An online presence for your business in 2020 and beyond has never been more important than it is right now. As COVID shut down the United States, most people shifted their buying habits from in-store to online. As a result, businesses with a strong online presence flourished. Was your business one that flourished or were you left in the dust? If you were left in the dust, don’t fret; there is still time to optimize your online presence in 2020 and beyond.
Why does your business need an online presence?
The answer is simple. Your customers and prospective customers are searching 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year for services online that your business provides. Since you and your employees sleep (hard to believe, I know), it is nice to have a website that never sleeps. More importantly, it is inevitable that your customers will end up finding your competitor online before they find your business if your online presence is not up to the task. Barhop Design Quincy will help your business by optimizing your existing online presence and creating the necessary tools to improve the search results for your business. Contact us here to learn more.
What should it look like?
It should include the following online platforms and should be optimized to fit your industry and business.
Website
Social Media
Google My Business and Bing Business Profiles
Online Listing Directories
Website –
There are 5 compelling reasons why your business needs a website.
- Improves your business reputation
- Your customers and prospective customers are looking for you online
- Facebook is not a website; nor is it an eCommerce platform
- Instant gratification – your customers are looking for a quick answer and should be able to find it easily on your website
- Your business is available 24/7/365.
Find more in-depth commentary on the 5 compelling reasons from Barhop Design Quincy here.
Social Media –
Social media is at the forefront for most consumers and from scrolling through Facebook to viewing the latest video trend on TikTok, consumers of all ages are surfing the depths of social media platforms. Therefore, you can see the importance of a strong presence on social media. Hootsuite discusses 23 Benefits of Social Media for Business and the number 1 benefit is to increase brand awareness. “With nearly half of the world’s population using social media platforms, they’re a natural place to reach new and highly targeted potential customers.” In other words, the strength of your brand on social media can help reach new customers. For example, if set up correctly, the execution of social media for your business will work as a sales and marketing funnel to deliver quality leads to your website.
Google My Business and Bing Business Profiles –
If we asked you to find the website for one of your competitors, which search engine would you navigate to? Our guess is you would say Google. Owning almost 90% of the search engine market share in the United States, a Google My Business profile should always be a part of your online presence. Moreover, it is super easy to create, maintain, and is a must have. If Google owns almost 90% of the market share, why should I worry about Bing? Well, 6.4% market share may not sound like a lot, but you don’t want to count out any opportunities for your customers to find you. Similar to Google, it is super easy to create and maintain. Not sure where to start? No problem. Contact us today to discover how Barhop Design Quincy can help.
Online Listing Directories –
Your online presence should include online listings. What are online listings? They are websites like Yelp, Foursquare, Angi, Yellowpages, Manta, Mapquest, Waze, BBB, and Merchant Circle (among others) that allow you to set up a free business profile to promote your business. These online directories provide a similar funnel that we discussed above with social media platforms. In addition, the more visibility your business and brand has within the major search engines the better.
Does my industry need a presence online?
Yes. Absolutely. Indeed. Totally. No Doubt. Are you getting the picture?
An online presence is important to any size of business; from a one-person tradesman to a 5,000 employee corporation. Just like how you found your competitors online during the exercise above, your customers are searching for your services everyday. For example, look at the service industries listed below and related Google searches. Would your business be found?
Auto Repair & Body Shop – Google searches: auto shop near me, auto body repair near me, auto repair Quincy, IL, mechanic near me, fix my car near me.
Bar & Restaurant – Google searches: bar food near me, restaurant near me, best food Quincy, IL, quality dining near me.
Barber Shop – Google searches: barber near me, barber shop near me, barber shop Quincy, IL, barber shop straight razor.
Electrician – Google searches: electrician near me, electricians near me, electrician Quincy, IL, electrician handy man near me.
Insurance – Google searches: insurance near me, cheap insurance near me, best insurance company Quincy, IL.
Lawyer – Google searches: lawyer near me, car accident lawyer near me, divorce lawyer near me, best lawyer Quincy, IL.
All of these Google searches could lead to YOUR website; however, they could also lead to your competitors website. In conclusion, 2020 is the time to act and the time to flourish online. Don’t wait; contact us today.
Barhop Design Quincy specializes in websites, WordPress support, website development, search engine optimization (SEO), content strategy, and mobile apps. Allow us to understand your online goals and deliver a strategy to achieve them.