How To Get Your Business Found Online By Your Ideal Audience
Do you have a side hustle, a small business or network marketing business you want to grow online but are struggling to get found by your ideal audience?
Do you post and post on social media but find that only a small group of the same people, mostly family and friends, are engaging with your content?
Are you growing followers on social media, but none of them are buying?
Are you wanting to open your circle of influence to a specific niche audience?
Let me tell you, I’ve been there myself.
Do you have a side hustle, a small business or network marketing business you want to grow online but are struggling to get found by your ideal audience?
Do you post and post on social media but find that only a small group of the same people, mostly family and friends, are engaging with your content?
Are you growing followers on social media, but none of them are buying?
Are you wanting to open your circle of influence to a specific niche audience?
Let me tell you, I’ve been there myself.
I tried to grow my side hustle for 3 years on social media. I did everything my team told me to do to grow my business online. I read all the books, listened to all the podcasts, I was active on Facebook groups and on Instagram hoping to grow my business.
However, my content was not getting shared and was not reaching new eyes. I had to make a change.
When I switched to keyword-rich blog posts instead of just social media, I was shocked to see my audience grow. My email list grew from 0-500 within the first year, and was getting around 4,000 monthly visitors.
To this day, I am still generating visitors and leads from blog posts I wrote 3 years ago!
The difference between using a website vs. social media to get your business found online:
When creating content on a blog or YouTube, your content will continue to circulate forever. A continual marketing lead generation machine. With blog posts, you are able to get really specific with your keywords so that you are attracting your ideal audience and getting found in search engines.
What are the major search engines you can get found in?
Google, Pinterest & YouTube
In contrast, when you create content on social media, your posts usually lose their ability to show up in feeds within days. This is why you constantly need to create new content on social media. The search function on social media is much harder to get found in.
Step 1: To Get Your Business Found Online: Know Your Ideal Audience
You need to be careful about who you are really trying to attract. Get really specific. If you’re in network marketing, I especially want you to think more about the kind of person you are looking for, and don’t fall for the “everyone” mentality. That will lead you nowhere.
Think about who will relate to your content the best? What stage of life are they in? Do they have babies, teens, pets? Do they exercise, cloth diapers, read books? Are they crunchy homesteaders? Or are they busy, fast-food-loving soccer moms? Get really specific in these details.
Once you have nailed down your ideal audience, create a brand statement that tells your audience who you serve and how you help them. Download my free brand statement formula here:
Step 2: To Get Your Business Found Online: Research Topics
Once you know who your ideal audience is, start to research topics that your ideal audience is ACTUALLY searching for. DON’T GUESS!
So, how do you find out what your ideal audience is searching for? ASK THEM! If you already have access to this group of people, ask them what they are struggling with, what they search for on the internet. Then think about how your offerings and services can help solve their problem.
Go to the top search engines and use the search function to research topics. Notice the top articles that show up. Use the “suggested phrases” that google and Pinterest suggest people often search for. Look at the “People also ask” section of google and Pinterest.
Step 3: To Get Your Business Found Online: Create Content Using Key Phrases
Once you found a topic that your audience is actually searching for, use the EXACT PHRASE to create a blog post or YouTube video in your 1. headline, 2. your subtitles, 3. your image alt tags, and the 4. URL slug. This repetition of the keyword phrase will help your blog post rank higher.
A long-tail keyword is better than just a keyword. A long-tail keyword is a phrase not just one word. This is good because you’ll more likely show up in a search result for a narrowed phrase like “health benefits of walking” rather than a common keyword like “health.”
You can also use an extension like Keywords Everywhere to see metrics on how often a keyword is searched. You want to stay in the area of 100-1,000 searches per month as a newbie.
Step 4: To Get Your Business Found Online: Share Content on Social Media & Pinterest
Now that you have a keyword phrase-rich blog post that you know your audience is searching for, share it everywhere. Make a Pinterest graphic for it on Canva.com and share it to a board on your Pinterest account.
