With about 97% of users searching online for a local business, establishing a robust online presence is a must for any business. By setting up an online presence, people can find you easier through search engines, online directories, social media, and other platforms. It’s the primary form of digital marketing and one of the cheapest ways to market your business and show you’re a professional.
As the Internet evolves, there are more ways you can place your business in front of your target audience with quality experiences, meaning more opportunities to build brand awareness and improve your reputation.
Here’s a simple guide to kick-start your business’s online presence.
Make a Website
The most basic way to set up a robust online presence is to have a website. It’s one of the first places people would go to learn about your business. A website is also where you can showcase your branding and communicate your brand’s value through fonts, colors, images, videos, and text. You can use the website to appeal to the pain points of your buyer persona and offer a solution to their problem.
The first step to creating a website is to buy a domain. There are plenty of solutions that offer the cheapest domain name registration prices, you just have to pick the one that best fits your budget. Choosing the right cheap domain can be a great way to communicate your website’s purpose, innovation, creativity, and customer service while saving money.
Create an Email List
Creating and growing an email list is also one of the best methods to build your business’s online presence. It allows you to engage with existing and potential customers regularly. The best way to do it is to provide gated pieces of content to your website visitors in exchange for their email addresses. Also, consider promoting your business newsletter using a CTA to your social media and website or use loyalty and referral programs to build your email list.
Have a Social Media Presence
Being on social media is a no-brainer. Nowadays, 4.48 billion people use social platforms making social media an integral tool for reaching your target audience. Establishing a presence on social platforms will help you instill trust in your current and potential customers. Plus, when used right, it’s a great way to build your reputation, credibility, and brand.
Master Search Engine Optimization
SEO is one of the top tactics to establish a robust presence online. It’s a way to ensure you show up when people search online. The practice of using on-site SEO involves keyword research, linking to both internal and external sources, and creating valuable content that aligns with your target audience’s searches. On the other hand, off-site SEO refers to technical stuff such as setting up the website correctly, creating simple URLs, and optimizing the load speed.
Experiment with Online Ads
Online advertising can help you get on the fast track to building the online presence for your business. For instance, when advertising on search engines like Google and Yahoo, you’ll show up in the top search results, which will help you build brand awareness and boost your online visibility. Additionally, it’s worth trying social media advertising. Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube all offer some great and cost-effective options. Before you start, you must decide what you want to promote and your goal. Then, research the best platform with the right audience to promote that content and reach that goal.
Evaluate Your Results
As you’re building the online presence for your business, don’t forget to analyze the results. You should continually test the strategies you implement to know what works and what doesn’t. First, decide which metrics you’ll use. For instance, if you’re creating an email list, you should track the number of people who have subscribed and CTRs. On the other hand, if you’re focused on improving your SEO, measure the search engine results. It’s important to note that building an online presence is a full-time job, and many of these strategies will take time to show results, so be patient.
Final Thoughts
A strong web presence enhances your ability to reach a larger customer base and expand your business. In the beginning, it can be challenging to establish one because there are so many options. The good news is that to get started, you can only need to concentrate on your website, social media marketing, online directories, and email. Once these are set up and optimized, you can start looking into other web marketing choices, such as paid advertising.
[Photo by Samantha Borges on Unsplash]
