Research shows that more than 97% of customers search online when looking for local products and services. They use search engines, such as Yahoo, Google, and Bing, to find these products and services in their local area. Of course, this tells you why an online presence is important for businesses, tiny businesses.
If your business lacks a strong online presence, you are probably passing up business to your competitors. That would be like allowing your competitors to grow instead of your own business. With a strong online presence, you can capture more sales and revenue.
But how can you increase your business online presence? Well, there are plenty of ways businesses can increase their online presence and drive more sales and revenue. Let’s delve into them.
1. Optimize your website for SEO
As a business owner, having a website for your business is a must in this digital age. Through the website, customers will get essential information about the business, such as its location, working hours, prices, products and services offered, etc.
However, it is not just about having a website; your website should be optimized for SEO. This will help increase your visibility in search engines such as Google or Bing. Ranking in the top spot in search results is crucial since most people trust the first page of search results. If your business appears on the first page of search results, you will gain more traffic, leads, and sales. You can seek SEO services in Phoenix to help you optimize your website for SEO.
2. Create your profile on local directories like Google
For small businesses, it is crucial to create profiles on local directories. If your profile is present on the local directories, people can access information about your business without necessarily visiting your website. While you may prefer people to visit your site, that may not be the case sometimes. For instance, someone researching an eatery is more likely to use Google’s local directory to search and compare their options. Still, people can visit your website via a local directory.
When creating your profile on a local directory such as Google My Business or Yelp, you need to:
- Provide your business name, phone number, and address
- Update your hours for holidays, events, or sudden closures
- Upload photos or videos of your location, products, or services
3. Produce valuable and informative content regularly
If you want to improve your online visibility, you must strive to stand out from your competitors. One of the best ways you can achieve that is by posting useful and informative content regularly. Fill your website’s pages with informative articles on topics that can grab your reader’s attention. The longer the visitors stay on your site reading your content, the higher your site will rank on Google. And higher ranking means increased visibility.
Social media is a perfect tool to increase your business visibility. Research shows that more than 4 billion people have social media accounts worldwide. Facebook has the highest number of users. So it would help if you had a social media account for your business across all the social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn so that you can interact with users. They can learn more about your business. For better results, make sure you engage your audiences by liking or replying to their comments.
