Four Ways to Maximize your Online Presence

publish date: January 21, 2016

Online presence is becoming more vital as the business world continues to shift from physical to virtual.  Many business interactions are now being done completely online and this presence can be the difference between success and failure.  These are four easy ways that you can make sure your business is ahead of the game and can be found in what may be an already  competitive market.

Professionally Designed Website
Your website could be the first interaction someone has with your business and first impressions really do count when it comes to consumers.  Having a professional look to your website can set up a positive connection that people have with your business. 

Although the look of the website is important, making sure your site operates efficiently is equally crucial.  You can have an absolutely amazing look to your website but if people have a difficult time navigating or struggle getting through transaction features, those looks will count for little and that positive impression could turn sour.  Nothing turns a potential buyer away more than frustration of an inefficient website.  With professional help, features such as e-commerce, accepting on-line payments, event calendars, photo galleries, statistical reports on visitors and trends, html newsletters, etc… can be made easy and take your site to the next level.

Social Media
Social media is a useful tool that can serve as gentle reminders throughout the day that bring your business to the mind of the consumers.  It is also a way to be a little more informal with your audience and put a human face to your business.  For example, this direct communication could come when someone posts to your page a question relating to one of your products or a problem they are having with your services.  You are now able to professionally display your customer service and responsiveness not only to that person but to a much wider audience.  If you struggle with content, try posting interesting industry articles or scenes from the office that display the personality of your company.  Some popular social media sites many businesses utilize include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Strong Blog
A strong blog can be a great way to demonstrate your expertise in your area of business and create a hub for people to get useful information.  Take topics that your consumers will care about and use your blog to address those topics, show your expertise, and really connect with people.

SEO
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is obviously paramount to online presence because, well, how can people enjoy your website if they can’t find it in a search engine?  There are many ways to improve your SEO rankings and many actually stem from the professional build of your website.  Improving your on-page content, creating effective meta tags, and keeping the content of your website new and relevant all will help keep your page at the top of searches. 

You can also compliment building your long term SEO strategy with PPC, or Pay-Per-Click, advertisements where your site can be sponsored at the top of the search results when certain keywords are searched.  This does have a cost associated with it but can be helpful for fast results.  

Taking advantage of these four areas will enhance your online presence but we would warn you against ever becoming complacent in the ever changing online world.  Many of these tips can be done personally so do some research for the best approach to suit your individual needs and don’t hesitate to seek professional help if you need assistance with implementation.