Success in business today requires much more than a good product, a nice storefront, and friendly customer service. In today’s digital world a great online presence is required. It’s essential to stand out or be blown away in the daily winds of competition. The good news is that key tools exist online. As Lucas Donat, marketing executive, said, “The internet affords a level of relationship with consumers hitherto unfathomable.” However, online marketing can’t be rushed into nor handled haphazardly. As Dave Ramsey, radio host and author said, “People are in such a hurry to launch their product or business that they seldom look at marketing from a bird’s eye view and they don’t create a systematic plan.”
Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Strong Online Presence
As you begin your business planning process, know that having a strong online presence:
- Establishes and improves your brand image.
- Creates a much greater audience.
- Showcases your products and services.
- Gives easier and more constant accessibility. (Your audience can find and come directly to you 24/7.)
- Enhances customer service.
- Builds understanding and trust.
- Provides a means for reviews and reputation-building.
- Delivers easier and less-costly selling and marketing.
9 Ways to Create Greater Business Impact with Your Online Presence
You can achieve a greater online presence by taking the following actions:
- Start by setting objectives and the steps to achieve your online goals, along with an intended timetable for achieving them.
- Identify your target customers. Create a “persona” for your customers: what they are like, age, lifestyle, family circumstances, education, key motivations, etc. Work on really knowing your customers.
- Create great content that will attract, inform, motivate and enable valuable engagement with your customers.
- Create an attractive website that is optimized for mobile use and SEO: fast loading, easy to navigate and with calls to action. Have accurate contact processes including a direct phone connect, contact form and landing pages. (Then, make sure that each aspect works.)
- Set up social media channels; ones that you can effectively and continuously use and monitor.
- Establish a consistent process for community building and engagement, so that your relationships grow and expand.
- Build an online store, if that is relevant to your business. Make it easy for customers to make a purchase confidently.
- Be consistent with your communications and always add value.
- Use analytics to measure and track your progress. Data is king in working with your customers.
Key Online Presence Mistakes
- Not having a complete, effective and up-to-date website.
- Not working hard on SEO.
- Not being accessible or responding promptly.
Seek Professional Marketing Assistance
Don’t hike through the difficult forest of marketing alone. Contact VisionPATH Marketing for online presence expertise that will help you succeed. With more than 15 years of experience working with small businesses, we have developed powerful marketing strategies and systems including web design, search engine optimization, social media marketing, and more.