Why a Strong Online Presence is Essential for Your Business

You keep hearing that it’s important to build an online presence for your business. But what does this mean? And why does it matter? Essentially, your online presence determines how easy it is to find your brand online. It’s about more than just a website. Your online presence is formed through the actions you take online, the content you produce, how people engage with your business, and the positioning of your business in search engines and social media platforms relative to your competitors. 

Because online presence is somewhat of an abstract concept, it can be hard to grasp. This is why it pays to work with professionals, like Speck Designs, that can help improve your online presence, create brand awareness, and boost customer loyalty. With that in mind, here’s why you should care about your online presence!

To Provide Information About Your Business

It may come as no surprise to hear that people frequently use the internet to find information about local businesses. In fact, 97% of consumers search for local businesses online before deciding to purchase goods or services, according to Compare Hare. Building an online presence ensures these potential customers discover your business when searching for relevant products or services. 

Most customers expect to find information about a business on a simple website. A well-designed, SEO-friendly website is essential for ensuring prospective customers can find the information they need to make confident purchasing decisions. You could even offer e-commerce options on your website so customers can place orders effortlessly. If you want to DIY your website instead of hiring a professional, be sure to use an online website builder to keep the process simple. A great website builder will include SEO capabilities, online ordering functionality, and many more useful features!

To Reach a Wider Audience

The ability to reach a wider audience with your business is another reason to care about your online presence. Building a rich and layered online presence will make it easier for potential customers to discover your business when going about their life online. For example, by guest posting on relevant blogging websites, you’ll be able to build brand awareness among new customer segments.

To Build Trust in Your Company

As Wyzowl explains, a solid online presence also helps customers build trust in your business. Your website, for example, is an excellent place to showcase positive reviews and share stats that support your business claims. Consumers might also look for information about your business in Google reviews and social media posts, so providing these research avenues is a great way to show potential customers that you can deliver on your promises.

To Advertise Your Business Effortlessly

Building an online presence establishes a free, 24/7 digital advertising solution for your business. People will organically come across your business when searching on Google or browsing social media, without any paid advertising required. Plus, having an online presence makes it easy for customers to engage with your business on a personal level, forming strong connections and creating loyal customers who return again and again.

To Learn What’s Working and What’s Not

Access to detailed data is one of the greatest benefits of building up your online presence and being active on multiple digital channels. For example, most digital marketing platforms provide data to tell you what’s working and what’s not, so you can make the most of your budget. Social media analytics tools like Hootsuite and Google Analytics can also provide invaluable information about the people interacting with your business online.

If you’re looking for ways to take your business to the next level, don’t overlook your online presence. Remember, it’s not enough simply to exist online! Building a strong online presence is an active process involving various levels of digital content creation, customer engagement, and advertising. 

Are you looking for help improving your online presence? Speck Designs offers branding, website design, reputation management, and more! Fill out the contact form on our website and tell us about your project!