Make a social media graphic for Instagram and Facebook and share your blog post on social media.
You can even make a reel or video about your blog post and let them know at the end to click the link in your bio to read the entire post. This will bring people off of social media and to your website.
If you’d like more info on Keyword phrases and how SEO can help your business grow, make sure to check out my SEO masterclass here
Squarespace Website Design for Author & Book Cover Design
Mood Board
The Website
Once the book is finished, how do you promote your book? Direct traffic to your own website. Build credibility as an author, capture your audience onto an email list with a free chapter download and develop a deep connection with a custom branded design.
The Homepage
The homepage has several sections including a product feature, a short bio, a credibility section, testimonials, call-to-action buttons to purchase the book, call-to-action to join the email list, links to social media.
Proven Sales Copy & SEO
Beautiful design is only part of the equations. We use proven SEO strategies and proven sales copy techniques to relate to the viewer on a personal and emotional level.
Are you ready to step into the next level of your business?
Squarespace Website Design for Interior Designer & Branding
We love helping small businesses refresh their brand and step into that higher level of professionalism they want their ideal clients to see them as. We strategized on the client’s ideal customer avatar, what message they want to send to that ideal customer and the best way to attract them. See below for the overall brand refresh and website redesign.
The Website
The challenge was to create a custom website that addressed the client’s fears, struggles and took the viewer on a guided path towards learning how she can help.
The HOMEPAGE
We used elements of the client’s work and incorporated them into the design. For instance, the blue and white floral tile is a photo of actual home tile that we turned into a pattern and used throughout the web design. Other home photos are on brand colors to create a cohesive and professional design. Professional sales copy is used to draw the viewer into taking the next step of action, to book a free discovery call.
High-Converting Layout & SEO
Beautiful design is only part of the equations. We use proven SEO strategies and proven sales copy techniques that connects with the viewer on a personal and emotional level.
Are you ready to have a killer website you can be proud of?
Squarespace Website Design for Essential Oils / Network Marketing
As an essential oil advocate and leader, I needed an online presence that not only had space for my link, education, classes, blog posts, trainings, and downloads BUT, also attracted my ideal audience with the right branding. I needed something that was flexible and one that could grow with me as my brand grew. I looked and looked at other website templates for essential oil leaders, and I couldn’t find one that truly matched what I was looking for. THUS, I created my own. This is the Mama Bird essential oil leader website. It has everything a lifestyle essential oil leader could need.
The problem with other essential website templates out there
Very limited on what you can change
They all look the same, no personalization or customizing to your style
They don’t fully belong to you, owned by the company
Very corporate and stale looking, no way of standing out and looking different
All about the product and not about connection or serving your audience
No way to add my own lead magnets
No way to add my own shop
Lifestyle Homepage
Your tribe follows you because of you and how you show up for your audience. Having an online presence that reflects that is vital to your brand. Show your audience you are there to serve them with your resources. Offer blog posts, free downloads, classes, even an online shop where you can sell digital downloads or physical products.
Essential Oil Leader Page
Support your leaders
Allow leaders to have a page on your website with their bio and link
Search bar can search by name or rank
Starter Kit Sales Page
Done-for-you Sales Page
This done-for-you sales page is professionally written and designed with the “sales process” model. Start with an easy “how to use” graphics, your personal story, other testimonies, how to save with a starter kit, the benefits of essential rewards, and how you will support them through the process.
BLOG
Create Categories of blogging topics
Serve your audience with helpful information or resources you love
Blog about your expertise, not just your product
Get found in google and pin blog posts to Pinterest
Turn your Instagram videos into blog posts to get found on google
Business Resource Page
Get people interested in doing the business with accessible information on how your team does business and how easy it is to do. Create separate blog posts specifically for your business leaders or future business leaders.
Classes & Events
Post classes or events on your website where viewers can see upcoming events and download reminders to their ical or google calendars.
Take a step even further and post short videos of your 101 class so that it’s always online and place to direct new members or potential members.
