– Updated April 2015 –
What the heck is online presence?
Online presence is the process of how you present and market your brand online. The purpose is to find and engage a targeted audience to build traffic for your company. It combines web design, marketing, SEO, social media, blogging and more. Learn more about online presence management.
Why is it important?
Let me put it this way, according to emarketer.com, e-commerce sales topped out at a record $1 trillion in 2012 with estimates for 2013 to be $1.298 trillion! Wouldn’t you want your business to have even the smallest piece of that pie?
And when you couple your website with online marketing like social media, you have a combination that can’t be beat. Did you know that 51% of Facebook users and 64% of Twitter users are more likely to purchase a product that they follow online? And do you know what’s great about Facebook and Twitter? They are FREE!
Is it important to have an online presence when you aren’t selling anything?
Yes, absolutely! Never before has the world been able to connect and interact with the touch of a button. When you need to know something, anything- you have the world wide web at your fingertips with the answers seconds away. And since 78% of adults in America are online, why wouldn’t you want to be the first click of the mouse that they make?
Is it important to have an online presence when your business may appeal to an older generation?
Absolutely! You would probably be surprised at the number of our older generation who have started to use the current technology. I was shocked last weekend when my 72 year old granddad pulled out an iPhone to look up a band on Google, like he was a 22 year old. This man still milks his own cows and makes his own butter! Technology is being adopted by everyone, young and old.
So how do you manage your online presence?
- Create a stellar website that represents who you are. Make sure the design reflects your brand, products and message in the best way. For more tips on design, read this post on Finding the Right Image.
- Use SEO to maximize your website traffic. Learn more about SEO and analytics.
- Regularly add quality content to your website. Blogging is one of the best ways to be useful and visible to your audience.
- Set up at least one social media channel to find and engage your target audience and promote your brand.
- Have a great team to create, find and use the best tools, strategies and services for growing your brand online.
Do you want a bigger piece of the pie?