small businesses are still struggling to appropriate the Internet. However, it is possible to acquire a great exposure with minimal effort.

France, “startup nation”? Not quite yet… Sponsored by Facebook, the report from Deloitte on the digital transformation of French companies shows that there is a way to do it. Only 66% of them have a Web-site (the european average is 75%), and less than about 6 sells online.

The reasons for that? More than the fear of self-cannibalizing, or a return on investment is unclear, it is now the lack of skills which hinders our SMES. However, techniques that allow to acquire visibility on the Internet do not require to be a geek… here’s 4 to start online on the right foot.

1. Seo: think “local”

The Web is “World Wide”, it is heard. But people are also used to find out what may be of interest to the corner of the street: according to Google, 2 queries on 10 performed on a computer have a target local. And the figure has even climbed to 40% on mobile.

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Before you try to fight at the global level to appear in the search engine results on keywords and strategic – but necessarily very played – it is necessary, therefore, to take care of his local search engine optimization.

First step: register on the local services of Google My Business, Maps and Google+), do the same on Facebook and not to forget the professional directories (PagesJaunes, for example). Add relevant information (photos for a new business, the opening times…) then allows you to stand out.

2. Mouth-to-ear: use the notice-customer

The client, this lord grumpy… is also your best ambassador. This is the conclusion of a study by the Ifop, that demonstrates the extent to which internet users have become “addicted” to the opinions of their peers.

88% of them consult the reviews before making a purchase online, and 73% before to do the same in the store. And not only on products but also on services and businesses.

The question is no longer whether or not your customers express themselves, but choose the platform that will allow them to give their opinion.

The most basic such as Google+ (for notices displayed directly on the sheet of your company) to be more services like Bazaarvoice or Trustguard (to integrate notifications directly on your product sheets and guide potential consumers in their choice), the tools are not lacking. Only one prerequisite: choose a platform certified, to ensure the credibility of the opinion… and not get slapped on the fingers.

3. Social networks: engaging its teams

If you’re not part of these patterns refractory to social networks, you may be disappointed in the results of your investment on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and company. The places are expensive, and the visibility far from guaranteed.

A good way to give more publicity to what you share, if you do not have the budgets for advertising? Involve your employees.

The approach, called employee advocacy, has many advantages according to this study of the agency Sociallymap. Thanks to the personal contacts of your employees, you touch more people, and multiply your visibility by 14! And you are also more credible: the annual survey of the consulting firm public relations Edelman shows that 55% of people trust employees of a company. When only 49 per cent believe the words of the boss…

4. Content: create less but better

The content marketing, that is to say, to write articles, produce pictures or videos that will interest your target (and ultimately get them to buy from you) remains a strong trend of digital marketing. But without a clear strategy, a blog or feed into a newsletter can be as time-consuming and ineffective.

For companies that do not have the means to be present on all media and all content types, the trend is therefore more to the “less is more”: some formats are well-targeted, in line with their marketing objectives, as summarized in this infographic.

products that sell “slow” and need to establish a long-term relationship with its prospects? Written formats, the blog of the white paper, are to be preferred. More complex ideas to pass on? Think of the infographics and visual formats. A communication focusing more on the emotion? The video is the appropriate response.