How to Build Online Presence For Business

Why Businesses Need Great Online Presence

A robust online presence can help businesses achieve a wider audience and build brand awareness. Going digital allows companies to expand beyond the brick-and-mortar stores and reach the specific group of people the brand is targeting. As more brick-and-mortar operations struggle with consumers' changing habits, it becomes clear that an online presence is not optional. After utilizing the internet to increase visibility and outreach, the possibilities for growth are endless! First, however, business owners and marketers need to know how to do so effectively.

Steps to Build Your Online Presence

A business trying to improve and build an online presence should be familiar with everything the internet offers to grow a company and generate leads. To increase visibility and return on investment exponentially, the company should start by taking a hard look at its website and other platforms where the company has representation on the world wide web. Then, decide the business goals and what messages the company should portray.

• Perform a site audit and make sure it is updated
• Optimize SEO and Keyword usage in your web design
• Use content marketing strategy to increase domain authority and SERP
• Invest effort in creating social media presence
• Create online listings for your business that are uniform
• Promote and distribute content that will grow online presence

Building Your Online Presence with Your Website

People prefer to visit the business website when they find out about a business' brand or product on social media. It's much cheaper - or even more convenient. Only 56 percent of people consider doing business without websites, and 66 percent of customers will not consider any company that doesn't have an existing internet website, even for local businesses. In the present day, your website should become the central hub and a Digital Experience Platform for your clients. To eventually transform your own website into a full DXP is crucial to growing a robust online presence for the future.

Update the website

Many customers have high expectations for websites today. Almost 65 percent of people have questioned a company's credibility through their websites. The smartest thing for a company would be to hire a web development expert to update the website with the products and ideals the company would like to present. In addition, the website content needs regular changes and new content to not appear outdated compared to other sites from competitors.

DIY building systems are amazing in theory, but many people spend hours and encounter endless glitches—sometimes requiring even more significant expense than hiring someone. Web design is essential. A beautiful and functional site will genuinely help when expanding the brand online.

Create a responsive site so the website's creativity and beauty will translate correctly to mobile devices. Mobile-friendly sites will ensure all your efforts to build a strong online presence are of maximum benefit, as mobile devices are now used more than any other medium for accessing the internet. In addition, there are free tools like Google Search Console that can help to make sure that your digital presence is mobile-friendly.

Perform Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization helps the business to get on the first page of Google. An online presence on the first page helps to drive traffic to the business website. In addition, effective SEO will funnel new customers to the portion of the website offering the product related to the keywords they are searching for so that they don't have to browse the site to get what they want.

Small businesses may have a more challenging time ranking on the first page of Google listings. Large companies usually have more relevance online. Creating a high page rank is where long-tail keywords or keyphrases come in. Long-tail keywords are generally more specific and longer than commonly used search keywords. Though they may get less search traffic, they have a higher conversion rate, allowing the small business to stay relevant with less competition for a good ranking position. You can have a Free SEO Audit performed and get results in less than 1 hour. 

Utilize Keyword Research for Search Engines

Writer's block is a horrible phenomenon, particularly when looking for the best keywords for online marketing and advertising. When in doubt, enter words in Google search and allow the auto-finish function to give the best keywords for increasing page result rankings.

Consumers rely heavily on Google, so using it for research is ideal. Be sure to insert these keywords strategically throughout the company's site to rise in the ranks. The best keywords are critical for effective online marketing campaigns.

Create an Effective Content Marketing Strategy

Regular New Content is Necessary to Build Online Authority

Content marketing is vital to achieving excellent Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). SEO and SEM use keywords and key phrases to rank as high as possible on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). The higher you rank, the more visible your company's online presence is to possible future customers.

SEO produces organic search results, meaning that search engines will deliver the page results with the right keywords without paying for the content to be promoted. SEM yields paid results at the very top of the SERPs, where the advertisements run for specific search phrases. These results are ranked based on an auction process. The money you are willing to pay per click and keywords are both considered for placement. The highest bidder may not necessarily win the auction if they have lousy and irrelevant keywords or poor page quality.

