How to Develop a Digital Marketing Strategy as a Startup [Infographic]

Jennifer Hanford — December 1, 2016 Follow @jennghanford

Having a strong online presence has become a necessity for businesses of all sizes.

Statistics show that more than half of consumers turn to the internet for information before making purchases:

• Data reveals 67% of consumers are influenced by online reviews (Moz)
  
• 54% of online buyers read online reviews before purchase. (Marketing Tech Blog)
  
• More than half (54%) of online purchasers said they had read online reviews prior to hitting the buy button, while 39% of consumers who made purchases in-store did so, according to a study from customer ratings and review firm Bazaarvoice Inc. (Internet Retailer)

For startup owners who want to stand out from the rest, they must focus on how to be found online by those who are seeking what they are offering. It is essential for them to develop a digital marketing strategy that successfully promotes their brands and/or services online.

Startup owners should consider the following steps before creating a digital marketing strategy:

1. Use your starting position as a baseline to measure your overall progress against

2. Determine your startup’s goals; ensure these goals are specific, measurable, and realistic

3. Identify your customers

4. Study your competitors

The next steps involve how to attract and retain clients through the internet:

To start, it is important to set up a website for your startup if you haven’t already. Whether you hire someone to design and create your website or choose to build your own is up to you. However, it is often more cost-effective for a startup owner, especially one with a low budget, to build a website.

Fortunately, there are plenty of website builders to choose from. You can find an extensive list of website builders, along with detailed reviews, in a recent article on WebsiteSetup, which is a site for people struggling to set up their first websites.

Robert Mening, a website developer and designer, states that website builders are the perfect solution for individuals, small businesses or startup owners such as the following:

• Small business owners
  
• Writers
  
• Musicians
  
• Artists
  
• Photographers
  
• Wedding planners
  
• And so on…

Once you have your website set up, you’re ready to take the next steps to develop your digital marketing strategy:

5. Implement perfect SEO (Search Engine Optimization) by researching keywords and building links

6. Create relevant content and use content marketing to attract potential clients as well as satisfy Google for ranking purposes

7. Consider email marketing to share the content you have created on your website

8. Use social media marketing to boost your startup’s online presence and increase traffic to your website

And finally:

9. Analyze your results to determine where you are seeing success – and make changes in the areas where you are not

The infographic below outlines the steps for developing a successful digital marketing strategy:

This post originally appeared on the DashBurst Data blog and is being republished with permission.

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