Starting a business is no small task. There are an almost unlimited number of questions to answer, problems to solve, and possibilities to consider. While the end result can be very rewarding, you don’t want to begin without first doing your research. Before starting your business, there are a few strategies to employ to see if people are looking for what you have to offer.

Finding if There Is a Market with Google Trends

The days of canvassing a neighborhood to get people to buy a product are well on their way out the door. With the prevalence of Google as a search engine, the most efficient way to pool for consumer interest is by analyzing what people are looking up online, and one of the best ways to do that is with Google Trends. 

Google Trends is a search feature that shows the popularity trends of any given search term in Google. Because you can refine your search based on time window, region, category, and type of media searched for, Google Trends gives pretty comprehensive data for you to find out if there’s a market for your product or service before starting your business. 

Discover Your Product’s Search Trajectory

If you want to discover if your niche is on the rise, set your Google trends parameters to “2004–present.” This will give you a global view of how your keywords are faring, whether many have searched for your terms and if popularity of the term is waxing or waning.

This data can also be helpful in determining when you announce your business. Are people looking for collapsible snow shovels in June or January? These trends don’t necessarily govern the timeline of your business setup, but they can educate and inform you going into the process.

Especially if you are looking for products to sell, beware of fads. The search trends for these spike in isolated periods of time and plummet just as quickly. Fads are a flash in the pan and are not a good business investment.

Location, Location, Location

Before starting your business, check your product’s search popularity by region. With the internet as the dominating source of business traffic, you are not confined to your geographical region as to where to sell your stuff. Services are more dependent on location, but you can check to see how many in your area have looked for the service you want your business to provide.

Use “Related Topics” to Expand Your Business Model

Especially if your business model is still in its infancy, you can discover what similar topics people commonly search for. At the bottom of the page during a Google Trends search, Google includes related topics that people also look up when they search for your topic. These may be within your niche or adjacent to it, but they may also feel tangential. 

Either way, it can help you expand your business model to include other services or products mentioned in these metrics since they are a good indication that your intended audience has interest in these topics as well. These may not always make a lot of sense to include in your business plan, but you may choose to incorporate them in other ways. The “Related Queries” section is a good source for this as well.

Healthy Competition

Before starting your business, it is helpful to know if other companies exist that cater to the Google searches you find. Google Trends has a compare feature to let you see how well they are doing. Be wise with this information. Understand that a bit of competition is good for business, but you don’t want to oversaturate the market. Use discretion and highlight what makes your business different.

Other Strategies for Monitoring Interest Before Starting Your Business

What happens if there doesn’t seem to be a market for your service or product? This does happen, and Trends will indicate that it doesn’t have enough data to form trendlines. So what do you do? Throw in the towel? Not necessarily. Maybe your business will offer something that people are looking for but don’t know they are looking for, or maybe a little refining will help your business get on the map.

Other ways to check for consumer interest include GoogleAds, social media ads, and networking. Following the ups and downs of these methods can be challenging, so before starting your business you might choose to brush up on how to use them. You can also let Performance Driven Marketing handle your online presence, delegating the marketing strategies to the professionals. We’re eager to help you follow your passion to get your business up and running.

With how visual our world is now, high-quality images are crucial in order to create a trustworthy site and advertisements. Many people use stock images for marketing purposes, but it’s essential to be careful with these. Using stock images for marketing can be very beneficial when done correctly. However, many people don’t realize the different practices they need to utilize when using stock images.

Here is what you need to know about whether you even should be using stock images for marketing purposes, as well as what you need to do in order to ensure that they’re used effectively.

Should You Use Stock Images For Marketing?

This is a topic of some debate. Some people say that no, you should absolutely never ever use stock images. You should hire a professional photographer and ensure that all of the images you use are original. Others say that there’s nothing wrong with using stock images, so long as you follow the appropriate practices.

In truth, you can use both. Professional, original images of your team, your business, and your products add authenticity that customers love. However, hiring a professional photographer can be expensive, and you can find yourself needing more images than you currently have. You need a variety in order to avoid boring potential clients and causing them to click away from your site. 

Using stock images for marketing allows you to cut costs down on professional photography, but you need to ensure that the stock images you use suit your purposes. The more authentic they look, the better. You must also ensure that you follow all the licensing restrictions to avoid getting landed in hot water. There’s nothing wrong with using stock images for marketing purposes, so long as you utilize the following practices.

How To Use Stock Images Effectively

Stock images can be a lifesaver. However, they can also be incredibly easy to spot, which can lower the trustworthiness of your site. You need visual elements on your site in order to catch and maintain attention – no one likes blocks of texts, after all. But the wrong stock images can backfire, impacting how much time people spend on your site and how likely they are to contact you about your services.

Here’s what you need to know about using stock images for marketing effectively.

#1. Ensure That You Check Their Legality

You can end up getting sued if you use stock images incorrectly. There are many different sites that sell stock images you can use, such as Depositphotos. They will typically list any usage clauses, modification limitations, and image permissions. It’s essential that you understand the licensing and copyright before using an image.

For instance, one stock image may be fine to use on your site, but may have a clause saying that it cannot be used in print. Thus, you need to know the licensing rules of the stock images you want to use. If a stock image you like has restrictions that mean you can’t use it how you wanted to, you will need to find another. 

#2. Know What Type Of Licensing You Need

This goes hand-in-hand with the above point. There are two main types of stock image licensing: royalty-free and rights-maintained. 

• Royalty-free stock images are images that you can use repeatedly after a one-time purchase. They are not exclusive, so you may notice competitors using the same stock images you do. 
• Rights-maintained stock images come with exclusive rights that can expire. They allow you to use the image exclusively for a higher price.

Ensure that you understand the restrictions of each image you use to avoid violating its copyright or licensing. Know when you need to credit photos too.

#3. Select Images That Look Authentic

You know the infamous stock images that are so fake they’ve become memes? Unless you’re trying to take a humorous angle, it’s best to avoid such images. The more natural and authentic the stock image, the more trustworthy your site will be and the more professional it will appear.

The more obviously posed and staged and exaggerated the emotions of the models in the photo, the worse it looks on your site. Instead, opt for images that depict more natural poses and emotions to generate trust and give your site more authenticity. 

#4. Know When To Use Stock Images And When To Get Original Pictures

If you can easily get your own images, why use stock images for marketing? For instance, if you have a cooking site and you’re writing recipes, it would be better to get pictures of what you actually made, instead of using stock images. Consider when you can ask your team if you can take pictures of them while they are at work, for a more human element to your site.

#5. Optimize Your Images For SEO

Many people overlook images in their SEO practices. Regardless of whether you use stock images for marketing purposes or original photos, you need to ensure that the images are optimized. This means:

• Rename the file to include your keywords. Avoid underscores. The image name matters, so instead of a random string of numbers, use something like: gutter cleaning in autumn. 
• Be mindful of the file format. Generally, you will use JPEG for photos and PNG for illustrations and logos. 
• Use the alt text, as this helps both SEO and with accessibility.
• Use your image title tags.
• Compress images as needed, so pages load quickly.
• Caption accordingly. You don’t want to be spammy and jam keywords into the caption, but you can do a simple descriptive caption that fits with the content of the image and your page. 

These are but a few of the ways you can optimize your images for SEO. If you would like to learn more about using stock images for marketing or image optimization, the experts here at Performance Driven Marketing are here to help. We know how to use stock images for marketing in a way that benefits your site’s SEO and authenticity. Contact us today to learn more about how we can improve your site’s SEO.