Content marketing is complex, but it is an effective method constantly evolving. Content marketing is mainly consumer-driven; if done correctly, businesses can quickly become visible and increase their online presence to more potential customers. It helps companies to develop relevance and can address consumers' problems before initial contact.

Add Video Content to Increase Business Online Rank

There's no doubt that a video is a powerful tool for driving traffic and engagement. After all, it's one of the most consumed forms of online content on the internet. But did you know that video content can also positively impact your website's SEO? You can increase your site's domain authority and rank by embedding relevant videos on your pages. And since Google loves fresh, high-quality content, adding videos to your site is a great way to keep your pages relevant and engaging. So if you're looking to boost your SEO, start by incorporating video into your web content strategy.

Target More Keywords with a Blog

Your website's core pages (homepages, information about the products/service offerings, or contacts) can only contain so many keywords and content. There are no text documents available for use. Core pages aim to refine the information that a visitor wants in summary. A Business Blog enables you to dive deeper into a specific keyword, and blogs can individually optimize particular pages for this keyword on your company's website.

Build High-Quality Backlinks from Reputable Sources

A blog with optimum keyword usage is an effective way to build backlinks for the company website. Backlinks are when one website uses a page from another website. For example, suppose a company has a blog with valuable statistics about a particular industry or service. In that case, another company may use that blog to reference that statistic on their website.

Google sees backlinks as "votes" for the company's webpage. Therefore, reputable backlinks will allow the company to achieve higher rankings in organic search results. Blogs must be relevant content for the company to acquire high-quality backlinks. Often, companies write blogs based on their own experience in the industry. It's helpful for a novice to read what other companies have gone through to achieve their goals. Writing blogs is also great for humanizing the business and making it relatable.

Guest posting can also boost your backlinks. Accept guest posts by allowing another person or company to post a blog on the company's website. Again, the content should be relevant to the company's industry. It can benefit the company and help build a relationship with the individuals writing the guest posts.

Create an online store

Creating an online store on the company's website is a great way to ensure a strong online presence. Profits can increase drastically when a company decides to add e-commerce and sell products online. Not only can consumers make purchases from their couch, but the company can also make a profit without entering the brick-and-mortar store. In addition, shifting business to e-commerce can help save the company money on things like leases and utilities for brick-and-mortar stores.

For a consumer to view the items on the company site, online marketing must be at its best. Consumers can't purchase from the business if they don't know it's there. Companies can do this through numerous online channels, but strategic online marketing like retargeting ads and email marketing will surely deliver the best results. Taking your company online and building effective e-commerce relationships will benefit all parties involved.

Build Your Online Presence with Advertising

Paid Search Engine Marketing

Paid online advertising provides an inexpensive way to appear in search engines, social networks, and websites where the ideal customers visit your site. Advertisers can target people with keywords in SEO, but Pay-Per-Click (PPC) allows you to target specific people based on certain criteria. These target groups or segments are created based on demographics such as age, gender, marital status, parental status, or location.

Google Advertising allows businesses to advertise through search, display, shopping, video, or app ads. As a result, marketers can create advertising campaigns with incredible precision using these avenues, ensuring businesses establish an online presence successfully.

Using Google and its resources allows you to target customers looking for a local business to address their needs. Local targeting gives an edge over other local companies, ensuring local customers' needs are met, and the businesses' profits increase.

Leverage Social Media Accounts

A valuable area to expand business visibility is social media. As of 2022, 3.96 billion people worldwide are using some form of social media. That number continues to grow. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn all offer a large user base.

Creating an online presence for social media on popular platforms for your target demographic is very helpful because they give more customers details of the products or services the business offers, hours of operation, and contact info. The company website and social media are the prime areas to sell products. Social media is also ideal for posting customer success stories, deals, promotions, and company updates. It also gives current and potential customers a platform to interact with your brand.

