9 Ways to Grow Your Business’s Online Presence
Long gone are the days where businesses could rely on customers coming through the door and buying a product. Now, with technology developing so quickly, many consumers would prefer to do their shopping from the comfort of their own homes.
Fortunately for them, this is possible due to the internet. Unfortunately for you, this means that if your business doesn’t have a strong online presence, you’re going to lose business, and miss out on a lot of opportunities.
Growing your business’s online presence is more important than ever because of the Coronavirus pandemic – more people staying home means that your online presence is going to be the key element when it comes to gaining customers. If this all sounds a bit foreign and overwhelming, don’t stress. We’re here to guide you through nine ways you can achieve this.
SEO
If any aspect of your business is online, you’ve likely heard of SEO. But what exactly is it? And why is it important? SEO refers to search engine optimization – to put it in simple terms, how many people come across your website. Having a decent website and all that is great, but what’s the point if no one ever sees it?
SEO helps increase your traffic (how many people view your site) by making sure that your website pops up when people search certain keywords. SEO is perhaps the most vital component of your online presence. If you feel like you’d be out of your depth with it, you should get someone to do it for you. There are SEO specialists all over the world, such as this Portland SEO company.
Add an online store
You may build a website, have someone sort out your SEO, and think to yourself, “Cool. I’ve done everything I should.” However, it’s a good idea to also have an online store. Many people think that an online store and a website are the same, when, in reality, an online store is just an optional part of a website. If you sell products, it’s a pretty important part. People may love your products, but not want to leave the house to buy them.
Or perhaps you’re too far from where they live. Giving customers the convenience of buying your products online will certainly grow your business’s online presence.
Start a blog
Many people turn blogs into businesses, but what’s stopping you from doing the opposite and creating a blog for your business? You can start an actual blog if you want, but we recommend just adding a blog section to your website. Many businesses don’t see the purpose of having a blog for business, but the truth is that it can help increase your online presence.
More people will find your website and business through the blog, and it’s a great way to get into the details of a specific product. An added benefit is that it makes clients see the more personal side of your business.
Email list
We’re sure you’ve received more than a few unwanted emails from businesses promoting their products or special promotions. They’re irritating, that’s for sure, but there’s no denying that they’re effective. That’s why you should use this strategy. It’s never a good idea to do this without a customer’s consent, so it might be a good idea to offer them a reward – such as a discount – for signing up.
Social media
We’ve all heard it many times before: social media is the future of business. There’s no doubt that having a social media platform (or a wide variety of them) will astronomically help with your business’s online presence. However, many people are skeptical.
People think that a website is enough to create a decent online presence, and while websites are valuable, more and more customers are turning to social media, which means you’re missing out on a huge audience if you’re limiting yourself. There are so many different social media platforms out there. To determine which one is best, you’ll have to look at your audience and business.
Online competitions or giveaways
A fun way to get the word out there when it comes to your business is to host a competition or giveaway. These tend to drastically increase the online presence of the business running it. Usually, the rules are related to things that will increase your business’s online following.
For example, following you on social media will get a person one entry, and sharing your social media will get them another. Another popular tactic is to encourage people to tag their friends to gain more entries – they stand a higher chance of winning, and more people see your business, so it’s a win-win.
Surveys
When it comes to any aspect of a business, you want to keep the good and get rid of the bad. Ultimately, you want to keep your customers happy. That being said, this can be a tough feat to achieve if you don’t know what makes them happy.
One easy way of overcoming this obstacle is by creating online surveys. Online surveys are a quick and easy way for customers to voice how they feel about your business, without having to spend a lot of time on it. You can then take this information and analyze it to help you figure out what to keep, what to improve, and what to get rid of. Click here for the best survey apps.
Online customer service
As stated, you want to keep your customers happy – even when they’re unhappy. The last thing you want is a customer who wants to log a complaint, but can’t, because they’re stuck in a queue – either in person or by having to hold on the phone. Luckily, you can avoid this thanks to the internet. Having a chat option will allow customers to talk to a manager or supervisor without having to give up hours of their day.
Create an app
Most people would agree that apps are often easier to use than a website. And these days, there are apps for nearly anything . . . so why not one for your business? You can use this app to send notifications, keep track of customer rewards points, or simply as a more convenient form of online shopping.