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As adults we spend eight hours or more a day doing digital activities, more than most of us sleep. And we have different identities online—we’re hobbyists (gaming, Pinterest, Tiktok), alter egos (Reddit), social butterflies (Facebook and Instagram), professionals (LinkedIn and work), and consumers (the focus of this blog).
Average time spent per day with digital media in the United States from 2011 to 2024(in minutes)
In today's business world, a robust online presence is crucial, regardless of whether you provide services, run a physical store, or operate an online business. It's not just about eCommerce either. The pandemic has boosted online shopping, but it has also led to an increased focus on supporting local businesses. As a result, 97% of consumers turn to the internet to find and research local businesses.
As the internet landscape constantly changes, what constitutes a strong online presence also changes. This guide is backed by data and covers everything you must know, from start to finish. Gain insight into the key components for achieving a formidable online presence with:
What defines an online presence and why it’s important.
This guide will equip you with the skills to maximize online presence and reach target markets in every corner of the internet.
How do you define online presence?
The truth about online presence may surprise you. Just because you exist online doesn't mean you have a real presence. Your presence is a deeper layer that paints the full picture of your business, according to:
You: Your actions and the content you produce.
The internet: how you rank in search engines and social media algorithms.
The public: Customer perceptions, what they say about you, how they engage with you.
Your online presence is critical to your visibility, credibility, and reputation. If you don't have a strong online presence, you might as well not exist in the digital world. As cyberspace gets increasingly crowded, it's crucial to stand out and make your mark.
Why you need a strong online presence.
Maximizing your online presence through quality experiences for your target audience is key to building brand awareness and boosting your reputation. But that's not all - a strong digital presence has even more benefits for your business.
- Boost Your Visibility: With 97% of consumers now searching online for local products and services, a powerful online presence is essential. By increasing your digital footprint, you will attract new ideal customers who may not have known you existed. This means you'll be making an impression both when they're searching for what you have to offer and when they're not.
- Stand out as a credible business: 83% of customers visit a physical store after researching it online. With numerous information outlets available to consumers, they seek out multiple sources before deciding to buy. Don't neglect showcasing your business info on all those sources, or risk losing out to both potential customers and search engines. Make sure you’re visible and ready to impress!
- 24/7 Business Exposure: With a robust online presence, potential clients can easily access and engage with your brand from any device, at any stage of their purchasing journey. Be where your customers are, whenever they need you.
- Gain Google's Confidence: Google doesn't consider just your website while deciding rankings. It assesses all your digital assets online and how well they align.
- Maximize your buyer journey: 63% of consumers begin their shopping journey online. By establishing a robust online presence, you can engage with potential customers at various stages of their journey, across different devices. This ensures you never miss an opportunity to convert prospects into loyal customers.
How to increase your online presence with your website.
Your website is the first point of contact for potential customers. Regardless of how they discover your business, be it via social media, ads, or recommendations, their first instinct is to head to your website. No one wants to call or visit your physical location when they can easily find the information they need at their own pace online. In fact, over half of consumers won't even consider a business without an online presence. So, make sure your website is up to snuff and enticing to visitors.
“56% of consumers won’t consider a business without a website.”
Since 2017, when this statistic was collected, the percentage has most likely increased, fuelled by the pandemic. That's a stat worth paying attention to.
Learn how to maximize your online presence using your website with these essential tips:
1. Get a modern, attractive site
Online consumers demand top-notch websites from businesses. In fact, a lackluster website might hurt your credibility more than not having one at all. Shockingly, 75% of consumers admit to judging a company's legitimacy based on their website design.
Invest in an expert to set up your site. DIY builders may sound great in theory, but in reality, they bring endless glitches and wasted hours. As someone who has experienced it firsthand, I suggest avoiding the hassle by hiring a pro. A lead-generating website tailored to your exact preferences is worth the money and will save you from the headaches.
2. Perform SEO with the latest updates in mind
Surprisingly, only 49% of small businesses invest in SEO. And shockingly, 18% have no intention of ever pursuing targeted SEO efforts like link building, content creation, or keyword research.
SEO is a free way to get on the first page of Google—the hallmark of online presence.
Here’s how to use SEO to increase your online presence:
- Follow the tried-and-true best practices like creating quality, keyword-targeted content, optimizing images, and building links.
- Improve your Core Web Vitals to align with the page experience update.
- Stay on top of mobile errors. All sites on the web are now indexed by mobile-first indexing.
- Use schema markup so that rich snippets can appear below your site title in the SERP, like ratings or even your main navigation pages.
- Prioritize local SEO. The pandemic has strengthened consumer support for local businesses, which will continue post-COVID.
3. Target more keywords with a business blog
Optimizing the core pages of your website, including homepage, about, pricing, products/services, and contact, can pose a challenge. For these pages, there's limited scope to include keywords beyond your services and location. Our aim is to provide potential customers with the necessary information, while streamlining content and keeping it crisp.
Maximize your web presence and attract more customers with a business blog. By targeting specific keywords in each post, you can appear in more search results and reach customers at every stage of their journey. The result? More first-page success, increased website traffic, and greater credibility for your brand. Don't miss out on this proven strategy for success.
