These days, it has become necessary for businesses to have an online presence in the form of a website or social media handle. Digital presence increases brand visibility, improves product awareness, makes marketing easier, and helps build trust with potential and existing customers. That said, creating an online presence can take some time. Those wondering how to build a strong online presence for business will benefit from a few tips.
Take the mobile-first approach
Since many people use their phones to make online purchases, it has now become essential for businesses to optimize their sites for mobile devices. Doing so will load pages much faster and make it easier for customers to navigate the website. Customers who can access shopping websites quickly often end up purchasing and also recommend the website to others. As a bonus, search engines also rank mobile-optimized sites higher, thus increasing visibility!
Focus on user experience
A business’s website should be able to communicate the business’s philosophy and range of products to customers. To this end, the website needs to be easy and intuitive to navigate for every site visitor. When designing the website, one must thus pay attention to a few important elements of user experience.
- Keep contact details easy to access so people can get in touch with the business when they need to.
- Create a beautiful and inviting website layout. Use clear, readable fonts and visuals to simplify the information.
- Double-check the forms and buttons on the website to ensure they work as intended.
- Create a logical structure and flow for the website using categories and sub-categories. Doing so makes it easier for users to navigate and filter content as needed.
Use SEO strategies
Focusing on search engine optimization, or SEO, is another excellent way to build a powerful online brand presence. SEO involves modifying a website’s design and content to make it more appealing to website crawlers so that they rank it higher on a search engine result page (SERP).
While building and executing an SEO strategy is a multi-faceted framework, professionals typically focus on a few key aspects.
- Posting high-quality content that establishes the business as an expert in its field
- Using relevant keywords when writing content, meta titles, descriptions, and other details
- Optimizing the website for mobile devices
- Creating trustworthy backlinks to improve domain authority
- Utilizing the correct title and heading tags for the content
Most businesses rely on tools like Google Analytics and Semrush for SEO. These platforms help businesses track essential site metrics like bounce rate, page views, average session duration, etc. Regular monitoring and data analysis can help businesses refine their SEO strategies to improve website viewership and conversions over time.
Ensure 100% security on the website
Website security is another key factor that determines search engine rankings. Most search engines prioritize secure websites as people prefer visiting them. Users often look for reputable websites with security labels and certificates to ensure the safety of their personal information when browsing online. Businesses can make their websites safer by collaborating with reputable security services and using encryption algorithms.
Look into social media marketing
Social media is an affordable tool for creating a digital presence for small businesses. It allows businesses to reach out to and engage larger audiences, significantly increasing their visibility and brand awareness. With social platforms, any business can create a unique identity and build stronger customer relationships. Social media also acts as a great tool for online reputation management (ORM), as it offers customers direct access to the business.
It is essential to pay attention to a few things when using social media as a marketing strategy for online business growth.
- Start by setting clear goals and objectives regarding what kind of content to share.
- Select the platforms that are best suited to business needs. There’s no need to be present on all social media platforms. Instead, narrow it down to three channels that will help the business get in touch with its target audiences.
- Integrate social media marketing with other marketing efforts, such as banners, pamphlets, or email marketing.
- Create an editorial calendar and post regularly.
- Come up with fresh, relevant content regularly instead of recycling the same old stuff. This will keep audiences engaged for longer.
- Don’t post and disappear! Take the time to interact with audiences, reply to comments, and address grievances. This is a great way to boost the brand’s credibility among customers.
As businesses grow and evolve, one can also invest in influencer marketing. As the name suggests, the strategy involves working with social media influencers—people who already have a sizable social media following—to market and advertise relevant products and services.
Building a powerful brand presence online is easier said than done. Besides offering quality products and services, businesses must invest time and resources into creating a strategy to establish a strong online presence.
