On 10th March, Africa118# hosted a 360 digital training at their offices in Nairobi in conjunction with The Netherlands Business Hub Kenya. The training was attended by 20 business entrepreneurs interested in leveraging the power of technology to grow their businesses. The training was facilitated by the Africa118 team comprising John Mulon (Google Certified Trainer), Pitkin Amos (Business Development Manager), and Martin Okonji (Digital Acquisition Manager).

We had the great privilege to attend the training and have put together a summary of the three main takeaways from the session to help you grow your digital footprint.

Google Businesses Profile

Have you ever tried to Google yourself or your business? Do you like what you find? Did you know that 81% of consumers read google reviews in 2021, a rise from 63% in 2020?

A Google Business Profile is a free tool that allows you to take charge of the way your business appears on Google Search and Maps. With your Business Profile, you can do so much for your business such as connect with customers, post updates, list your products and services, and accept online orders.

Access to the customers’ views allows businesses to understand them and tailor their business to meet customers’ expectations and build their reputation. The Google business profile offers insight into which kind of traffic is heading into the website, how did they reach the organization, the keywords they searched, and what products might they be interested in that the business may offer? You can find more information about how to set up a profile, and how to respond to customer reviews here.

Website and Search Engine Optimization

Did you know that 84 percent of Consumer Search Online before they go offline, and 99 percent of google search users rarely navigate to the second page of the Google search result?

Search engine optimization on websites improves the business ranking on search engines while also improving the quantity and quality of traffic attracted. SEO also enables an organisation or brand to build trust and relevance. Consumers tend to pick choices that are higher up on the ranking for business; it is advantageous to be at the top.

Firstly building trust refers to offsite SEO, these are efforts made outside the business website to improve the perception of the business in terms of trustworthiness, ranging from offering quality service to reputable sites and people linking to the website promoting it.

Secondly, Onsite SEO ensures the website content aligns with the keywords the intended customers use on search engines while improving the structure and loading speed of the website. 51% of all website traffic comes from organic search, hence building relevance allows businesses to improve their website traffic from a search engine. Slow loading poorly structured websites, usually have high bounce rates (the percentage of viewers who leave the site after opening only one page). High bounce lower rating on search engines reduces the potential of attracting clients.

Digital marketing campaigns

Businesses and Entrepreneurs can have a global reach at a lower cost by using paid methods to increase their SEO rankings through digital marketing campaigns tactics such as search engine marketing, social media marketing, email marketing and bulk SMS campaigns where the content is tailored to meet the client’s needs.. By doing so, the business can build trust and credibility, allowing the clients to have familiarity when they interact with the business.

In conclusion, keeping your website and social media up to date by posting engaging content and optimising your website will guarantee you do not miss opportunities for valuable connections that can be converted into business.

Additional Resources

• Crain, G. (2023). SEO: What It Is And Why It’s Important. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2023/02/07/seo-what-it-is-and-why-its-important/?sh=1e6c98de4ace
• Gasparyan, D. (2020). Why SEO Is Your Most Valuable Marketing Tool For 2020. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/08/24/why-seo-is-your-most-valuable-marketing-tool-for-2020/?sh=57bca53615d3