This is your opportunity to showcase your expertise and portray your brand personality, which are both crucial elements in establishing a strong online reputation.
When blogging for online presence, make sure to:
- Target one keyword (or keyword theme) per post and include it in your title, headings, image file names, alt text, and meta description.
- Target question keywords with H2s to increase your chances of showing up in “People also ask.”
- Use numbered and bulleted lists where appropriate to be Featured Snippet-friendly.
- Promote your posts using social media and email.
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How to increase online presence with social media
Harnessing the power of social media for boosting online visibility is a no-brainer. With its massive user base and wide-reaching sharing capabilities, social media serves as a cutting-edge amplification tool. Plus, let's not forget how crucial social signals are in influencing your SEO.
Studies have shown that 91% of consumers visit a brand's website after following them on social media, with 89% of them making a purchase and 85% recommending the brand to others. Don't underestimate the impact of social media on your business success.
4. Limit the number of platforms to only what you can handle!
Online presence is about quality, not quantity. Choose the platforms that your audience is using, and limit the number you choose based on your bandwidth. Having just one or two accounts with solid engagement is better than having several accounts with weak activity.
Platforms to consider include:
- YouTube
- Snapchat
- TikTok
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5. Think audience, not followers
In the game of online presence, quantity does not equal quality. To truly improve your following, you need to focus on building a strong and authentic image. Cultivate an audience that shares your interests and values, and they will reward you with higher engagement and more user-generated content. Plus, incorporating user-generated content into your marketing campaigns results in a whopping 29% increase in conversions. Don't fall into the trap of aiming for a high number of followers at the cost of real value – prioritize creating a dynamic and meaningful page.
6. Boost Your Social Media Presence with Content That Connects Emotionally
Creating quality content is crucial to getting your social media posts seen by your audience. But it's not enough. For maximum impact, you also need to tap into the emotions of your followers. Use power words and phrases to evoke a response, and add emojis to give your message more personality. Compelling stats and evocative images are also great tools to make your content more shareable. We'll show you how to create irresistible posts that inspire action and engagement.
Small details can make a big impact on social media engagement. By analyzing the nuances of your captions, you can uncover patterns that drive more shares. For example, starting with a key stat can be highly effective. Additionally, crafting link-free content that's easy to consume is a smart approach. Users appreciate quick, engaging posts that don't require additional effort, increasing the likelihood of shares.
7. Perform social media SEO
Did you know that Facebook gets over 2 billion searches per day, and Instagram now allows general keyword searches? As a business owner, it's important to include popular keywords in your social media profiles and posts just like you do with your website. But, keep in mind that queries on social media platforms are often lighter-hearted and more inspirational. Depending on your business, you could potentially reach a large audience on Facebook.
Improve your social media game by using hashtags strategically. Just like keywords, use them wisely. Avoid using generic hashtags and target location-based and niche terms to ensure your content reaches the right audience.
8. Be active
As a business in the digital age, having an active social media presence is vital. Posting quality content, engaging with followers, sharing relevant content, and consistently interacting with the community are all musts. Don't settle for just a profile, strive for a dynamic presence that sets you apart from the competition.
Maximize your social media engagement with a single vibrant profile rather than juggling subpar ones. Only take on the number of profiles you can handle for optimal results.
Plus, if you want to find and connect with influencers, you need to be active in your niche so you can identify who is realistic to reach out to and gradually build your relationship with them.
Hot Tip: Tech businesses need to stay on top of their social media game, but hiring a full-time social media coordinator can be a costly and challenging task. That's where Chekkit's Digital Management services come in. Our team handles all the heavy lifting for you, allowing you to focus on what you do best while still maintaining a strong social media presence. Keep your business ahead of the curve with our innovative approach to social media management.
Use these strategies and tools to increase your online presence (and ultimately, your revenue)
Unlike the physical world where you can only be in one place, the internet allows your business to exist in multiple locations simultaneously. Your current and potential customers are likely spending most of their time online, and having a solid online presence can help you get discovered by new audiences. The more touchpoints you have with your customers, the more you can boost your reputation, build brand awareness, and make data-driven optimization decisions that ultimately increase revenue. Whether you're just starting out or have been in business for a while, a strong online presence is essential for growth.
There were many strategies mentioned in this post for improving your online presence, so let’s recap:
- Get a modern website to meet consumer expectations.
- SEOptimze your site to show up in local searches.
- Build your business blog to rank for more keywords.
- Limit your social media accounts to what you can handle.
- Strive to build an audience, not attain followers.
- Inject emotion into your social media posts for shareability.
- Perform social media optimization with keyword targeting.
- Be consistently active and engage with followers and influencers.
Need more help increasing your online presence? Not only can Chekkit help with your reviews that play an important part in your digital presence, but with our new Digital Management services we can help with modernizing your website, help you design and copyright social media posts to help reach your targeted audience, help with SEO optimization and so much more. Click here for more information and schedule a consultation today!
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