to contact us, I would be happy to discuss and plan your marketing strategy with you.
Finally, if I invite you to subscribe to our newsletter to be kept informed of the latest news around digital marketing in Switzerland.
I am a digital marketing consultant with 20 years of experience, specialized in optimizing online presence for companies based in Switzerland with national or international activity.
Passionate about entrepreneurship, I develop customized SEO strategies, including audits, keyword research, topic clusters, and content creation, to boost the growth and visibility on Google of our clients.
My goal is to increase their web visibility, strategically position their brands, and convert traffic into business opportunities, working in French, German, and English.
I transform digital challenges into commercial successes.