How many times have you made a purchase decision based on a Google search? How many times have you picked a restaurant based on reviews? Chosen a product over another because it looked “more reliable” on the internet?
This is the influence that an online presence has over a business. If you don’t manage it well, this power goes to the ones who do: your competition.
The more presentable your business looks on the web, the more likely customers are to trust you. It doesn’t matter what type of business you own—an offline or online business, a startup or a big enterprise —– your presence and conduct on the web matters to your customers.
Besides being directly available to your customers, both current and prospective, there are more reasons to think about your online presence. Let’s talk about some of the ways.
1) It makes your business more accessible:
Even if your business doesn’t sell anything on the internet, a positive online presence can help you sell more offline. People search for businesses and products online before making any purchase decisions. It’s common sense to be where your prospects are looking for you.
It does marketing and branding for you:
Customer reviews and engagement on social media can serve as sales enablers. Additionally, your online presence helps people become familiar with your brand.
It makes your business more credible:
Online presence is key to establishing your company as a legitimate business. Having a solid online presence is the first step towards making sure people take you seriously.
It helps you better understand your audience:
Having an online presence means having a two-way communication channel with your audience to gather insightful feedback or reviews.