Capture Leads
Getting visitors to your website is just one piece of the sales process, capturing your leads email addresses will allow you to retain those leads and bring them back. Attract new essential oil people to your business with a “Beginner’s Guide to Essential Oils” download. Use your own or I can help you set up your email management system and attach a free download to start growing that email list.
Automated EO 101 Class
Upgrade to include an email welcome sequence of emails that will drip into your lead’s email box over a period of 10 days. This allows you to build a relationship with your audience and help them to trust you with their health journey.
Branding
Branding is more than just a logo, it’s every touchpoint you have with your audience and the impression that leaves with them. All visuals like color palette, photos, fonts, icons, and textures can contribute to the visual branding of your website.
How do you want to be perceived by your audience?
What impression do you leave with them?
Are you ready to step into the next level of your business?
Pin It
SquarespaceWebsite Design for Retreat Venue
Squarespace Website Design & Brand Refresh for SoCal Retreat Venue
Green Oak Ranch has been around for over 70 years. Needless to say, it was time for a brand refresh. We curated a mood board that still captured the rustic ranch look but brought it up to the times with a more modern color palette, fonts, textures, and icons.
The Mood Board
Within a month of being live, Green Oak Ranch gained over 70 subscribers and 800 visitors!
THE PROBLEM:
Green Oak Ranch had 2 separate websites with 2 different url’s. There were over 20 pages on each website that could easily be combined to reduce the amount of clicks a viewer would need to make to find what they were looking for.
OUR GOALS:
Make the website more user-friendly
An easy to navigate menu
Clear call to action items to drive traffic to support the ranch
Brand refresh to update the look of the ranch.
The TRANSFORMATION
We streamlined two branches of the ranch and combined them into one cohesive website that is much easier to navigate, cleaner, and also envelops the rich history of the ranch.
LEAD MAGNET DESIGN & Integration
I always recommend you have a lead magnet or opt-in on your website to capture leads. We designed a branded printable brochure for Green Oak Ranch.
Ready To Feel Confident In Your Brand & Website?
Let’s create a website that gives you the confidence to show up and is geared to ATTRACT your ideal client.
Squarespace Website Design for Author & Speaker
Denise came to me for a web design with some amazing branding photos. From her photos, I could already sense the style we would take the website to. We chatted about her ideal audience and what her main goal was for her site. We made sure to direct the visitors to her speaking engagements and book her. We designed her website to show her level of professionalism, high-end quality, and her sincere authenticity.
Mood Board:
For the mood board, I went with the professional, high-end look with the black and gold color palette.
I set up Denise with a blog to chat about all things to help support women in business and faith. I set her up with a newsletter signup form so she could collect leads and email out newsletters when she had a new blog post. She anticipates a book coming out, so I set her up with a book page where visitors can buy her book.
Interested in a custom branded website?
Website Design for Course Creators & Branding
Scot Saunders is an art educator, art coach, and course creator. He had all the material needed to launch his business, he just needed a cohesive brand experience from his logo to his website and ultimately his course.
BRANDING
Interested in a custom branded website?
Website Design for Authors & Branding
Natalie Parrish came to me initially for a book cover design. We discovered she had much bigger goals to connect people with their local natural food sources and giving back to communities. We had a branding session to define her mission and her ideal clients. From there we could build out her website, not only to promote her book but also so she could build a community through an email list management system and be a source of knowledge for her expertise through her blog.
Book Cover Design & Promotional Graphics
BRANDING
PRINTFUL SHOP SETUP & PRODUCT DESIGNS
Natalie wanted to put her Mantra and Mission statement out into the world while setting up an additional stream of income through an online shop. We designed custom designs for her sayings and created tote bags, T-shirts, and mugs in her shop. We used Printful for her print-on-demand shop, which integrates with Squarespace seamlessly. This print-on-demand shop runs on auto-pilot for Natalie. All orders and fulfillment are taken care of through Printful.
