Imagine you’re in the restaurant business. Whether it’s been years or you’re new to the game, you know you’re the best at what you do. Your food is the best. Your service is the best. Your presentation is the best. Your atmosphere is the best. And your customers love you.

So why isn’t business booming?

Because all the restaurants on your block serve the same food. All the restaurants in your city claim they’re the best. A lot are flashy, aesthetically pleasing, or gimmicky, even if their quality and service are subpar. Their advertising is more relevant and “hip” than yours. Your customers may love you and tell their friends and family, but that only brings in so much business.

You’ve spent so much time crafting the perfect recipes and service that you’ve sacrificed awareness.

Equate this metaphor with your business. The restaurant is your website. It’s indisputable that you’re the best at what you offer and how you provide it, but business isn’t booming. Why? Because you’re buried in the dark recesses of page two (or worse!) of search engine results. Maybe your website is dull, dated, difficult to navigate, or, rather than functional, it’s nothing but a pretty brochure.

Here’s how to optimize for success:

Search engine optimization (SEO)

SEO means setting up your website and content to show up on relevant online search results. When you fail to invest in SEO, you risk losing customers to competitors because their websites will appear higher than you in search engine rankings. (Studies show that over half the traffic from Google searches goes to just the first three search results.) You need a prominent presence when someone searches for information that’s relevant to your products/services.

Programmatic advertising

Programmatic advertising is taking over. It lets us reach many people with retargeting. With geofencing, we can serve messages to specific audiences based on locations they visit (even when they’re visiting your competitors). Programmatic ads, as opposed to traditional ads, allow us to make changes in real time, ensuring we have the right message to the right people at the right time. This technology also allows you to cast your net over a greater area with increased accuracy, improving the likelihood of converting prospects into clients and promoters. In addition, programmatic advertising is affordable and offers a high ROI.

Social media advertising

Social media platforms not only help you connect with your customers, they boost brand awareness and positively affect your leads and sales. With over three billion people using social media, your marketing strategy should include being available on social media and building a community with followers. (Here are some ideas for creating effective social media ads.)

Staying relevant and being convenient

Back to our restaurant metaphor: how willing would you be to eat at a restaurant that accepted cash only? Or a restaurant that requires you to call in your take-out order versus ordering it online? Consider similar questions for your website. Are you offering relevant and convenient payment options? Have you incorporated forms that offer a hassle-free way for customers to tell you what they want? Do you offer content that allows prospects to get to know you without having to talk to a person?

Don’t get stuck in the mindset that you’re the best and therefore you’ll get all the business you deserve – it doesn’t work that way anymore (if it ever did). Get a website that’s both pretty AND functional. Learn how to advertise. Join social media. The landscape is constantly changing, and you must evolve to stay relevant and stand out. Not sure where to start? Contact us – we can help!