8 Growth Hacks Perfect For Your Startup
Most startups hit a wall after developing their prototype. The reason? Growing from zero is extremely difficult. However, by taking the proper steps, startups are able to overcome this wall and expedite their growth, through a process called “Growth Hacking.” Here are 8 growth hacks that our expert digital marketing team suggests are perfect for every startup, designed to help you overcome this first major business plateau.
1. Constantly Focus On Your SEO
Search Engine Optimization is integral to startup growth. Our experts suggest that the best place to begin is when your startup is just in its beginning stages. When your startup’s website is being developed, be sure to keep track of web design’s overall impact on SEO. For example, image sliders on your website directly harm your SEO. Relatedly, loading speed is a “macro-issue” to take into consideration during web development. For Google search result rankings, loading speed is one of the most important factors for determining a website’s ranking.
2. Invest in Social Media Marketing
Branding means everything for growth hacking; and, in today’s world, social media is the largest driver of establishing newfound brands. We suggest that the first thing you should do, to growth hack with social media, is determine the best platform for your startup. Our experience has proven that the best way to do this is to research your competitor’s results; which platforms do they receive the largest amount of attention on? Your startup will likely experience the same result. By narrowing down your social media marketing to just one or two platforms, you are able to allocate more attention to the platforms and, thus, perform better on them.
We recommend you set a goal to post three times per week at first, to get your brand’s feet in the water. If you are heavily focusing on growth hacking, then try to post original content at least a couple times per day.
3. Start Content Marketing
Content marketing, put simply, is a necessity for any business trying to organically grow its online footprint. The practice of regularly publishing blog posts and articles leads to a surge in web traffic—and, therefore, clients for your startup. Writing not only establishes your company credibility with expertise, but also spreads the message of your startup as other readers begin to cite your article or share it throughout their network. Therefore, we highly recommend you begin writing for your audience as soon as you can.
4. Create an Email List. Then Use It
Creating an email list sounds simple but is quite complex. We had some trouble in our early days, but with enough practice, we managed to master the process. You should begin as soon as possible, collecting emails from people who visit your website or are within your social network. Remember, though, their permission is strongly recommended according to the CAN-SPAM Act. After building your email list, spend some time researching a variety of the best practices for email marketing. A few short tricks: keep your emails short, avoid words that trigger spam filters, and use your name in the emails.
5. Prepare Scalable Processes
The best way to grow is to make the growth process as smooth as possible. Once you’re growing, you want to focus on growing more, not keeping up. While your business is still in its startup stages, we suggest you begin researching and implementing processes throughout your company that are easy to scale up. The processes are much easier and cost-efficient to grow if they are taken care of while business is still relatively calm. A few scalable processes, for example, include automating emails, user management, as well as running your website on the most resilient platforms offered.
6. Launch PPC Ads with Google Adwords
If you want to “cut the line” and generate traffic today and tomorrow, we recommend that you invest in Google Adwords “Pay-Per-Click,” or “PPC” advertising. The system is self-explanatory and easy to set-up. Essentially, you pay Google to advertise your website at the top of Google Search results for certain keywords. Then, you just pay each time your ad is clicked in search results. The down side is that Google Ads can cost a bit of money. Nevertheless, with proper keyword research and identifying the right niche, Google Ads investments may prove to be just what you need to get your startup growing.
7. Prioritize Customer Service
Customer service is vital for growing startups. The reason? You want customers to remain customers—in both the short and long-term. A few customer service tips include making the customer feel linked with your company, quick response times, and engaging with your customers on social media. If you want to learn what hardworking customer service looks like, feel free to .
8. Always include a Call to Action
An integral element of growth hacking relies on your website’s ability to convert viewers into customers. The most reliable way to increase conversion is to make the purchasing process itself as simple and easy as possible. To do this, we suggest you create a clear call to action, or instructions for a viewer. For example, many startup websites have “Sign Up” or “Get Started” buttons that remain at the top of the window no matter how far down you scroll.
What now?
Before starting your growth hacking process, be sure to take these eight points into consideration. If you are looking for more information to help grow your startup, subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about new tips. If you are looking for experts to take care of the entire process for you, contact our professionals to get a quote fast and learn more about what we offer.
Good luck!
