Is your business online? A question I AM SURE ALL BUSINESS OWNERS ask themselves, as well as why DOES my business ACTUALLY need to be online?!
So I’m just going to give it to you straight — keeping up with the times is crucial, and being online is even MORE crucial!
NOT being online or having your business lurk in the www-dot-shadows-dot-com isn’t an option.
Whether you’re a restaurateur, doctor, realtor or run a school — you 👏 NEED 👏 to 👏 be 👏 online.
DOES MY BUSINESS NEED TO BE ONLINE AND WHO NEEDS TO BE ONLINE?
YES!!!
Your business needs to be online and … in regards to WHO needs to be online … Well … Everyone!!!
Consumers have actually indicated they look at companies in a negative light if they can’t find them online.
Sooooooo even if your company doesn’t conduct business online — customers are expecting to at least see you online.
EEK … and there’s the tea.
Ok, So Your Business Needs To Be Online … But What Are The Benefits?
ACCESSIBILITY — people love to Google, Bing and talk to Siri. Therefore having an online presence and a decent search result ranking makes your site more accessible to those trying to find you and even to those who weren’t.
LARGER AUDIENCE — being online allows your website to reach people from all corners of the earth.
PROMOTING PRODUCTS — having a Facebook page, a website or an Instagram account allows you to showcase your services and products — FOR FREE. Truth be told, customers often look online before they step foot through your door. So if they like what they see online, half the battle is already won.
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS — social media makes your company more human and relatable. Customers and potential customers can interact with your brand; and allows you the opportunity to speedily reply to requests, queries, questions and more. This naturally creates a customer relationship and that leads to customer loyalty.
CREDIBILITY — did you know 81% of shoppers conduct online research before making big purchases, it’s intense right? What’s more, 86% of people would pay more for services from a company with higher ratings and reviews. Mind flippen blown. MEANING, by being online, you can deliver a magnificent service to your clients and have them review you on a public platform, basically for cheapie cheap. That way your ratings are visible and you can consider your followers and casual browsers impressed.
BUT, CAN I STILL ADVERTISE THE OLD SCHOOL WAY?
You can do anything.
BEAR IN MIND though — with our oceans smothered in plastic and ozone choking on fumes, going digital is a far cleaner way to advertise. It’s also cheaper and a much better way to reach more people.
CONCLUSION
An online presence is TRULY one of the most important investments that a business can make.