Currently, we’re in the midst of a digital revolution that’s changing how we do everything. This includes how people communicate with each other and how they relate to businesses. While your business may have done fine without a web presence up until now, it won’t be long before you notice the disadvantages of not maintaining an online voice.
The Importance of a Strong Website
The digital age means that it’s vital to every business to maintain a strong online presence. This can include anything from sharing posts on social media to making sure that your e-commerce site is outfitted with mobile credit card processing. Among other things, this means having an intuitive website that’s easy for customers to find and use. The latest buzzword in business is branding and that’s because consumers want to bond with businesses.
Consumers expect a deeper connection than the hard sell of the past. They want to look to businesses as sources of expert information and they want to see that their favorite brands are also concerned about political, social, and environmental issues.
This is where your website comes in and establishes your overall public image. By regularly blogging about topics related to your business and employing SEO tactics to make those posts discoverable, you can establish your expertise in the global marketplace. Growing your business also means setting up ways for your customers to search your inventory, order products, and pay. Online shopping is a preferred method among multiple generations, so it’s necessary to provide a secure shopping experience. Working with an experienced web developer may be able to help in this area, allowing you to concentrate more fully on providing quality customer service. All of these factors are vital to the success of your business in the new digital age.
Are You Mobile?
So, you’ve set up your website and it has the dynamic graphics to attract attention and the insightful blog posts to impress visitors. Great, but how does it look on a smartphone? That question is just as important as publishing your website, because, in today’s climate, most web surfing is done on a mobile device.
Mobile accessibility is so important that Google has started penalizing sites that don’t measure up. If your website isn’t mobile friendly, don’t expect your site to show up at the top of any search results. Even if you’ve followed all of the SEO basics, consumers will still have trouble finding your site.
Finally, there’s a third tier to establishing your digital footprint and that is maintaining a presence on the big social media sites. This is where connecting with your customers becomes especially important. You may think you’re too busy running your business to “play” on social media, but any good marketing plan incorporates this type of networking. Even if you make just a few posts a day and respond to comments on your posts, you’ll begin forging relationships. As users start to feel a connection to your business, they’ll share your posts and that will attract other users. Of course, that means you’ll have to post shareable items on your blog. As long as you keep each post entertaining and informative, sharing should occur naturally.
Establishing a positive online presence for your business takes more than just throwing together a website. It should be sleek and easy to navigate, providing information and a pleasant shopping experience. Ensuring that website is mobile friendly will take you farther, allowing your business to compete more aggressively in the global marketplace. Complimenting this new online presence will be your social media engagement, helping consumers to identify with you and giving you the opportunity to personalize the experience for each user.
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