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Does every business need an online presence?

Yes, in 2023 every business needs an online presence.

If your business isn’t findable online, your missing your chance to market to thousands of potential customers.

Think about how you choose which business to work with.

You probably do a google search, compare the top 3-5 business and read some reviews.

Your potential customers are doing the same thing with your business.

That’s why having an online presence is getting more important every year.

 

What if your business is profitable without an online presence?

 

As an example, let’s say you own a brick and mortar store in a small town. You don’t think you need an online presence because most of your customers are local, and there’s not much competition.

Your business might be profitable for a while. The issue is that any competitor can move into town and overtake your business easily, because you haven’t established any online authority or credibility. Your competitor would only need a couple of reviews and a basic website for people to start seeing them as the go to company rather than you.

The 2020 pandemic highlighted the importance of having at least part of our business online.

200,000+ businesses went under in 2020 alone, most of them (offline) brick and mortar. At the same time online businesses thrived and e-commerce sales grew by 250 billion dollars.

 

What should you do to establish your online presence?

 

Step 1. Get a Website 

Your website is the most important part of your online presence.

It gives your business credibility and allows you to market and sell your services without the restrictions or instability of social media.

It is the only online marketing asset that you own 100%.

A recent Weebly survey showed that 56% of consumers don’t trust a business without a website. 

 

Step 2. Create a Google Business Profile

This tool was previously called Google my Business. It allows your business to show up in google map listings when someone in your area searches for your type of business. 

Setting up a Google Business Profile can take as little as 10 minutes and can potentially get you thousands of local customers.

 

Step 3. Post on Social Media 

Social media is a very useful tool to spread awareness of your business. Publishing content on Youtube, LinkedIn, Instagram and other social platforms is a great way to get traffic to your website. 

Choose the social media channel that fits your industry. Instagram works great for fashion and beauty. LinkedIn is best for B2B. YouTube works well for any industry.