Have you ever googled a business only to come up short? I have! It’s disappointing, and you can’t help but question the business. Are they well-liked and trusted? What are their hours? How long have they been in business? Why isn’t this information readily available?
With smartphones, we expect to find out details about a business in seconds.
At Hookd, we understand that as a business owner, you have a lot on your plate, and keeping up with your online presence can be overwhelming and fall to the bottom of your priority list.
The good news is, it doesn’t have to be that complex. Just make sure you take these 5 simple steps, and you’ll have checked off the most important aspects of your online presence. These are the right things to focus on first:
1- Google My Business Page
Claiming your Google My Business page ensures that when a potential customer searches for your business, they find the most important information easily: Where you’re located, How to contact you, Your hours of operation, Photos of your business, and even Online reviews. Click here to find out how to set up your Google My Business page. Don’t worry, it’s easy to do!
2- Facebook Business Page
Do you have a business presence on Facebook? With 1.7 Billion monthly active users of all ages, you can be confident your ideal customer is on Facebook. While you might not spend a lot of time here, you should have a presence. Make sure to fill out the About section and include your business hours and location. Posting regularly will provide customers with the content you want to showcase when they search for you. Our society loves social media! Make it easy for customers to connect with you!
3- LinkedIn Business Page
This step is especially important if you are a B2B Business. More and more people are using LinkedIn for business purposes (especially 30-64 year-olds). Your LinkedIn Page offers a great forum to educate and share information your business cares about. Your LinkedIn Page will appear in web search results, so even potential customers who don’t use the platform regularly can benefit from the content you provide there.
4- Online Reviews
When you search your business, do you see online reviews? These can show up on Google, Yelp, and Facebook, as well as other websites. You definitely want as many online reviews as possible. They have a huge influence on our decisions, right? Social proof is incredibly important. In fact, 56% of google searchers will click on a business with the highest rating, and 91% read reviews before making a purchase.
Ask your best customers to write an online review for your business! Many will be happy to do this for you, but they might not think to do it if you don’t ask.Do you have any bad reviews? It can happen, and addressing those reviews is very important. Click here to find out how to deal with a bad online review.
5- Email List
Email is a very effective part of a marketing plan. If you’re skeptical, that’s ok, but you can find out why email marketing is no longer optional here.
Even if you aren’t ready to implement an email marketing strategy, you should absolutely begin capturing email addresses. Sign up for a free account on Mailchimp or Constant Contact, and start inputting your customers. When you meet new contacts, ask permission to add them to your email list and make sure they get included as well! Adding a sign-up button to your website or Facebook page is a good idea if you’re actively mailing your list or plan to start soon.
Bonus #6 Mobile-Friendly… This step may take a little more effort, but it’s extremely important! Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. If it’s not, get working on it. Google won’t put your website in search results if the webpage is a poor experience for users on mobile devices. Learn how to tell if your website is mobile-friendly here.
Start checking these steps off the list and you’ll be set up for online success in no time!