Business

Useful Tips To Improve Your Online Presence And Help Your Business Thrive

Useful Tips To Improve Your Online Presence And Help Your Business Thrive

Having an online presence these days is key to ensuring that your independent business, regardless of its scale, can survive. Hardly anyone goes to a shop these days without doing a quick google search, and not having at least a short byline somewhere tends to sound the death knell for the enduring success of any business. So, maybe you already know all this and have a website, or an Instagram account, but giving your customers a chance to engage online with your content leaves something to be desired. There are a number of ways you can improve your online presence and ensure that your business gets out there. Here are a few helpful tips to help get the ball rolling.

Optimize Online Searches

These days, the name of the game is search engine optimization (SEO), and you have to do a lot of work in that area to ensure that your digital marketing techniques work. Basically, SEO allows potential customers an easier way to find you through an online search. When they go around looking for a local product or service, your company will show up if it offers the thing they’re searching for. If the SEO is airtight, then your company should show up in the top ten. You need to use the appropriate keywords on your pages in order for people to find you, and for an added bonus, definitely use Google’s set of recommendations to make the process easier. You should add things like sitemaps and other tools to alert the internet to your site’s presence, and also fresh content and updates every so often. Following some of the established rules readily available to you via Google should help a great deal. 

Content Updates 

SEO is crucial, but there are a few more notes you need to keep in mind when it comes to digital marketing. One extremely important aspect is to keep publishing new content, on a regular schedule. Much of the secret to keeping your online presence vibrant rather than dead on arrival is to think closely about your content strategy. Marketers at Gold Coast recommend developing a content strategy largely based on the frequently asked questions that come your way from clients. Also, publish a new video or post on a set day of the week – or month – so that people can know that you’re around and that your website is still viable and is regularly updated. 

Of course, make sure that the content you post is useful, and isn’t divorced from the product or service you offer. Otherwise, the likelihood of people continuing to visit your site, or to stumble upon it through a quick google search will be minimal.

Invest in Social Media

These days, a full-on digital marketing strategy is fairly ineffective if you don’t invest in social media. Just like the website, you need to update it regularly with fun, relevant content. Of course, the key to making social media really work for you is to ensure that the tone is conversational and genuinely engaging. There’s no room for formalities in the world of TikTok or Instagram. In short, the company’s online visibility will be judged by whether or not there is a human element to it, which comes in the form of a social media account. Developing an online presence these days isn’t just about social networks like Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, but it’s also about getting some social media interactions through your site. Also, be intentional about the sorts of social media platforms you use. You probably already know that people in younger demographics use Facebook less and less, but TikTok is ablaze with younger users. If your product or service is designed for a particular demographic, then make sure that your online presence speaks to them.

Stay in Touch

So far, we’ve covered different ways of ensuring that people come to you. We haven’t talked about the art of the follow-up. It’s great if your social media accounts and your website attracts visitors, but some of the gains you’ve made are lost if you can’t maintain the momentum. One way of doing that is by establishing regular mechanisms to help you stay in touch. If they didn’t buy anything from you the first time around, make sure that they will in the future. One common way of doing so is by sending out a regular newsletter. This helps to keep people up to date on different promotions you’re ready to offer, or a new service you would like to establish. This keeps brand awareness alive in the pipeline and will help you entice another customer who was perhaps too hesitant to buy something the first time around but finds themselves ready in a few months’ time. 

Of course, grabbing a potential customer’s email address should be taken seriously, and treated with the utmost respect. Establishing a baseline of trust with customers is important. So, always make it clear how you intend to use their email address, and note how often they should expect your newsletter. Also, let it be known that you won’t be giving their information to a third party. Selling other people’s data has been one of the worst yet prominent developments of the past decade, and customers will appreciate knowing that you don’t have any intention of doing so.

Mobility Access

A website that looks great and is fast is a boon for any business. However, if these advantages don’t translate into mobile responsiveness, you may have a problem with your hands. Most people search for products and services when they’re on the go, so mostly they’d be working from their phones or iPads. Consumers rarely look for products from their laptops or desk computers, so your business will be at a major disadvantage if people aren’t able to access the site easily when on the go.

The digital landscape is in a constant state of flux; trends change all the time. However, not having an online presence as a business owner is bound to hurt your capacity to lure new customers while retaining old ones. You need to have a space in the digital sphere, and it’s smart to make use of not only having a website, but all that social media platforms have to offer.