Why an online presence is crucial for small business in 2020

by | Aug 17, 2020 | Small Business

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In the era of social distancing, takeout, and online shopping an online presence is crucial for small business. It doesn’t matter if you offer products or services, a website can legitimize your business and serve as a sort of online brochure for what you offer.

Many consumers now see an online presence as the only way to verify a business. If they can’t search for you online, they might question your legitimacy, and you don’t want that. Make sure that what your customers and potential customers find when they search for you is attractive and trustworthy.

Here’s a look at what it means to have an online presence and why you need one.

What is an online presence?

Before we can dive too deep into why you need an active presence online, let’s define with it is. An online presence refers to your company’s:

  • Website
  • Social media
  • Listings on third-party websites, such as Google My Business
  • Blog

Pause for a moment and search your company’s name. Now ask yourself whether or not you can control the narrative about your company on the websites where your information is listed.

You’ll never be able to control all of them, but if you own your company’s website and social media, you can influence the top results for your business name and create a pleasing online experience that converts searchers and prospects into customers.

If you do nothing, your business might still have some form of an online presence, whether that’s through other people mentioning your company on social media or third-party listings for businesses in your area.

But without reviewing and managing these information sources, it might not look the way you want it to. Or, you might not be easy to find, which can result in lower traffic to your business.

Why your business needs an online presence

Now that you know what an online presence is, let’s look at why it matters. The goal of having an online presence is to make your business discoverable and allow potential customers to learn more about your business.

Here are some of the reasons your business needs an active presence online.

  1. Beat your competitors: More than likely, your competitors already have an online presence, so if you don’t, they’re already beating you. Consider the industry that you’re in and what you do. Think like your customers and how they might be searching for products or services related to your business. Do an online search and see if anything about your company shows up on the first page. There will certainly be information about your competitors out there. Your goal is to create an online presence that is better optimized and more attractive for website design than your competitors.
  2. Legitimize your business: It’s difficult to showcase your business’s worth in today’s marketplace without a website. A website can prove that you are still in business and showcase more about what you do. Without a website, consumers might be wary to do business with you, which means you could be missing out on business you never even knew about.
  3. Rank for SEO: Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the hottest marketing topics because it’s a powerful tool for getting more traffic to your business organically. Ranking for SEO means people can find your website through a simple web search for topics related to your business. When you lack an online presence, you make it impossible for these searchers to find you.
  4. Leads: Today’s consumers are accustomed to being able to find information about businesses and reach out to them online. Or, consumers who aren’t ready to make a purchasing decision like to sign up for an email list and learn more about your company over time.
  5. Customer service: Consumers aren’t accustomed to calling businesses with inquiries anymore. A quick email or chat session might serve them better, and so you can open the door to improved customer service through your online presence.

Getting started with a website and social media

Some businesses avoid building an online presence because it’s time-consuming and hard. That’s understandable and why we recommend asking for help in the areas that feel daunting. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting started with your online presence:

  1. Purchase a domain for your business. I recommend Bluehost for all of your domain and hosting needs.
  2. Choose a platform for your CRM, such as WordPress, or contact me for advice and insights on the best way to set up your site.
  3. Draft your website copy and create your sitemap (an outline of what pages to include in your website)
  4. Build out your website or have a designer do it for you.
  5. Add Google Analytics to your website.
  6. List your business on Google My Business, Yelp, and any other industry-specific websites that make sense for your business.
  7. Create your social media profiles. Make sure these are profiles you’re comfortable managing long-term. Creating profiles and just leaving them there without regular content is not a good practice. Discuss the matter with a social media management expert for insights and advice.

I’m a graphic designer and website designer that’s passionate about helping business start their online presence or improve their online presence. Contact me for more information on how to get started. For more information on the website process, read my blog about my stress-free website process.