4 Online Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | MONDAY, MARCH 14, 2016

You know buyers are most likely to start their home search online, surveys attest to that. And, sure, you know online is where you then want to form a strong presence – you’ve heard that plenty before too. But could you be messing up your digital marketing efforts by lacking a clear strategy?

Read more: 4 Ways to Reuse Your Online Content

By not having a clear strategy, you could be throwing random darts all over cyberspace or just relying on the latest “tactic” or “technique” that is making all your efforts not truly gain you a stronger presence online in the end.

Neil Patel -- cofounder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar, and KISSmetrics and a contributor for Forbes.com -- recently offered up some common mistakes when it comes to digital marketing.

1. You’re omitting mobile.

Have a mobile-first strategy to your digital marketing, or you could risk alienating more than half of your potential audience, Patel notes. This means ensuring all of your sites are optimized to be viewed on a mobile screen, whether that’s a smartphone or tablet.

2. You’re underestimating SEO.

Ninety-three percent of people who go online begin with a search engine, and 68 percent use Google. What’s more, the first five results in Google tend to generate 67 percent of all clicks. That’s why SEO is so important, notes Patel. “SEO remains – and will continue to remain – one of the building blocks of a technologically sound and competitive web presence,” Patel writes. “Without an understanding of SEO, your marketing presence will falter and fail.” To improve your SEO, offer up relevant content, label any images, provide relevant links and references, ensure your site’s standards are compliant with HTML, and have relevant page titles. 

3. You’re simply overdoing it.

Don’t just try every social media network. After all, social media that is done right requires time and energy for each, Patel says. You can’t be everywhere. Pick the top three platforms where your audience hangs out and focus there. Patel recommends one way to prioritize your online marketing focus: First, figure out what your audience wants; then identify where they are; and next adopt a strategy to reach them.

4. You’re forgetting about content marketing.

Deliver content on home buying or selling that caters to your clients’ most pertinent questions or what they’re facing in the current market. Delivering content geared to your audience should be at the core of your digital marketing strategy, Patel writes.  

View all of Patel's 12 common mistakes of digital marketing at Forbes.com.

Source: “12 Things Not to Do When Using Digital Marketing in 2016,” Forbes.com (March 10, 2016)