With more and more companies choosing to operate entirely online, brick-and-mortar businesses are rapidly falling out of fashion.
After all, running a business online can save you considerable amounts of money, and working from home has proved to be an effective strategy for many businesses during the pandemic.
As a result, getting online has never been more important – even for businesses with physical premises. This is due to the fact that it can help you to:
- Expand your customer base.
- Enhance both your professional and personal brand.
- Improve your financial situation and increase your earnings.
- Connect with your customers, clients, and other businesses.
- Cement your reputation as a key player within your chosen industry, enhancing your future professional prospects.
With that in mind, here are just some of the ways you can develop your online presence and services.
Your Online Presence
Start your businesses’ online journey by building your website – whether you tackle this task alone or work with a web developer. Either way, it is important that you do not rush the process. This is because, in many cases, your online presence will serve as a potential client’s first insight into your company – so you need to ensure you give them a reason to stick around.
Set up several social media accounts for your company – focusing on the major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Ensure that in each instance, you set up a business account as opposed to a personal one, as this will make it easier to track your analytics.
Understanding Your Audience
Spend some time researching your target audience’s online behavior so that you know what kind of content to create for them. For example, if they spend a lot of time on Instagram, you should focus on taking quality photographs of your products and curating interesting and dynamic infographics. By tailoring your content directly to your audience, you’ll notice an increase in engagement, which can quickly translate into sales.
Remember that getting online means far more than a website and a social media presence – and you need to find ways to tailor your online services to your specific industry. For example, if you run a healthcare company, you could use your online presence to improve patient engagement by enabling them to make bookings online or send over any questions they might have.
Doing It Right
Remember that the content you post on your social media accounts should vary across each platform. For example, Twitter has a lower character count than other platforms, meaning that your messages here need to be snappy and succinct. However, as a general rule, the more succinct your social posts, the better, as this makes it easier for your clients to engage with your content.
If you are posting content online, you should also make an effort to ensure your content is as accessible as possible. For example, you should include alt descriptions on your images and caption your videos – as this makes it easier for all of your customers to engage with your content and learn about your business.
