A Small Business Guide to Building a Professional Online Presence
Your online presence is often the first impression people get of your business. For local businesses especially, that presence can be the difference between gaining a loyal customer or losing them to a competitor. Building trustworthy, polished, and personable touchpoints isn’t an option, it’s essential. But before you worry about Instagram aesthetics or complicated website features, you need to start with the basics.
Building a Professional Online Presence
Treat Others The Way You Want to Be Treated
Being approachable and honest in your communication goes a long way in building meaningful connections. Whether you’re answering questions on social media, responding to reviews, interacting in person, it is important to to be kind and professional, even when the feedback isn’t. Especially online, it can be easy to deliver a heat-of-the-moment response you’re not proud of later. Keep cool, and be deliberate in your interactions. Treat others with the grace you want them to give you.
Plus, providing clear, truthful information and making resources easy-to-find shows your audience that you value their time and trust. Prioritize accessibility by using inclusive language, alternative text for images, and ensure your website and socials are easy to navigate. These thoughtful touches help create a brand that feels authentic and welcoming. While it is important to communicate your services and core values clearly, showing the people behind the brand can give consumers a face to the name. Sharing behind the scenes information of your brand can also build trust and emotional connection with your audience. People want to do business with people, not logos or taglines.
Maintain Brand Consistency
A consistent brand builds recognition, trust, and professionalism. When someone finds your business through social media, Google, or your website, they should instantly know it’s you. At the core, this should be simple, right? If you get off on the right foot, yes. Start with using consistent logos, colors, fonts and tone across all your online platforms. Creating a simple style guide can help keep your brand image aligned, and set you up for success from the start. It is especially helpful if multiple people contribute to your social content or customer communications.
You don’t need a large budget to create a polished and consistent look, you just need a little bit of time. Free tools like Canva make it easier for anyone to manage brand assets and apply them across various platforms. Choose tools and platforms that match your company’s needs. If you’re a large company with a large budget that needs in-depth graphic design work, Adobe products may be a top choice. If you’re a small business with a minimal or non-existing marketing budget, easy-to-use, free tools will serve you well.
Protect Your Business and Customers
When you exist online, you need to protect yourself online. Implementing basic cybersecurity practices like strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and regularly updating software can go a long way in preventing data breaches and account hacks. Clearly communicate your privacy policy and terms of service so customers know how their information is being used and protected. If your business allows customers to leave reviews, comments, or provide other forms of user-generated content, you must be prepared to moderate it. Set clear guidelines, monitor, and remove offensive, misleading, or harmful content. A safe and respectful online presence helps build trust and keeps your community engaged for the right reasons.
Stay Informed
If you’re active online, you need to stay informed online. Digital platforms change frequently, and constant algorithm changes can make it hard to keep up. New social media features are presented weekly, Google updates their algorithm frequently, and consumer behavior ebbs and flows. It is crucial that your business sets aside time to keep up with the online platform changes, trending content strategies, and new online tools to take advantage of. Being proactive helps you adapt your strategy and stay ahead of competitors.
Don’t forget to make a habit of monitoring company reviews, social media mentions, and search results of your business. Outdated contact info, unanswered reviews, or even misinformation can erode trust and credibility. Taking the time to update content, eliminate confusion, and thanking consumers for positive feedback can lead to more confidence and loyalty from your customers.
Plan for Growth and Changes
Planning for growth is just as important as managing the brand’s daily operations. After all, the goal is success, right? Small businesses should build a scalable workflow that can evolve and grow over time. This goes for everything business-related, not just online marketing!
But in terms of your online presence, don’t take on more platforms or content promises than your team can realistically manage. It is better to do fewer, higher-quality things than to stretch yourself thin (or to where you don’t need to be). Developing straightforward processes and reusable templates early can streamline future growth and prevent roadblocks. At the same time, prepare for changes by spreading your marketing efforts across different (but relevant) channels. Algorithm updates and platform shifts are guaranteed, so avoid relying more heavily on a single digital platform. Build your digital presence on a solid website, an engaged email list, and authentic social followers who will support your business through changes.
Stand Out and Show Up for Your Consumers
Want to know a secret? The businesses that win online aren’t always the loudest. They are the ones that are intentional, human, and responsive. Your goal is to stand out, but you need to stand out to the right people, not all people. It is important to remember to always show up for your customers, be someone they can rely on. And most importantly, don’t try to do it all. Identify your brand’s niche and excel at it in a way that delivers an exceptional experience for everyone who interacts with your business. When you are ready to evolve your online presence and grow with confidence, AdVentures is here to help you stand out for the right reasons. Call or email us today to get started online.