Want to build your customer base, increase profit, and grow your brand? Creating a credible online presence is a great way to do it. If your company is non-existent on the web or gives off an unprofessional feeling, you could be losing customers and ruining your company’s reputation.
Implement these tips to help develop a strong Internet presence for your company:
Believe in the power of professional web design. It’s undeniable that running your own business is expensive. And it’s because of this that many business owners start looking for ways to cut corners. However, when it comes to the ‘face’ of your company, web design and web development are not the areas you want to skimp on. Invest in professional, eye-catching, user-friendly web design and it will help you establish credibility for your company.
Give your web visitors a reason to trust you. If your website is missing all the basics, like a phone number to contact you, it will instantly make them wonder why. Is it because you don’t stand behind the products or services you offer and you don’t want to have to deal with customer service issues? Always post your full contact info, including address, phone number, and email address in plain view.
Don’t forget logos. Do you work with a lot of great clients or brands? Be sure to feature their logos prominently on your website. This will show your prospective customers that you’re a credible company.
Include testimonials on your website. Whether written or in video form, testimonials are an impressive part of developing your online presence. However, it’s pretty easy to spot fakes, so don’t have your staff write glowing reviews for you, it’ll be obvious and discourage potential customers from choosing your company.
Show off your staff. Whether it’s bios, staff photos, a company photo, or all three, showing off your staff and their credentials helps potential customers feel like they can trust you.
Keep up with your online reputation. How often do you ‘Google’ your company’s name? If you haven’t been doing this regularly, you should make it a habit. Whether customers are responding positively or negatively to your products or services, this is your chance to interact with them. If someone had a negative experience and is bashing you on a review site, leave them a comment telling them how to get in touch with you directly to try and remedy the situation. If anything, other readers will see that you’re a responsive business owner and it can help take some of the ‘sting’ out of a negative review. You may also be able to put a stop to any further bad reviews from that past customer.
Take advantage of social media. The popularity of social media is only growing and to ignore it is an unwise decision for any business owner. Create a profile for your business on Twitter and Facebook and any other applicable social media sites. Keep in mind that you need to post content and images, interact with your followers, and respond to messages regularly or social media will work against you rather than for you.
What is your Internet presence saying about you? (Source)