Using social media can be a free way to advertise and market. However, signing up for premium plans to pay for advertisements will allow more advertising options. For example, marketers can choose the time of day advertisements will be posted and the target audience the company would like to reach.

Social media is a great place to build relationships that increase online presence. It helps to understand what platforms are the best place to reach your audience. For example, LinkedIn typically serves professionals between the ages of 46 and 55 and is best used for business development and brand awareness.

Despite the significant Facebook change to the "Metaverse" in 2021, Facebook is still the most popular form of social media with at least 2.7 billion users, the average being between the ages of 25 and 34. It is the most popular platform for building brand loyalty. Creating a Facebook page can boost companies' visibility, though organic reach tends to be limited unless combined with other marketing channels.

Build an Email List and Professional Network

Collecting an email list is the best way to begin email marketing. Begin by creating gated content. That is, content that users have to sign up to receive. If a company has assets and information that a potential client wants, they will take the time to provide their email to gain access. Then the business can collect leads for new sales.

Additionally, using a Call-To-Action (CTA) on the website and social media pages allows businesses to promote their email newsletter. CTAs are a great way to drive traffic to a sign-up page. And, with a newsletter, companies are able to collect leads' emails and show the right audience that they have something worth signing up for--not to mention, it keeps current customers up-to-date on the latest offerings.

Email marketing allows businesses to announce deals or promotions, new products, and updates like a new online store or the introduction of curbside pickup at the brick-and-mortar store. Using email marketing on targeted sign-up lists bring people back to your site and continues to build your online presence.

Accumulate Positive Reviews from Past Customers and Friends

Part of ensuring the company thrives is doing good business. Consumers expect honesty and integrity from the companies with whom they do business. Bringing the business online allows free tools for the consumer to contact the company with questions and comments. In addition, supplying excellent services will make many consumers post positive reviews about the company, letting others know the company is well worth the investment.

Positive reviews don't stop there. Companies can specifically request a review from past customers and friends via email blasts, pop-ups in the online store after checkout, or during a follow-up email thanking the consumer for their purchase.

Get Your Business Listed in Online Directories

Being listed in online directories is one of the most important things you can do for your business. It's especially important to create listings if you're a local business, as potential customers in your area are likely to search online when they're looking for products or services that you offer.

Getting listed in all the major online directories will ensure that your business has an online presence when people are searching for what you have to offer. Many of these directories are well-known websites and social media platforms such as Facebook or Yelp, but there are also many less-popular or local sites where you can list your company for free.

Regardless of where you list your business, make sure that all the information on your page is accurate and up-to-date. Having an incomplete or inaccurate listing can discourage people from doing business with you. Take the time to create a strong profile for your company, and make sure you keep it updated regularly. Doing so will help you attract more clients and grow your business.

Distribute & Promote Your Content

No matter what kind of content you create, getting it in front of your target audience is essential. That's where content distribution comes in. Content distribution is the process of sharing, publishing, and promoting your content so that it can be consumed by your audience through various channels and media formats. By optimizing your owned distribution channels - such as your blog, email newsletter, and social media profiles - you can control how your brand and product are presented to your audience and strengthen the online presence of your company.

No matter what the latest research says about audience preference, do not neglect company assets. Business assets can include the website, blog, and social media accounts. These platforms reflect the company brand and product, so it is vital to keep them up-to-date to look their best. By carefully crafting and distributing your content, you can ensure that it reaches the right people at the right time.

Lastly - Maintain Trust, Credibility, and Reputation

An online presence is almost automatic now. People will post about you on social media and place reviews on Google. However, if you want a powerful and positive online presence, you must proactively establish your credibility online. While building your reputation online takes time and effort, it is undoubtedly well worth the investment.

If you are ready to take it to the next stage, a digital marketing company can help create a strategy to take your online marketing to the next level. FourLeaf offers Creative as a Service as a way to provide flexible and ongoing marketing support that adapts to the needs of your business for a set monthly price that will help you to budget your resources.