Why are most companies going digital? Is owning an online store or blog better than setting up a brick-and-mortar location?
The answers to these questions depend on the type of business, the industry, and the company’s target market. Generally speaking, however, improving your digital presence will only make your brand stronger, more recognizable, and more successful.
Almost 90% of consumers research products and services online before making a purchase. How can you positively influence those consumers if you don’t have a strong online presence?
The real question is, what can you do about it? We’re here to help. Keep reading for a quick guide on uploading your business.
1. Perfect Your Website Design
Your digital presence is only as good as your website. Your website is, essentially, the face of your business, whether you sell products, offer services, or run a monetized blog.
As such, the design and functionality of your website are vital to your success. Modern consumers expect intuitive websites that are easy to navigate. Additionally, if your web pages don’t load quickly, many users won’t have the patience to wait around.
Lastly, your website must be optimized for mobile devices. Nearly 85% of Americans have smartphones and use them for the majority of their online activity. A website that isn’t optimized for mobile devices will be more difficult to use due to slow load times and improper formatting.
2. Improve Your SEO
Once you perfect the layout and design of your website, turn your focus toward driving online consumers to your page. A fantastic site is nothing without web traffic. This is where search engine optimization comes in.
SEO is the formula or algorithm used by search engines (like Google) to find relevant content online. When a user type keywords into a search engine, the SEO coding of websites determine what shows up on the results page (and in what order).
You can boost your website SEO by:
- Researching and implementing effective keywords (based on your niche and industry)
- Filling your website with topical blog articles
- Using internal links to help users navigate to other pages on your site
- Using external links to site data or source other important information
- Creating high-quality meta descriptions for each page
- And more
If you don’t know much about SEO, work with a digital marketing agency that can help put your website on the map. They can help you jumpstart your online presence while showing you the ropes.
3. Fill Your Website With Blog Content
Learning how to make your brand relevant is one of the most important tips for a digital presence. You can accomplish this by writing relevant articles for your blog. They will ensure your target audience is engaging your niche, while simultaneously boosting your credibility.
The articles you provide must serve a purpose and provide the reader with value. This can come in the form of advice, tips, instructions, tutorials, and information. The goal is to give the reader something that will improve their lives in one way or another.
As a result, they’ll begin to trust your company as an authority in the industry. Then, they’ll be more likely to look to your brand if they’re in need of products or services.
4. Spend Time Growing Your Social Media
One of the most efficient ways to grow your digital presence is by focusing on your social media profiles. It doesn’t matter if you’re a local bakery or a national clothing retailer. The more people who follow you on social media, the more leads you’ll generate.
You can use organic social media marketing or paid social media advertising. Organic marketing takes time and consistency. You must regularly post valuable content while encouraging users to engage.
Paid social media advertising allows you to spread your marketing message to people outside of your followers. You can narrow down who sees your ads based on location, gender, age, and other demographics.
5. Create an Email Campaign
While social media marketing is somewhat new, we’ve seen companies going digital through email campaigns for decades. Email marketing is effective because it is a type of “re-targeting.”
When someone subscribes to your email, it’s because they’re interested in something you’re offering. It could be discounts on products, access to online content, a free ebook, etc.
In other words, the consumer has already shown an interest in your brand, which makes them a primed audience. By subscribing to your email list, they’re giving you a direct line of communication with which you can promote your products or services.
6. Invest in Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Uploading your business to improve your digital presence can be expedited by paying for online visibility. If your website is relatively new or you’re struggling to rank high for SEO, we recommend investing in pay-per-click advertising.
PPC advertising allows you to pay a search engine (Google, Yahoo, Bing) to bring your content up at the top of certain results pages. When a user types in the targeted keywords, your site will come up at the top of the page, which will push more traffic your way.
Search engine users rarely expand their search past the first page of results. By ensuring your website is on the first page, you’ll generate more leads and make more sales. You pay the search engine for each click your website receives.
7. Use Live Streaming to Keep Viewers Engaged
Finally, consider uploading your business on a live platform to keep viewers engaging in your niche. There are countless reasons to live stream events, seminars, and other content.
First, it gives your views direct access to you, allowing them to ask questions and get real-time answers. This can also help you learn more about your target market. You can get a better idea of your audience demographic.
Furthermore, hyping up a live streaming event can help you generate more leads. The more people who tune into your event, the more website visitors you’ll receive, and the more sales you’ll make.
Ready to Boost Your Digital Presence?
As you can see, there a number of actionable steps you can take to improve your digital presence. However, it’s important to remember that consistency is key. You must make a consistent effort in every marketing strategy if you want to see results.
And if you’re looking for more tips on how to increase your online presence, don’t go anywhere. Our blog is full of valuable marketing information created for entrepreneurs like you. Check out some of our articles before you go.