Your company’s online presence can make or break your business, and in today’s business world, a company without an online presence is practically non-existent.
This is why having a well-managed online presence is one of the most effective and advantageous strategies for your business to implement.
“A strong online presence enables you to build your brand and gain the credibility necessary to attract more clients. Along with making your business more accessible, an online presence is an easy way for clients to learn more about what you have to offer as well as a platform to interact with your business,” says Mkhuseli Vangile, MD of The DCF.
For your company to remain competitive, potential consumers must be able to easily access your website and all your product and service information with just one click, because a poor online presence may make consumers lose interest just as quickly as a well-optimised online presence can draw them in. Many businesses, on the other hand, appear to be unaware that having a poor online presence can harm their business in a variety of ways.
Five ways to manage online presence for your business:
Negative reviews under Google Business
An aspect that is sometimes overlooked is Google My Business page. A well-optimized Google My Business page is a necessity if your company provides local services. A company’s Google My Business account may be terminated if it receives too many negative reviews on the internet, which not only discourages new customers from considering it, but also makes current customers hesitant to work with it.
Social media reviews
Positive social media reviews will result in client loyalty and a larger customer base for a credible business that values its customers. Negative reviews, on the other hand, may cause your business to lose the majority of its potential clients. This is because customers often use reviews to make purchasing decisions, and it is critical to prioritise quality customer service.
Updating the business website and its content
Online presence makes it easier for you to market your business and sell your products. A properly designed and informative website with well-written content enables customers to make informed purchasing choices. By updating your website, you can also significantly improve your conversion rate, bringing in additional clients and profits.
However, if you do not update and upload content to your website on a regular basis as a business, you may find that your chances of ranking well in search engines are affected. This could cost you a lot of leads and new potential clients, as well as pushing your website to the bottom of search engine results pages. In such a case, having an internet presence is only partially useful.
Not replying to negative reviews
Customers can share their experiences with your company through online reviews. Customers that submit negative evaluations, on the other hand, harm your business. As a result, it is critical for businesses to respond to both good and negative reviews as soon as possible to ensure that your business is well-represented and not seen as having poor customer service. Ensure you stay on top of customer reviews to maintain a positive reputation.
Signing up on other review sites
Some review systems, such as HelloPeter, are incredibly effective, and businesses should sign up and use them to manage brand perceptions and reviews. If a client or individual posts negative reviews about your company on these sites and you are not present to defend or resolve the situation, your company’s reputation will suffer, and all of your efforts will be in vain.
“Customers use the internet to obtain information. To avoid putting your company at risk, you can hire professionals to help you establish a well-optimised online presence based on their knowledge and your business needs,” concludes Vangile.