Effective promotion of an online business can pay rich dividends. By the way you don’t need much money to promote your online business. You just need to know few things, like: Write engaging content Write high-quality, fresh and informative content on your website to attract users as well as search engines. Focus on “About us" and "home" page for better conversions. Tips:

• Write content according to your targeted users.
• Add a blog.
• Keep content consistent on social media channels.

Simplify your management Sometimes, it becomes difficult to align inventory and delivery, so choose the best platform to streamline all the internal and external processes. Tips:

• Manage invoices, inventory and the complete supply chain on a regular basis.
• Update your website on a regular basis.
• Integrate a secure payment gateway.
• Automate email marketing.

Advertise your business online Promoting an online business is a challenging task; however, with a few simple tactics, you can significantly make your website popular. Tips:

• Use Facebook advertising.
• Use Google Adwords.
• Submit your products to the top product submission websites.
• Rely on business and local listing.
• Take advantage of Social bookmarking, press releases and presentations.
• Use Instagram and Pinterest for greater exposure.

Optimise your online store You need to optimise your website, in other words optimise every single page of your website. Tips:

• Add unique SEO meta tags on each page.
• Write unique descriptions for better visibility.
• Optimise page headings (Include H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, and H6 tags.)
• Write short paragraphs.
• Add call-to-actions.
• Add keywords across  content.
• Rely on anchor text.
• Make your website mobile-friendly. (96% of smartphone owners use their devices to get things done.)

Monitor your competitors Monitor the activities of your competitors. This will help you to redesign your digital marketing strategy and uncover new market opportunities. Tips:

• Use SpyFu to uncover your competitor’s keywords.
• Use AccuRanker to track your progress against your competitors.
• Use BuzzSumo to track the most shared content on the web.
• Make use of Google Alerts to monitor the competition and ongoing market trends.
• Use Hootsuite to monitor the social activities of competitors.

Extend your business network Use powerful local marketing websites, like MerchantCircle, Local.com, Manta, Google My Business, Yelp, etc. to extend your network. Tips:

• Provide correct name, address and phone number of your business.
• Update your business information regularly.
• Verify your business listing.
• Always choose the most suitable business category.

Bonus tips:

• Manage and serve ads across the web.
• Show your updated product inventory.
• Highlight your delivery options.
• Don't underestimate the power of product reviews.
• Try to establish your brand as a trusted resource.
• Use Google Analytics 360 to understand users’ behaviour
• Integrate social media icons on your website.
• Compare and improve website performance using A/B testing.
• Use YouTube for better online visibility.
• Take advantage of Google Tag Manager.
• Integrate and sort marketing data in real time for better decision making.
• Share, understand, and learn from data-driven customer insights.
• Use sophisticated approaches to track ROI.
• Rely on digital, marketing, sales and consumer analytics.
• Consider partnering with related brands in different verticals to reach wider audiences.

So, use these cost-effective techniques to promote your business and of course, win the race.