We are living in the information age. More and more consumers turn to the Internet to find information on companies and their products and services, quite often making a decision to purchase before talking to any salesperson. Traditional marketing materials such as brochures, printed advertisements, radio and television ads are very costly compared to a having an online presence. Why should you consider building an online presence with your company?
When deciding to bring your presence to the online world there are a few ways that you can do it. Start off by listing in online business directories, building one or more websites, purchasing online advertisements and engaging in social media.
Listing your business with an online business directory is easy, convenient and often free. You can think of these directories as online versions of the Yellow Pages book. Unlike the traditional printed book, changes to phone numbers or other contact information can happen immediately. There are several online directories and many are industry specific. Searching the Internet can often result in dozens of directories that you can list your business. If you have a hard time finding directories try searching for a competitor’s name and find out where they are listed.
Any business, small or large, can have a website. Websites can be built for prices between $100 to thousands of dollars, though personally I would stay away from inexpensive sites. You want your website to portray the level of professionalism that you provide your clients. If your website looks like a rush job with little attention to detail, visiting potential clients may think the same of your work. There are many benefits to having a website, some of which include:
- Increased Market Size: Any website will broaden the market reach for your business. You can market and sell your products across the country or the world.
- Low Cost for Distributing Information: Your web site’s purpose is usually to either sell your company (or brand) or to sell a product. You can have information about your company and product/services online (catalogues, technical specs, order forms, etc). If something becomes out of date, it can be updated within minutes and everyone accessing the information from then on will have access to the latest info.
- 24/7 Availability: Customers will have immediate access to the information when they want it.
- Multiple Websites: If you offer products / services that are quite different from each other, you can group them and display them on separate sites. There are many tactics in doing this, but consulting with a web professional might be your best approach if you feel this can apply to you.
Online advertisements are a way of increasing awareness of what you offer to your clients and driving traffic to your site. Depending on your market, online advertising can be very tricky and competitive. Companies like Google and Yahoo offer advertising programs that are quite powerful. If you are about to get started in online advertising you may want the help of professionals.
Social media is increasingly popular among the general public. Many people are addicted to popular sites such as twitter and facebook. If having a presence in social media fits with your general online strategy you can setup a profile for your business. If you decide to engage in social media be sure to set a fixed amount of time per day or week that you are willing to spend keeping in touch with people. It is easy to get distracted and waste a large amount of time.