You might think that it’s impossible to compete with the larger, multinational companies that have been around for decades; the ones that are household names. On the other hand, you’re just a small business, perhaps a brand new business, so why bother? 

 The answer is that you should bother because it’s possible. You can go up against the more prominent brands and companies no matter what size business you are or how long you have existed. Of course, this would not have been possible a decade or so ago, but thanks to digital marketing and specifically SEO, the internet has ensured that everyone has a level playing field to work on, as long as you put the effort in. With that in mind, here are some of the ways you can ensure your website is seen, no matter what competition you might have.

Be An Authority 

As an independent business owner, you need to have a speciality if you’re going to rise above the competition. If you can show that you have this and that you are an expert in your field, customers will come to you over and above anyone else. They will like the idea that they are buying from a business that definitely knows what it’s talking about. This creates a sense of trust. 

 Work out what it is that you are best at within your sector, and start proving that you have the knowledge in that regard. Blogging is the best way to do this. Adding blogs to your site is the best way to compete since not only will it show that you are an authority in your field, but the constantly updating and changing content coupled with keywords will give you an edge when it comes to SEO. If you’re unsure about how to do this effectively, engage an SEO agency to help you because getting this right can make a massive difference in terms of visibility. 

Improve Your Reputation 

Are you trying to be a small fish in a big pond? This is hard, and it can mean you end up spending most of your time dealing with your marketing and not with your customers. In the end, this can prove to be negative since your reputation can suffer. 

 Instead of this, it’s far better to be – at least at first – a big fish in a small pond. This means that you can grow your business locally, ensuring that you have a solid reputation for excellent service and products, and perhaps even being a large part of the local community (sponsorship of local teams of events is one way to do this, for example). Another option can be to further your education and expand your knowledge so you can back up your reputation and brush up on your skills. You can choose MBA specialisations to help you move forward with your business to enhance what you do.

 Over time, as your reputation precedes you, you can use this to your advantage and start to move into other areas. You’ll be amazed at the difference a good, hard-earned reputation can bring when you start to promote your business to a wider audience. Some of the larger companies might be well-known, but that doesn’t mean they necessarily have a good reputation, so this is a great way to stand out above them. 

*This is a collaborative post.