Morne Patterson - 4 Easy Steps to Establishing an Online Presence for Your Small Business

1. Morne Patterson - 4 Easy Steps to Establishing an Online Presence for Your Small Business

2. Introduction The digital world has completely transformed the way that people do business. No matter what industry you operate in, having a presence online has become almost essential for success. If your business doesn’t have an online presence, it’s time to start building one. The days of operating strictly offline are long gone - you need to be able to connect with your potential clients whenever they want or need you. Fortunately, there are a few simple ways to start establishing your online presence for your small business. Best of all, as you’ll see in this article, it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. With a little planning and effort, you can quickly build an online presence that will help you grow your small business. Step 1 - Register Your Domain This is done before you start building your website. A domain name is the address for your website. If someone types “www.yourdomain.com” into their browser, they will be directed to your website. If you don’t own this address, others can easily take it away from you. Registering your domain name is cheap and easy to purchase through web hosting providers such as 1- grid.com and GoDaddy. Domains are paid on an annual basis and represent the most affordable set of valuable intellectual property which your small business will own. Step 2 - Build Your Website This is where you start putting all your efforts into building your online presence. Your website is your digital front. It’s where your potential customers go to find out more about your small business and how to do business with you. It’s also where you can start creating a digital portfolio of your work that showcases your skills and makes it easy for potential clients to find you. If you don't have experience in building websites, leverage the functionality available from a DIY website builder which allows anyone to easily build their website cost-effectively. These are available from your local web hosting providers or specialists such as Wix. You should make your website mobile responsive. This means that it should be able to look good on both desktop and mobile devices. Note that most DIY website builders include mobile responsive functionality. You’ll also want to make sure your website is fast. This is important because visitors are impatient and if your website is too slow, they’ll quickly get frustrated and move on to the next website. Slow websites are also penalised by Google through reducing your website's visibility. You can check to see if your website is running smoothly by using a website speed testing service like GTmetrix.

3. Step 3 - Create Your Personalised Email Address This is a key component of your online presence. Your email address is where most potential customers will connect with you. It’s how you can communicate with your clients and build relationships with them. It’s also important to protect yourself when communicating with potential clients and avoiding scams. Most importantly, the personalised email address gives outsiders confidence and trust in your small business. When speaking to your banker would you feel comfortable emailing them to their Gmail address? Of course not! This is the power and why its crucial for your small business to have its own branded email address. Step 4 - Develop Your Social Media Presence Social media allows you to create an online presence which increases your reach and is complimentary to your website. You can post on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You’ll want to create accounts on each of these platforms in the name of your small business and create unique and original content for each of these platforms. You’ll want to focus on posting content that is relevant to your small business and shows off its personality. The more engaging your posts are, the more likely people are to share them with their friends and followers. Importantly being active on social media allows you to get closer to both your actual and prospective customers. Conclusion The more you establish your online presence, the more potential clients you will be able to attract and the more revenue you will generate. Establishing an online presence will not only bring in new clients, but it will also increase your brand equity and boost your small business. The digital world has completely transformed the way that people do business. If your business doesn’t have an online presence, it’s time to start building one. The days of operating strictly offline are long gone. Fortunately, there are lots of simple ways to start establishing your online presence and build your brand gradually as you grow your business.