Stop losing online customers! This is why Google could be hurting your business.

There was a time when being online as a business was just a luxury. It was optional. The newspapers, television and radio programs were the places where the eyes and ears of a population gathered. Not being found online was a minor inconvenience to customers. Today, however, customers question the legitimacy and trustworthiness of a business if they can't find readily available information about them online. 

But what about the other side of this coin? What if you find a business online, via Google, but there is incomplete information, poor photography of their product/service, lack of a core product offering, poorly designed pages and no brand consistency? Wouldn’t you question that company? Do you stay on the websites of companies that look illegit? Imagine the cost of  lost opportunities to companies that aren’t on top of their digital game? Now consider this: Is your business on top of its digital game?

Having a strong online presence on digital platforms like Google is crucial for any business in today's digital age. Google, just like social media, can be very effective and useful based on how you use it. If you are not utilizing the power of Google and other online platforms for your benefit, you are most likely losing out to your competitors. 

A strong online presence for your business can:

• Improve and increase visibility
• Build credibility 
• Drive new business opportunities

On the other hand…

 A weak online presence can have detrimental effects on your business such as: 

• Reduced visibility
• Lost opportunities
• Negative reputation
• Low search engine rankings  

Build a strong online presence for your business

In this article, we will discuss the importance of having a strong online presence. It is meant to be a guide for establishing an online foundation for your business and is intended to help and aid your business in both inbound and outbound marketing to acquire customers.

In our next article we will explore digital marketing to attract customers but for now we want to focus on helping you prepare a place, whether you're just starting or been in business for a while,  for the online customer to get what they are looking for when they find you online. 

Think about it as if we are helping you to build the store that your online customers will walk into on digital real estate. After the store is built, the next step is getting the customer to actually walk in. This is where marketing and advertising will come into play. So without further delay.

These are the 3 essential components to create a strong online presence for your business:

1. Message - What you say
2. Brand Identity- How you say it
3. Medium or Platform- Where you say it

Message - What you say

Your message is the information that you want to communicate to your target audience. This includes the products/services you offer, their benefits,  the unique value proposition of your business and your business’ contact information. Your message should be clear, concise, resonate with your target audience and be consistent across all of your online platforms.

As we will discuss later on in this article, social media, websites and business profiles are all platforms or media you can use to send your message. However, it doesn’t  matter what medium of communication you choose, there is some basic information that every business should be communicating online. Here is a list of the basics:

1. Business Name:  Ensure your business' name is the same across all online platforms, including its website, Google My Business profile, and social media accounts.
2. Address: Your business’ physical address and/or mailing address should be listed on its website and on Google My Business profile.
3. Phone Numbers and Email Addresses:  Your business’ phone numbers and email addresses should be listed on its website and Google My Business profile.
4. Business hours: Your hours of operation should be listed on your business’ website and Google My Business profile.
5. Website: Ensure the business’ website URL is listed and easy to find on its social media platforms and Google My Business profile.
6. Services or Products:  Provide a clear and detailed description of the services or products your business offers on its website and on Google My Business profile.
7. Photos and Videos/Portfolio: Your business should have a variety of high-quality photos, videos or portfolio of its products or services to showcase on its website and Google My Business profile.

These are the pieces of information potential customers look for when thinking about contacting you or making a decision about purchasing from you. Use the above as a checklist to ensure that all of your online platforms have the basics covered because it doesn’t matter how often you post content or if you have a website. If potential customers can’t find or understand the information they’re looking for you won’t attract any customers online.

Brand Identity- How you say it

How do you communicate your message? Ever met someone you just didn't want to continue a conversation with? Have you considered why? Maybe you didn't like how they spoke to you or the way they presented themselves. In the branding world, the way a business presents itself can be through a logo, color scheme, typography, and other design elements that should be used consistently across all marketing materials.

Your brand identity helps you to present your message to the world.  It  should be unique and memorable and help to build recognition and trust with customers. It is an important aspect of building a strong online presence. A well-crafted brand identity can help a business to stand out from the competition and establish a strong bond with its target audience.

As you may already know a lot of businesses are attempting to gain a competitive advantage using online platforms today, including your competitors.  When done right, brand identity can be the key to success in the online world where first impressions are critical.

Keep in mind the role brand identity plays in creating a strong online presence is two-fold:

1. Build credibility: Customers are more likely to do business with a company that presents itself professionally and consistently.
2. Differentiation: A well-designed logo, color scheme, and other visual elements can set a business apart and help it to stand out in the minds of customers.

For a deeper dive into how to build a strong brand identity that attracts your clients, read this article on ‘Weak or Poor Branding, Hurting Your business?’ and follow our recommended action steps to begin building a solid brand identity for your business.

Medium - Where you say it

Medium refers to the platforms or channels you use to deliver your message with a clear brand identity to your target audience. This can include your website, social media, email marketing, and other digital marketing channels. The medium of communication should be chosen based on your target audience (who you want to say it to), the message you want to convey, and the goals of your marketing efforts.

Every platform you use to communicate your message has a purpose. For instance, a billboard communicates to a driving audience and business cards would work best in a networking event or one on one meetings. It would be silly to stand on the side of the highway handing out business cards, or go to a networking event, greet someone and then point them to your billboard. 

Similarly choosing the right online platform for your message is essential. There are instances where LinkedIn may be more effective than Facebook, and vice versa. One platform may be right for you while the other, even if it is widely popular, may not.

Which platform is right for your business? 

The answer to that question depends on where your target audience is located, what type of marketing works best for your business  and how much time, money and human resources you have to invest. 

For example if you provide a B2B service or product and your target audience are business owners like yourself or business leaders, then perhaps investing more resources into LinkedIn may be beneficial. 

To know which online platform will work best for your business , you must know your target audience, try using platforms that they are using and measure results so that you can make informed decisions.

Selecting the right online platforms for your business will help you to cut unnecessary activities and spending that bring you little to no return in attracting customers. We have created a downloadable guide to help you choose the best media for online communication (Click here to Download)

Let’s Recap

Your message, brand identity, and medium are essential components of a successful online presence. Your message represents what you want to communicate to your target audience, the brand identity represents how you communicate it, and the medium represents where it is communicated. 

A well-crafted message that’s consistent, a memorable brand identity, and a carefully chosen medium can help your business stand out in a crowded online marketplace, build credibility with customers and attract more customers. 

Pay attention to these three critical components and your business will have strong and effective online presence that drives results and supports your overall marketing goals.

Final Action items

1. Ensure you have a consistent brand identity
2. Select the platforms which will help your business and ensure your message is consistent.
3. Update your online platforms with the basic information

If you need help, please feel free to ask. Start a conversation with us, by clicking here and booking a session- Book Now

Our mission is to help businesses leave a lasting impression on their customers using web and brand design.Also let us know if this article was helpful to you and what would you like us to write about next. Looking forward to hearing from you soon!