By now, regardless of where you are in the world, you and your business have likely been affected by the Coronavirus.
With stay-at-home orders and social distancing rules in place, it has been hard on many businesses to stay afloat, especially if they relied on face-to-face interactions.
This unprecedented and unusual circumstance is begging the question: “What’s next?”
Our answer: building an online presence!
With non-essential workers working from home, they are spending more time now online than before – anything to make time pass!
These families no longer have to spend hours of their day commuting to work or taking their kids to school. This is good news for you! Less hours commuting translates to more free time, which many people seem to be spending online. And with your customers online, you should be online too!
This article will explain the importance of an online presence, especially in a time like this when people cannot meet with you face to face or commute to your business. However, before we look into the importance of having an online presence, let’s look at what online presence actually means.
What Is Online Presence?
In technical terms, if you have a website, you have an online presence. However, while a website is essential, an effective online presence is about more than just having a website.
In order to have an effective online presence, businesses need to make sure that all aspects of their company are properly represented.
This means having a good image, logo, and content that represents the business and its goals. It also means engaging with your target audience through social media, blogging, search engine optimization, and online marketing.
While you might feel that focusing on building an online presence is not worth the trouble, continue reading this article as we delve deeper into the importance of having an online presence and how we can help make your transition easier!
1. Larger Audience
The main reason an online presence is important is that it opens your business’s doors to a much larger audience.
Having an online presence opens your business to more than just your local town that you traditionally targeted; it can allow people from anywhere to come across your business, potentially allowing you to expand across county lines and country lines.
With the rise of the digital era combined with customer’s free time due to the effects of coronavirus, the chances your customer learns about your business through an online channel will be the norm.
So, you are going to want to increase your presence through the online channels available to you so you can reach a much wider audience!
2. Easier To Showcase Product and Services
The internet has made it easier than ever before to let the world know what you have to offer! With a few photos of your product and descriptions, your customer can see everything you have to offer!
24-Hour Access
Furthermore, your customers can view your product or services outside of business hours. The internet never sleeps, it can showcase your businesses all day long.
Customers no longer have to wait for 8-5 office or store hours to reach out to you. With your online presence, they can find out what they need at a time that is convenient for them. If they have questions, you can consider adding chat boxes to help them with specific questions.
3. Easier and More Effective Marketing
With an online presence, it will be much easier for you to effectively and creatively market your business. This can be done through a well-designed, informative website, social media posts, videos, etc.
Marketing online has been shown to be the most cost-effective strategy when it comes to the return you will get. In fact, building a social media presence is cheaper than any form of advertising available today! The ‘shareability’ of social media makes it even easier for you, as customers can easily spread the word about your business to their own friends and followers.
4. Positive Reviews
How often do you look at reviews before making a purchase on Amazon?
Quite often, I assume.
Well, customers of your business are looking for the same thing – reviews and/or testimonials! A credible business will have positive reviews.
Reputation Management
It should go without saying that bad reviews can hurt a business. Since customers use reviews to make purchase decisions, it is crucial for you to prioritize your customer service and receiving positive reviews.
If you receive a bad review, DO NOT LASH OUT!
Instead, apologize for the mistake or misstep that led to the negative review. Let them know how you are going to correct the problem. Then FIX IT!
Future customers will be able to see your positive attitude even towards a negative review and will be more likely to consider you trustworthy.
5. Accessibility
This is especially crucial for businesses. A business that is not accessible online will not survive in this digital era!
In our current digital era, it is important for businesses to take search algorithms and social networks into account. This will allow potential customers to easily access your business online.
Focus on Building Your Business Online Presence
While this sudden change in the way you run your business can be overwhelming, it is important to start taking the necessary steps to build your business online.
If you think that its time to upgrade your online presence, the next step would be figuring out how to configure your online store.
At Colibri, we can help businesses move to the digital world with our online presence management services. If you are thinking about creating an online presence for your business, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Ask us for a free proposal at hola@colibricontent.com!
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