5 ways to build a strong online presence

Imagine deciding to open a pub in the middle of the outback and just waiting for foot traffic. Without telling anyone you’re there, would you expect people to stumble across it by chance and make it a success? Of course not; you wouldn’t waste your time!

Well, the same principle applies in the digital world. Whatever your goals are, they won’t mean a thing if nobody can find you online.

No matter the size or industry of your business, it’s crucial to become and remain visible to your prospects online. Your online presence reinforces your brand and what you have to offer to your target market. It’s about creating a voice for yourself that separates you from your competitors in the sea of voices online. When built successfully, your online presence can spread brand awareness and help you to gain fans, followers, leads, customers, and anything else you want for your business.

So, what does it take to build a strong online presence? Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to improve, we’re here to help with our top five tips.

1. Be clear about who you are.
Brand purpose is growing in importance, which means now is the time to make sure your brand values shine through. Clear branding helps consumers to relate to your company and makes them want to engage with you, whether through a Facebook comment or by signing up to your email list. Sprout Social reported that a massive 76% of people surveyed would buy from a brand they felt connected to over their competitors, while 57% said they would increase their spending.

Remember, branding is about much more than a name, a logo, or a slogan. It’s about being clear on who you are, who your target audience is and their needs. To define your brand, start by determining the core vision and values that your business deems necessary to build an authentic brand. This ultimately helps define specific goals that reflect your future direction.

2. Build a beautiful website that converts.
How’s your website looking? With 93% of online experiences starting with a search, there’s a good chance that someone’s first encounter with your brand is on your website. Around 75% of customers admit to making judgements on a company’s performance based on their website design. If you don’t love your current website, there’s a high chance that your customers don’t either.

Leave a good brand impression by providing a great user experience – this includes your overall design, content, as well as technical factors such as site speed. Your website doesn’t need to be complex or flashy. It just needs to be clean, professional and consistent with your brand.

3. Gain fast results with Google Ads.
Are you spending too much money on Google Ads or not enough? Probably. We encounter many businesses who waste their advertising dollars and then decide that it simply ‘doesn’t work’. In reality, pay per click (PPC) advertising can be a gamechanger when done right, bringing fast results that organic growth can’t match.

The basics of PPC are this: Use lots of punchy ad copy, but test, revise and test again. Create tightly-focused ad groups with highly relevant copy, and work negative keywords out of your list. Then, test some more. Sounds like a lot of work, right? Let the experts do it for you. Enlisting the help of a specialist to create and manage your Google ads ensures you’re getting the best return on your investment, and a strategy that can grow your visibility.

4. SEO is the brains behind the looks.
When consumers are looking for businesses or products, they almost always turn to the internet for help. Building a robust SEO strategy will help your website perform better in searches as well as ensure you’re hitting your target market. Not an SEO expert? Don’t worry; most people have no idea how SEO works, so don’t be afraid to ask the experts for help. Applying the right SEO techniques can take your website from zero to ranking on the front page of Google.

Already doing SEO but not seeing the results you want? You may be targeting the wrong keywords or locations. Your business might benefit from establishing a strong local presence to dominate your local area, rather than marketing to a whole state. Or, perhaps there’s more that you could be doing. For example, blogging based on specific keywords is an excellent way to bring in additional traffic.

5. Get smarter with social media.
A strong, clear, and visually engaging social media strategy is one of the best ways to align your goals with your online presence. When you post content that’s relevant to your audience and demonstrates your personality as a brand, you can gain more exposure, increase website traffic and build valuable connections with your followers.

It’s always a good idea to conduct an audit of your current social media accounts, write down your goals, and then think about your audience. Who are they and what do they expect from your social media profiles? It’s also a good idea to assess the efforts of your main competitors. Do you like what they’re doing online? Can you do better?

The critical element here is consistency. Your top priority should be providing regular valuable content. If like most business owners, you don’t have time to manage your social channels and post regularly, it’s going to be hard to increase your following.

One last thing…
Every business is unique, which means your digital marketing strategy should be tailored to your specific needs. But that doesn’t mean you need to over-complicate things.

Make sure your website is simple, visually-appealing, and user-friendly. Choose platforms that are appropriate for your industry and business goals and then deliver strong, clear messaging that aligns with your brand voice and values.

If you need professional help to bring all these elements together, you can reach out to us at Zib Digital.