TIPS FOR OPTIMIZING THE EVER CHANGING DIGITAL LANDSCAPE

What’s the most consistent thing about digital marketing? Ironically, change! Consider the constant innovation happening at companies such as Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon. Change is the rule, not the exception. Also consider the massive influence they have on the consumer marketplace. Shifts in their strategy directly impact your business. For this article, we share how you can adjust your digital marketing to reach more customers amid this change.

SEARCH STILL MATTERS

Google is the 800-pound gorilla. Here are search engine market share stats from March 2019 to prove it: Yahoo (1.82%), Microsoft Bing (2.45%), and Google (92.46%). With such a vice grip on search, Google remains the focus of all search engine optimization (SEO). Simply, the higher your rank, the more revenue you make.

We pay close attention to changes in Google’s RankBrain Algorithm which directly affects how high you rank. For 2019, RankBrain will rank websites lower if they retain old content we call zombie pages. If you have blog posts that are irrelevant and/or feature old dates, we recommend that you refresh with updated content — and also be sure the posted date is updated. Don’t do this all at once as Google values consistent, incremental change…which builds rank, vs. massive one-time changes. Be sure to revise your About Us and other static non-product landing pages.

Here’s a caveat when refreshing content: add lots of text. Google prefers blogs with more than 2,500 words. Beyond word count, blogs should be highly conversational, and ask and answer questions consumers would ask as if having a voice conversation, such as “What is June’s flower of the month?” or “What are typical flowers I could buy that are yellow?”

VOICE IS THE NEW INTERFACE

What’s the big deal with voice? Think about how you engage with technology these days: Chatting with Apple’s Siri, Google Home or Amazon’s Alexa is becoming more popular. Also consider that most voice searches happen on mobile devices. Check your Web Analytics because more than half your website visitors are on their smartphones! Be sure your business is listed correctly in Google and Apple’s databases at the websites google.com/business and mapsconnect.apple.com.

AMAZON, THE 900-POUND GORILLA

So who has even Google quaking in their boots? Amazon, and here’s the reason. A Feedvisor survey revealed 74% of shoppers online go to Amazon first, prior to searching the web. The takeaway here is Amazon is truly its own marketplace that competes directly with the internet.

Our recommendation? Explore selling products on Amazon. Amazon recently ceased a program where they were trying to partner with retail florists to provide local flower delivery to their customers but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore this consumer space—it’s already huge and growing.

Visit services.amazon.com for more information.

PRIORITIZE AND CHOOSE SOCIAL WISELY

Strategy within the shifting social landscape is dependent on your target demographics, factoring in pure numbers of those using the service (which usually grows). Let’s conclude you still service traditional customers – women aged 40+ and the present and future market of old Millennials (29-39 years of age). Facebook remains your primary social media since they tout more than 2 billion of everybody.

Next is Instagram, with 1 billion, mostly Millennial active users. It’s also owned by Facebook. Their paid marketing platforms are ideal…they are integrated which makes it easier to advertise.

Continue hitting Millennials by starting a YouTube channel! Yes, start capturing videos of yourself putting together designs, sharing care and handling advice, giving a tour of the shop, and more. Be sure to also share these videos on all other social media platforms.

And what social do we NOT recommend you use? SnapChat, which is dominated by younger Millennials with no money. And Twitter. Yes, Twitter is popular with the president, but not necessarily those looking to buy flowers.