Simply by existing in the world today, you are online. If you run a company, you need to be online. Everyone is already there, and this is not a case of following the crowd. No, being present in an online capacity means you get to connect with people where they already are – again, that is in the online space.
With more and more people starting businesses or entering into a crowded domain, the questions of how to elevate your company’s visibility and remain relevant are more important than ever. Continue reading to learn about how you can become more available and visible in the digital world today.
Invest in Website Development
A website is the way people find your products, services, and your company in general. While they can walk into your storefront, should you have one, most consumers check out a company before making a purchase or engaging with it in any capacity. They want to see what you have to offer, what you do, and oftentimes they are interested in what you stand for.
When a visitor lands on your webpage, studies show that they will leave within seconds if the site is not easily navigable, is slow, or lacks visual interest. To encourage people to stay a while and look around at what you have to offer, you need to hire an e-commerce website developer.
A website developer is well-versed in what consumers are looking for regarding user experience research data points. They will design a website for easy navigation to encourage click-throughs and to maintain their interest.
When you are searching for an e-commerce website developer to create your company’s website, you need to find the right person or team of developers who will help bring your vision to life online. Always work with a reputable company, ask for referrals, and look at their previous work. This effort on your part will help bring your dream to fruition.
Leverage Social Media
A company’s social media platforms are today’s versions of a traditional business card. But instead of a physical reminder of your business, social media is an ever-evolving platform where your users can engage with you, share their enthusiasm for your brand, and make purchases.
By creating social media accounts and participating in the world of hashtags, likes, and shares, you are meeting people where they already exist. You are giving them an invitation to learn more about your company, products, purpose, and what drives it all. Today’s consumers want a whole story about your company’s values and mission, and social media is the perfect vehicle to deliver your message.
One false caveat that many business owners need to overcome is that they must put out original content on each social media platform they engage with. While this might seem optimal, it is not always realistic as you would need to dedicate an employee or hire a social media manager to handle the endeavour. To that end, and as your business grows, it is a good idea to create a specific role or outsource social media content to ensure your brand is fresh and exciting while staying current for your followers even as you repurpose old content.
Watch this video to learn about which social media platforms your business should be active on and the reasons why.
Refine Your Personal Brand
Your personal life may seem as though it should be consistently maintained as separate from your work life. That is no longer the case, however, as lines are continually blurred between personal and professional in today’s digital world.
If you personally participate in any capacity on one or more social media platforms, what you have put into the world for others to view will also affect how your business is seen by others. When a social media user views your personal content, which may include political leanings, old and youthful photos of you enjoying yourself a bit too much at a party, or disparaging comments about anyone or anything, quite frankly, they lead others to form an opinion about you. This opinion further makes an impression on your business offerings.
Make it a priority and block time out of your personal calendar as well as your work schedule to clean up your social media accounts. Start by going through the following steps.
- Set each social media account to private.
- Review every platform’s bio to include your photo and profile information. Make any updates as appropriate. Add your business information and your role in the company.
- Go through every single post on all of your social media accounts. This will take a while, but staying in the game to finish the task will pay off. If a post or photo no longer serves your goal or helps to portray the image you want, you should delete it. You can always save the photo on your personal computer or cloud account.
- Review your online friends and unsubscribe, unfriend, or unfollow, as appropriate for each account.
- Once you have completed the above steps, Google yourself. Go through each result with a fine-tooth comb. Untag yourself from photos that no longer reflect the image you want to put out into the world.
- Contact friends or companies where unflattering content comes up and ask them to remove it. After you have made the request, always follow up to ensure the requested actions have been taken.
- Finally, set up a Google alert for your name. With this alert in place, you will be notified every time your name populates in Google search results.
As the head of your company, you have to keep things moving for success. It is time to take a few essential items off your proverbial plate and put them into the hands of the experts. Hire an e-commerce web developer to create a spectacular and memorable website. Pass on the task of managing your social media content to an employee or outsource the job. And finally, clean up your personal social media profiles to project an image to the world that will further your business and make you proud.
