If the field of digital marketing was a human being, it would be a fresh-faced college graduate. This can be scary to many business owners – placing the success or failure of your business in the hands of someone that is only two decades into life is nerve-wracking.

Marketing has never been an exact science, but the field of digital marketing can seem even more vague. Despite these hesitations, digital marketing is a necessity in the modern marketplace, and if companies do not embrace web marketing it can sink their business. In this article we outline tips to help business dive into the world of digital marketing.

Choose a Knowledgeable Guide

When you are working with a web developer or digital marketer, make sure that they have a long-term plan for growth for your business. Have them to explain the plan to you and ask them questions along the way.

People who work in digital marketing are aware of how new the field is, so they should be happy to help you understand exactly what is going on with your business. Pick somebody who you feel comfortable with – and that will not be the same person for everyone!

Request examples of the sort of work that they can do, whether that is content that they have written or websites they have designed. A marketer’s portfolio should give you an idea of what their work looks like and their general style. Try and pick someone who is either local to you or worked with your type of business before. If you run a spa, a website designer that works primarily with construction companies may not give you exactly what you are looking for.

Build Your Presence

Most businesses nowadays have websites, they are pretty much impossible to survive without. There is much more to digital marketing than just a website. Your website should be the center of your digital marketing, but there needs to be a web of supporting tactics.

See our article on marketing strategies for examples of strategies.

Update Often

It is not enough to simply construct a website and then declare it done. Your website needs to be updated consistently to remain competitive. This is in part because customers need to know that the businesses they are considering are on the leading edge of their respective industries.

The other thing that websites need is maintenance. Technology and computers update rapidly, and your website needs to comply with certain rules to remain competitive. For example, Google now tags websites with a URL that only has “http://” instead of “https://” in their URL as “unsafe” or “insecure”. Certain antivirus programs will not let a user even click through to a website with this tag.

Ultimately, effective social marketing relies on effort and consistency. As long as your business is putting forward both of these, digital marketing can be a highly effective aid to growth.