According to a 2021 survey, 71% of small businesses around the world have a website. While having a website alone cannot be considered a robust digital presence, it certainly serves as a starting point. Think, where would these businesses be if they didn’t have a website! The answer is simple. Nowhere.
The new world is online, as you have surely figured out. From coffee shops and train stations to food courts and public parks, you’ll always spot some people hooked to their cell phones. And, as a small business owner, this is good news. Keep ‘online presence’ as part of your business growth strategy, and individuals interested in the products or services you offer can always find you.
Conversely, if you do not care to build a digital presence, it is not that exciting. In fact, without strong visibility, your business venture is almost sure to fail. And, you don’t want that to happen.
Having said that, a percentage of small businesses do not possess the knowledge or understanding of how and where to start, so that people can easily find their business in an online search.
However, you don’t need to know everything about building your brand online. There is always expert assistance available. You need clarity on what really matters in building a robust digital presence. And, you can have it any time. A strong digital presence fuels trust, visibility, and sales as part of a solid business growth strategy. We, at Next Play Strategy, can guide you through the process, costs, and what it takes to build a strong brand presence online.
Here, we will briefly touch upon what small businesses should do to strengthen their digital presence.
Work on Visibility
One of the advantages of a robust online presence is that your business has a high chance of being found online.
Your potential customers will search by related keywords and not by business name. So, you must make sure that your business ranks high to be visible to them.
Make sure of a few things, and all should go well. No inactive webpages and social media accounts – which will only make your business lose credibility. Given that your competitors are already active online, customers that you want for yourself will not hesitate to run to your competitors.
So, online visibility should be a core part of your business growth strategy. For that:
- Build a basic but professional website.
- Keep social media pages updated.
- Use simple SEO practices.
- Create local listings so nearby customers can find you.
Build Trust with Consistency
One or two great blog posts or social media posts, once in a while, won’t do. It will simply raise the expectations, and if you don’t deliver accordingly, it can be catastrophic. Customers will begin to doubt your seriousness.
If you want to build trust (who wouldn’t), consistency is a must. You build trust and reputation for your business by offering clear, regular, and reliable communication.
You must maintain consistency wherever it applies. For example:
- Create regular blog posts that inform and engage.
- Keep your social media accounts up to date with accurate information.
- Create a consistent brand identity with a steady tone, style, and visuals.
- Send regular email updates.
- Keep your business information consistent across all channels, including GMB, social media channels, and the business website.
Engage Like a Human
If you want to build your brand, you need to show a face for it. Customers want to connect with real people, not faceless brands. Robotic or distant presence makes the audience lose interest. It’s only human engagement that builds trust and loyalty over time.
To do that, you can:
- Share stories about real customer problems and solutions.
- Post behind-the-scenes moments to show authenticity.
- Invite questions and respond quickly.
- Maintain an approachable and friendly brand voice.
Focus Efforts Where They Matter
There are a lot of channels that your business can be on. But it’s useless to be on all of them. Why? Because posting everywhere confuses your audience.
Suppose you run a small shoe store that sells stylish but affordable footwear for everyday wear. You decide to focus most of your energy on LinkedIn because you’ve heard it’s great for professional networking.
However, LinkedIn users are usually looking for B2B services, career growth, or industry news, and not everyday shoes. As a result, your posts get little engagement, your ads cost more with fewer clicks, and your audience doesn’t convert.
A better fit would be Instagram or TikTok, where people follow fashion trends, see outfit ideas, and get inspired to shop.
To make sure this doesn’t turn out true for you, you should:
- Choose one or two key platforms where your audience is most active.
- Prioritize messages that matter to your customers.
- Run small, targeted campaigns instead of spreading the budget thin.
- Track results and refine regularly.
Measure and Improve Every Month
Track your marketing progress using various tools available. Without tracking, you would not get the faintest idea of what works and what does not. You keep on posting without knowing which type of posts you should work more on, which would do more harm than good to your brand.
Use analytics to make smarter business decisions. A business growth strategy without tracking is like driving with your eyes closed. You might move forward, but you won’t know where you’re going or when you’ll crash.
A few key metrics to measure include:
- Website visits.
- Contact form fills.
- Calls or messages from customers.
- Conversions (visitors turning into leads or customers).
The best approach would be to compare how your posts do month by month and spot patterns. Double down on what works and stop what fails.
These strategies work well in building and maintaining a strong online presence, which can work wonders for your brand. Try these and stay ahead in your game. These are just the tip of the iceberg, and there are innumerable tricks that can work in building your brand online.
We, at Next Play Strategy, can build a customized marketing plan which will have high chances of building an online presence for your business. You can always approach us and we will be more than happy to help.
Final Words
A robust digital presence is a must for every small business. While developing your Business Growth Strategy, it’s only wise to set aside a budget toward building a strong digital presence. Your competitors are already doing it, and you don’t want to fall behind.
Keep up your game by investing time, money, and effort to build your brand online. Work on making your brand visible, be consistent with your postings, don’t be robotic while engaging with your customers, and measure the success of your marketing efforts regularly.
This way, you can establish a clear online presence with people who matter the most – your potential customers and clients.
