The Importance of a Strong Online Presence.
In this day and age, running a business requires more than placing an advert in the local newspaper, making a few telephone calls and sending a handful of emails. If your business is to succeed, you’ll need to secure a strong online presence, maintain it and keep it.
Essentially, the term online presence means representing your business via the internet; it is the foundation of your business’ identity. The goal is to build a strong, reliable and familiar presence through a multitude of useful and, oftentimes, complicated platforms and online strategies. In other words, merely owning a website that was last updated 18 months ago will not cut the mustard!
Your online presence includes blogging, pay per click marketing, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and social media. Most business owners tend to focus on one or two of these areas instead of exploiting them all to their full potential, or worst still, they neglect to update them regularly which can give an unfriendly, disinterested and dated impression. An up-to-date website optimised with SEO and keywords is an invaluable tool that acts as a virtual shop front for your customers. In order to help new potential customers find your website in the first place, you will need an interactive and engaging social media presence. When people regularly see interesting updates that catch their eye, they will be more inclined to click through to your website and order from you.
You may already be creating an online presence without even knowing it; if you use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Instagram etc., you will already be reaching out and building those connections that are vital for a strong online presence. However, these social media channels rely on your continual and meaningful interaction and engagement in order to successfully gain fans, followers, shares, Likes, leads and customers; if carried out correctly, it is relatively easy, cost effective and can be highly beneficial for your business. Such online networking and marketing enables you to interweave a strong presence across all platforms by creating a community around your business.
If this all sounds too daunting and leaves you in a cold sweat, fear not – there is help out there; Webster Creative offers services to help guide you through what may appear to be a treacherous mine field. Literally everything you do, share and post accounts for your online presence so it is key that you ensure it is positive and engaging! The benefit of successfully run social media accounts, SEO, blogs etc., is priceless. Essentially, it enables other people to carry out marketing for your business, free of charge by simply sharing, re-tweeting and re-blogging your posts to a wider audience that you have previously only dreamt of.
If you feel you can’t get your head around how to successfully use the social media platforms, manage your online marketing strategies or simply don’t have the time, why not contact us here at Webster Creative to discuss your requirements and let us help guide you through your technological journey by taking advantage of our consultancy and training services.