Every small business requires an online presence, but what is it? Online presence is the sum of all the identities the company has created online from any of the following: business sites, social media profiles, online memberships in directories, and other online platforms where your current customers and prospects can find your business. Every business has a different online presence, yet it requires time and careful planning to build a comprehensive online presence. This is why it may be helpful to get the services of an affordable web design firm like 1768 Degrees Websites. However, here are some things for you to know about the more basic side of creating an online presence for your small business:
Of course, first off, you need to have a website. So why not save some money and get a 1768degrees.com website? Even if your business is not an e-commerce business, like a beauty salon or a coffee shop, you still need a website. The site must contain important details about your business such as your business hours, rates, and location. If you want to establish expertise in your industry, it’s good idea to have a blog.
With over 80% of customers searching online even if they have been referred to your business, it can be a big letdown to your customers and prospects if your business does not have a website. Having a bad website can however be even worse. Imagine the kind of impression you will leave to people when the site is slow to load, hard to navigate, and has a cluttered design. Even if you are just starting and are considering using free website building tools like Wix, consider the 1768Degrees alternative, which is built on WordPress, optimised for search. Make sure that you have high-quality content and that your business details are clearly stated on the site. You may also opt for a landing page that has a form to use for customer inquiries. With some of the 1768Degrees packages, content writing is included.
Social media accounts for the business can bring down your business’s marketing costs, enhance your customer interaction, and promote brand recognition as well as loyalty. There are so many social media platforms to choose from that it may be confusing for you to choose. Facebook is still the most important social media platform for small businesses. Another platform that benefits any small to medium e-commerce site is a review site account. You can start with Yelp or Google My Business.
Creating a social media presence requires you to be choosy. You may consider the demographics of your target market. For the younger ones, Instagram is more popular but the older age group are on Facebook. If your business will benefit more from a photo-centric platform, you can go for Instagram and Pinterest. Twitter, on the other hand, is for catchy phrases that promote valuable information.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is simply the steps you take to make your site rank as high as it can on search engines like Google and Yahoo. The higher your rank on the search engine, the higher your site traffic is. It involves a lot of techniques and most business owners outsource this task to professionals. Whether you opt to do this on your own or with the aid of a partner digital agency like 1768Degrees, you must not skip this area. Your site will have difficulty gaining traction without SEO.
Creating a brand identity is necessary whether you are setting up a site or other marketing materials for your own business. This brand identity must be recognisable to your customers and potential customers no matter what platform they are using. Branding is essential. And keep in mind that you have to compete with the big guns in your industry. By creating a brand identity, no matter how simple can help you stand out from your competitors. In creating this, you have to focus more on your unique value proposition. A great way to create a brand is to personify it. You can create a persona who exudes the values promoted by the business. This will help the company to appeal to its targeted audience.
It’s easier for you to be active in the community, and the most important step is to engage with the most popular people in your niche. If you are into beauty products, you may seek help from influencers on YouTube or Instagram. Most consumers look for reviews, testimonies, and promotion of product influencers before they buy anything. Influencer marketing is a great way to get the word out about your business. This will result in more people talking about the business.
You can create your online presence quicker by taking advantage of online advertising. When the ad about your business appears on top of the search engine results, this enhances the visibility of your site and awareness of your brand. You can advertise on different search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, and others. Before you start advertising online, you have to decide on what you plan to advertise, whether it’s the email newsletter or a particular content offer. The next step is to decide on the platform to use. This choice depends on the audience you are targeting.
When you have already set up some of your online identities, it’s crucial that you also analyse the results. It’s important to test the strategies so you will know what works for your brand and what doesn’t. You also have to decide on the metrics you will use. If it is SEO that you are working on, it’s best to track your site’s search engine results on Google. If you are trying to build an email list, you have to keep track of the number of subscribers your business has as well as your open and click-through rates. Be patient and consistent in implementing these strategies since these are for the long term.
1768degrees is an affordable web design agency part of the wider 1768degrees.com company. 1768Degrees was established to support affordable web design here in New Zealand.
