Five ways to sustainably grow your business online

97% of people who come across a new company will conduct some kind of online research before shopping. If they’re not visible online, companies risk sending that search traffic straight into the arms of their competitors.

Aside from making sure that people find you, a decent online presence can help with everything from increasing sales to building brand authority and trust. However, companies need to do more than just set up a website and let it take care of itself if they want to build an effective online presence. They should also prioritise these five vital ways to sustainably grow their business online.

Why does sustainable business growth matter?

Why does sustainable online growth matter? After all, sustaining an online presence will typically require either an in-house team or outside help to get right. And that can seem like a lot of work.

In reality, though, sustainable online growth is non-negotiable in the modern climate for reasons that include –

• Brand relevance
• Search rankings
• Loyal customer development
• General company growth
• And more

But, what exactly should sustainable online growth look like?

1. Prioritise your SEO strategy

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the bread and butter of any online strategy. As well as ensuring that your website is visible in the first place, SEO tactics can ensure that you maintain a sustainable online presence and should include –

• Relevant keywords
• Meta descriptions
• Images
• External and internal links
• And so on

SEO tactics like content creation can be especially invaluable in building sustainable growth. This is because, by posting regular uploads to a website blog, you keep your search rankings relevant, expand your reach, and continue proving your worth as a valuable online business presence.

2. Become a social media maverick

All businesses should have at least two or three active social media accounts. Shareable content like viral TikToks or hashtags can be invaluable for building a lasting online boost with single pieces of content. Creating a personable social media presence and making sure to reply to consumer comments or @mentions, can also help to increase your chances of repeat custom and all-important sustainable marketing benefits like word-of-mouth.

3. Use your user experience (UX)

40% of consumers will abandon a site that doesn’t load in 3 seconds. There’s nothing sustainable about that; you certainly won’t see any new sales. Instead, brands seeking sustainable growth need to prioritise all elements of UX.

This includes website optimisation, which should prioritise fast loading and mobile adaptability. It’s also worth offering straightforward web page layouts, FAQ pages, and AI chatbots that can handle 24/7 basic complaints or queries. That way, consumers are far more likely to stick around, stay around, and come back after their first purchase. Get UX just right, and it might even lead to traffic increases as word of those great experiences gets around.

4. Implement lead magnets

Lead magnets attract leads by offering something of value in exchange for customer details. These typically include attractive hooks, like free ebook downloads, unlocked premium content, or even discount codes.

Whether you advertise these things on your website, social media channels, or both, they can help to draw significantly more traffic to your page. By securing consumer emails, you can also grow your sales opportunities online by sending out promotional emails and newsletters.

5. Create consistent company values

Company values always matter, but they can also help towards sustainable growth. Consistent values, which may include things like campaigning for animal rights or working within local initiatives like litter picking etc., can attract consumers online. They can also be a great way to enhance keyword searches and grow an invested, loyal, online following.

This is especially true if you use those values to create eye-catching, unique online marketing. A great example of this includes PETA’s virtual reality rabbit, which has been previously discussed on The Good Marketer’s blog. After over 3 million passionate individuals saw this piece of value-centric content, PETA saw a significant uptake in new ambassador sign-ups. This highlights the transformative impact of consistent company values in getting new, relevant audiences onside.

Sort out sustainable online growth at last

Sustainable online business growth is increasingly vital for helping companies remain relevant and drive essential traffic. If you’ve been letting your website sit stagnant for years, or have failed to see the online growth you’d like up until now, then it’s a sure sign you could benefit from these sustainability pointers.