Those of us already living, breathing, working, buying, and selling on the internet can take for granted how hard it can be to find your place. Many who have been on for years are still struggling to find their audience, their visibility, and their place. So, coming to it afresh if you’re a business owner just starting to jump on the net can be pretty daunting. There are a few pillars that, if you start building first, can help you get the best start.
Building your online home
Spending the time and effort to build a website that truly looks professional is essential. If you rush your site without thinking about what people expect from your branding, visually, in your copy, and through your site’s navigation, it can do more harm than good. Invest in professional website design and try to think about what voice you’re trying to establish and what information your customers are really looking for. It needs to be easy to find details about the products or services you offer as well as things like contact or support information. Make your site difficult to navigate and most people aren’t going to click on a single page before backing out of it.
Forming your strategy
Your website is only one of the ways you communicate with your audience. Marketing can be tricky on the net, so it might be a good idea to work with someone who already knows it. A consultant can help you understand the different platforms, what kinds of audiences are there, and which marketing messages they respond best to. In terms of social media, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Reddit all offer different things are some are better suited to different platforms. Everyone would do well to be on Facebook, for instance, but Instagram offers an advantage to brands that sell products that have real visual appeal, like fashion, food, or travel businesses. Find where your market is, the best channel to communicate your brand, and which kind of marketing content will work best for them.
Real connections with your customers
Social media was used as an example because it’s one of the best ways to establish a community for your business. In days where businesses only had brick and mortar, their community was their returning customers. Online, that extends to anyone who subscribes to your channels or communicates online with you. Foster that community and a greater sense of customer engagement by being active with them. Make it easy to find online support through your site or social media channels. Establish a rapport and find opportunities to celebrate and publicize their success and happiness with your products and services. The internet as a whole is a social place. Make use of it.
Building a presence, learning how funnel leads, and establishing a community on the internet takes time. Be patient and keep looking for new ways to connect with your audience in the most effective ways possible. It might seem like there’s way too much competition, but there’s still space for new voices.