“Sharon is so multi-talented and gifted. In just one meeting of discussing my website, I shared with Sharon the colors I liked, who I was as a person and how I wanted my website to authentically represent me and my love for helping others. I had a vision of what I wanted my website to be...Sharon’s design for my website exceeded my expectations. It’s better than I imagined! Her attention to detail - choice of pictures, colors, hues and gradient were so perfect for me. Not only was I beyond ecstatic with her work, she is an all around kind, thoughtful person with a gentle joyful spirit.”
Let’s uplevel your business
How I Grew My Audience to 4,000 monthly viewers with 1 Blog Post
I thought I would do amazing growing my business with just social media. I’m a graphic designer of 20 years and a super techy chic. I am not afraid to try new things or put myself out there. I’ll do video, create flyers and try to master any program I need to get the results.
However, when it came to growing my Young Living business online, I was struggling majorly to reach new people. I had no one coming to my classes. My social media posts were only being seen by my inner circle of friends and family and that’s it.
I remember trying ALL the methods biz groups were telling me to do.
I tried reaching out to old friends, I joined Facebook groups to make new friends, I posted every 5th post about my product, I started my own Facebook group, I did giveaways, collabed with others, sent happy mail, I purchased brochures, booklets, courses and the list goes on.
All of this for almost 4 years and I was getting 0 leads and 0 interaction. Literally!!
Something HAD to change.
I Stopped Listening To What Wasn’t Working
It takes a good amount of self-awareness to really examine yourself and ultimately admit to yourself when something you’ve been doing for years, actually ISN’T working. It may even hurt a little to admit it to yourself. Just remember, everyone’s situation is different and it’s ok to pivot. It doesn’t mean you failed, it just means you’ve learned a way that didn’t work for you.
A Well-Designed Website
As a graphic and web designer, I knew I could start the process of drawing attention to my business through a well-designed website. I used best strategies when setting it up, intentionally placing email capture systems throughout my website. Having been a web designer for years, my go-to platform is Squarespace. It’s beautiful and easy to learn. But, that was only part of the equation.
SEO - Long-Tail Keywords
SEO, or search engine optimization, is something I had to research and learn. It’s more than just keywords. There are specific phrases (the technical term is “long-tail keywords”) that are most common in search results. You want to find what those commonly searched phrases are and get found for those.
I use a plugin called, KeywordsEverwhere, for google that shows me how often a long-tail keyword is searched. Don’t use phrases that have a 0 times searched next to them. Also, don’t use search terms in the millions (you’ll never be found). Somewhere around 1,000 times searched or less is good for start up businesses. Put that long-tail keyword everywhere in your blog post and in the image descriptions.
This will help you get found on Google! But, these keyword methods work for Pinterest and YouTube as well.
Pinterest is a search engine and you definitely want to be found in Pinterest if you are blogging or selling products or services. It takes a little extra help from a pinning community like Tailwind App to get your pins circulating on Pinterest. Join a few pinning tribes in your industry and you’ll start to see your pins circulating.
A well-designed Pin graphic is also important. Make sure your graphic pops among the sea of graphics on Pinterest.
4,000 Visitors Per Month To My Website
All these elements working together setup my blog post for success. My best blog post combined all these elements, a well-designed Pinterest graphic, long-tail keyword title, circulated on Tailwind App that directed visitors to my website where I captured their email address. That 1 blog post brought in over 6,000 visitors the first couple of months and then steadliy around 4,000 visitors per month.
My Email List and Instagram Grew At The Same Time
I grew my email list from 0 to 500 in less than a year and my Instagram followers went up as a result as well. See my Lead magnet templates here.
I’m still gaining new visitors from that blog post
2 years later and that 1 blog post is still bringing me new visitors each month. I have blogged more and not all of them have brought in the same amount of visitors.
Things You Can Do To Grow Your Audience Right Away
Discover who your ideal audience is
Research what your audience is searching for on Pinterest, Google, & YouTube
Create content that is helping a PAIN that your audience has been needing help with
Capture their email address to stay in contact with them.
