Having a strong online presence goes beyond building a website and having accounts on all social media platforms.
graphicstockThis story originally appeared on Bizness Apps
Investing in building an online presence can be one of the wisest decisions for any business in today’s times. With the majority of your customers active on the internet, online elements — executed appropriately — can make all the difference to your business marketing campaign. That being said, having a strong online presence goes beyond building a website and having accounts on all social media platforms. Taking your online presence seriously is all about working to stay visible and relevant to your customers.
The road ahead is long, and not devoid of potholes. If you’re ready to take your small business online, be sure to avoid these eight common mistakes.
1. Not having a website
With the majority of people being online and numbers only set to increase, you can’t afford to not have a website. Even if you consider yourself to be a primarily offline business — like a salon or a cafe — having a functioning website in place can help you unlock immense business potential and pave the way for stronger offline relationships with your customers.
Take property information provider Arivify, for example; while their website allows viewers to browse through available properties, they also have a blog section that features articles ranging from topics like housing market trends to builder’s warranty! The brand thus builds relationships with customers by offering useful advice in addition to featuring properties.
2. Having a bad website
First impressions matter and this is applicable online as well! Apart from having a visually appealing website, you also need to ensure that the message you’re trying to convey to your customers is clearly presented to them. Strong visual imagery, quality content and quicker load times are equally important. Have your address and contact information easily visible, as your website could be the first point of contact for new customers.
3. Not optimizing for mobile
According to Statista, mobile devices accounted for 49.74 percent of website views worldwide in 2017. In addition to this, it has been projected that the number of smartphone users will go up to 2.5 billion in 2019! It goes without saying that having a functioning website that is optimized for mobile phone users is essential for all businesses.
What do you have to do to optimize your website for mobile?
- It should load in three seconds
- The eye should be drawn to your key message or selling point
- It should be easy to navigate
- It should have a prominent call to action
4. Not creating device-specific ads
Bear in mind…
