A digital presence is essential for any business. You may not think this is important, but it will make the difference between those who succeed and those who don’t. The recent recession has shown us that not having a website or social media presence can be fatal to your business. Today, we will explore why this is and how you can start building your online profile today.
Why do you need a website?
This is the first question that people often ask me. In this day and age, people use search engines to find businesses. Over 90% of them say they look online for reviews of local companies before making a purchase decision. People will use their phones to search for what they want, and if your business isn’t there, you’ll instantly be at a disadvantage.
Your website should also answer these questions:
- Who are you?
- Why should I care?
- What do you offer?
You must have matching social media presences as well when you’re building your digital presence. You can’t just rely on your site anymore. Social media has become another important component for gaining and retaining customers.
Why is a website so important?
The biggest reason you should have a website is that if you don’t, someone else will. You need to be in control of your online presence and not let it just happen to you by accident. As I mentioned before, people use search engines to find businesses and products they’re looking for.
If your business isn’t visible on the first page, then the chances of them finding you are slim. A potential customer can type something like “plumbing services near me” into Google and instantly find the top results on the first page without even clicking through all of them. This means they probably won’t bother with any websites that are further down on the search results.
How do I start building my digital presence?
Now that you understand why having a website and social media presence is so important, it’s time to start building them. It’s not hard, but it does take some effort. You need to make sure your website is well-optimized for search engines and that your social media profiles are complete and up to date.
You should also start creating content for your website and social media profiles. This can be anything from blog posts to images and videos. The more content you create, the better your chances of being found online. You can also use tools like Google AdWords to help get your business in front of potential customers.
Seek Help from Digital Marketing Firms and PR Agencies
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or don’t have the time to do everything yourself, then you can seek help from digital marketing firms and PR agencies. These professionals know how to get your business in front of the right people and help you achieve your online goals.
For example, if you’re running your own dental practice, you need PR services for dental practices. You can’t just rely on word of mouth to get new patients. You need to be online, too, and you’ll find that your website traffic will increase dramatically if you’re doing everything correctly.
How Can You Make Your Target Audience Notice You?
If you know how to get your website and social media profiles in front of the right people, it will be easier for you to make a name for yourself. You can do this by getting involved in your community, offering discounts and deals on your site, creating great content, and engaging with other business owners online.
Now that you understand why you need a website and social media presence, let’s look at some digital marketing tips that can help you gain new customers.
- Don’t just promote what you’re selling because nobody cares about that. Instead, talk about things that interest your target audience. For example, if you have a dentist website, don’t just write blog posts about teeth whitening or dental implants because these posts will only appeal to a small percentage of your audience.
- Create a sense of urgency by telling people about limited-time discounts or deals you’re running.
- Share other businesses’ content through re-tweets and Facebook shares via social media platforms which tells people you’re active online and not just promoting yourself all the time.
- Include calls-to-action in every post, such as “visit our website” or “place your order today.”
While it may seem challenging at first, once you get into a rhythm, you’ll find that it’s much easier to grow your presence online. You can also hire professionals who specialize in building digital marketing strategies for small businesses if needed. They can help you get your website and social media profiles in front of the right people, which will result in more customers and sales.
The bottom line is that you can’t afford not to have a website and social media presence. These are essential tools for any business today. If you’re not using them, you’re missing out on many potential customers. Start building your digital presence today and see the results for yourself.
