Even if you don’t want to sell your product online, you need your business to be on the web. However, we’re not talking about setting up a small website with nothing more than your company address and phone number on it. Instead, you want to build a digital version of your business. You need a welcoming and interesting site as well as active social media accounts to make the most out of it. It’s not a small job, but it will be worth it. To explain where we’re coming from, let’s take a look at why an online presence is essential for your business.
Why do you need to be online?
If you’re in front of a small business, having an online presence can mean the difference between making it or breaking it for you. And this is even more true if you’re working locally.
People just love to use Google to search for whatever they need, and they’ll rely on the information they find there. Hence, it’s a great source of free traffic.
For example, let’s say you’ve got a flat tire while passing through a random city on your journey. The chances are that you’ll take your phone and try to find the nearest tire shop to take care of it for you. So, you’ll use the convenience of searching the internet to find someone who can solve your problem. On top of that, the shop owner will get a new customer that day. It’s clear how this benefits both of you.
Of course, most small businesses don’t have lots of money and time to spend on finding their place online. Luckily, not having time isn’t such a big problem. You can post on social media once each couple of weeks and still get results. And when it comes to money, there’s a ton of ways to get visitors to your site for free. So, you already have everything you need.
However, don’t get us wrong. There will still be some expenses, and you’ll have to invest a bit of your time into it. But you can be sure that all that time and money will be well spent. To convince you of that, let us give you a few reasons why an online presence is essential for your business.
It Makes Your Business Accessible
One of the biggest reasons you need to be online is that your competitors are doing it. When people Google things related to your industry, you want them to come across you. If you don’t have a website, they’ll stumble upon one of your competitors and go with them instead.
If you want your name to pop out on the first page of Google, you need to improve your SEO efforts. Now, this is where things get pretty technical, so it’s best to contact a company like Movers Development to help you with it. That is if you don’t know anything about it, of course.
When you’re ”out there”, it’s easier for your customers to find you. However, once they get to your site, you want them to have a pleasant time. Users expect that everything loads quickly and that they can find all the information they need right on your site. It’s your job to make that possible. Also, make sure that your contact information is easy to spot and clearly written.
You’ll Reach a Wider Audience
Do you know why social media is so great for businesses? Well, because it’s the best tool you can use to reach a wast number of people. There are about 240 million active users on social platforms in the US alone. And let’s face it, no TV station could ever brag with that kind of audience.
On the other hand, your site will allow people to get to know your business even if they can’t physically get to it. If you add a web-shop to it, people from all over the world will be able to buy from you. Having it alone is making your market a lot bigger.
You can take it a step further and cross-promote your social media accounts and website. Add links to your social network profiles on your landing pages and use social media to promote your blog. You’ll be surprised by how much traffic you can get on each with this method.
But we still didn’t get to the best part. When people like what they see, they’re willing to share that with their friends. If your site can offer value, people who know them will hear about your business. It’s free word-of-mouth advertising, so why wouldn’t you take it?
You’ll Build Relationships With Your Customers
One of the nicest things about having a site, blog, and social media profiles is that they allow people to comment and talk about your products. And since it will all happen on your pages, you’ll be able to answer any questions that come up. It’s a great way to get your brand closer to its customers and show everyone how reputable you are.
And if there are less-than-kind reviews, you get a chance to resolve them. It’s a lot better idea to go out of your way to make an unhappy customer happy than to let them share how mad they’re at your business without you even knowing about their case.
By doing so, you’ll make your customers loyal. And this is a big thing if you’re preparing for a rebranding process. Of course, rebranding is full of challenges. But if you manage to keep most of your current clients, you can only go up from there.
If you play your cards right, your customers will love working with you. Alt tag: A man talking to a customer.
It’s Easy to See What Works and What Doesn’t
Finally, you’ll be able to see which of your efforts bring results and which don’t. Social media sites and Google Analytics will provide you with all the metrics you could want, and tracking them isn’t complicated either. You’ll find out what subjects interest your followers, so you’ll be able to offer them what they want to see.
Your company will grow thanks to what you do on the web, and that’s why an online presence is essential for your business. More people will hear about you, and they’ll think more of your business. Next, your customers will become more loyal, and you’ll get a chance to make things even better for them. It’s everything you need to make your business as strong as it can be, really.