5 Ways to Improve Your Business’ Online Presence
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A business without an online presence is rare nowadays, and that’s for the simple reason that it’s pretty hard to make a dent without one. Almost every generation is using the internet in some way when they need information, products or services, so if your business hasn’t got its own piece of online real estate, you’re highly likely to be missing out on customers and sales. It’s a competitive space with lots of businesses all vying for their place in the spotlight, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not possible to make your brand stand out in the crowd. To help you get started, here are 5 ways to improve your business’ online presence.
1. Ensure Your Website is Mobile-friendly
The number of people using their smartphones to search the internet is increasing all the time and is expected to reach 2.87 billion by 2020. This means that as well as your website being user-friendly and attractive on desktops, it also needs to be easy to use on a mobile screen. If your website is difficult to view or slow to load on mobile, users are unlikely to stick around, which means fewer customers and a higher bounce rate. In addition, Google assesses your website to see how mobile-friendly it is and uses this as a ranking factor.
2. Prioritize UX (User Experience)
Consumers have more brands than ever before battling for their attention and their loyalty. When a customer comes across an obstacle or a delay when using your website, they won’t hesitate in taking their business elsewhere. US or user experience is hugely important from the point of view of customers and search engines, so make sure it’s important to you too. Your website should be simple to use, intuitive, and quick to load. You can use heat map technology to track how consumers use your website and where in the sales process, they are bailing out so you can identify areas for improvement.
3. Optimize Your Google My Business Listing
Web directories are a great way to add another dimension to your online presence and can even generate more relevant traffic. You should consider listing your business in industry relevant directories, but it’s incredibly important to have a Google My Business listing as well. This will help you to appear in local searches when customers are looking for something ‘near me’ and can also give them the key contact information they need without needing to search your website. You can also use Google map ads to promote special offers and deals in your listing, which may entice more people to click through to the site or use your business.
4. Enhance Your Website Security
Cybercrime is not only on the rise, but the criminals are finding new ways to attack businesses of every size from small to international brands. It’s incredibly important to ensure both your business’ data and that of your customers is as secure as possible. This is not only crucial in terms of preventing a cybercrime attack, but if customers have any concern that their personal data may be at risk if they enter it on your website, very few will go ahead with the transaction. Make sure customers know that they can trust you by increasing your website security
5. Get Involved on Social Media
Both our personal and professional lives are impacted by social media, but often, we keep the two separate. Depending on the nature of your business, this may be necessary, but some companies can benefit from combining the two. Customers may benefit from getting the know the people behind the brand, what motivates them, what they’re interests are, and what makes your business unique. If you do choose to separate professional and personal, make sure you are using the professional accounts to interact with customers, network with other industry professionals and to stay up to date with the latest trends and news.