You want your business to be found online. You might even have an existing website. But it’s one thing having a website, it’s another thing directing traffic to it.

How will you get people to visit your website? If you answered Google, you’d be on the money. “Google it” is the catch-cry of our times. If your answer included digital marketing, not only are your suspicions well-founded, you’re also in the right place.

Newcastle digital marketing agencies—like those you’ll find here in our directory—live and die by their ability or inability to get click-happy fingers to do their bidding. These advertising companies and marketing consultants use a range of promotional strategies to make this happen.

We’re in a world of information overload and, while not every business can be number one in its marketplace, competing for attention in your market is definitely worth your while. Among the strategies digital marketing agencies use, those that lure more traffic to your website are important but the ones that ‘convert’—i.e. turn visitors into customers—are where the best Return on Investment (ROI) is found.

Websites can be improved using Search Engine Optimisation. Google loves optimised sites, especially when they are optimised for local searches. Here’s why. Consumers and their smartphones are now inseparable. Google knows this and has wasted no time carving out its role in how we use our phones.

Not a day passes when Google has not ratcheted up its ability to return more relevant results for our searches. It has also made it easier to promote your business, right where your customers live. Google My Business is the result and its benefits for your business cannot be ignored.

Social Media is another powerful marketing and branding tool. Digital marketing agencies know about business page administration for Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest, as well as Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising campaigns.

PPC advertising, or Search Engine Marketing (SEM), is also offered by Google Ads. A digital marketing agency’s expertise with Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords) can be pivotal to your business’s success online. Electronic Direct Marketing (EDM) relies on capturing contact details for your customers and is another effective way to engage them and promote your marketing messages.

These approaches are often used to create sales funnels. The ‘funnel’ approach leads logically, step by step, toward qualifying customers who then purchase products or services. When deciding on a Newcastle digital marketing agency, read online reviews and case studies to assess their proficiency and relevance to your business.

Google accreditation is a good thing. If you see “Google Premier Partner,” it indicates Google thinks highly enough of the agency in question to dedicate its own staff to help with SEO and SEM.

Meet with the agency’s representative. Be honest and realistic about your expectations. Discuss what’s needed to achieve your marketing ambitions. It’s competitive out there. More than empty promises offered in response to unrealistic demands, you need a capable ally for your business.