5 Ways to boost your small business online presence

5 ways to boost your online presence as a small business

Here are some ways that will help your small business stand out online.

Responsive and user-friendly website

It is interesting that about 36% of small businesses are missing out on the online party because they still don’t have a website. If that’s you, it’s high time to join the digital scene. And you have to go with a responsive design to succeed! 

Remember that 94% of savvy consumers won’t stick around on a website that feels like a maze. So, your website isn’t just about looking snazzy for brand points; it’s also about having straightforward navigation and being impressive on all devices—from big desktop screens to tiny smartphones.   

In order to optimize your website responsiveness, you should keep the following points in mind:

• Stick to a mobile-first design strategy.
• Opt for Bootstrap or other responsive design frameworks.
• Use responsive markup to compress videos and images.
• Optimize fonts, manage code, and get rid of unnecessary plugins.
• Stick to a performance budget to limit load times.
• Pick the best CDN considering bandwidth, speed, and audience proximity.

Local search optimization

Having your business name, address, and phone number (a local citation) in your website footer and contact page is a game-changer. Why? Because nearly half of consumers check a business website for contact details like address and phone number.

Now, how do you go about handling local SEO? Ideally, it would help if you began by adding your local listing info to online business directories. Be everywhere online to pop up in more local searches.

And, of course, you should claim your turf on Google My Business. Fill in all the details, from business hours to reviews. Google loves it, and so will local customers.

Social media for small businesses

For small local businesses, key social media platforms include Facebook, Instagram, and Google My Business. But what works best for you depends on the type of business you run. For instance:

• Facebook, boasting over 3 billion monthly active users, allows businesses to create pages for content sharing, ads, and customer interaction.
• With 1.6 billion monthly active users, Instagram suits visually-oriented businesses, enabling photo and video sharing with discoverability through hashtags. Here lies the hidden gem—effective photo editing online can significantly lift your brand’s image on platforms like Instagram where visuals reign supreme. Crisp, engaging visuals not only attract but also retain user engagement.
• Google My Business aids in managing Google Search and Maps listings, optimizing local visibility, and allowing customer reviews.

However, when you pick a social platform, it is equally important to learn how to engage with your audience better. Here is what you can do:

• Work on a content calendar and be consistent.
• Engage with users by commenting on posts.
• Don’t be shy to start conversations.
• Come up with relevant information for your audience.
• Leverage user-generated content for more credibility.
• Raise questions and offer the best solutions.
• Organize polls and share results with your audience for more engagement.
• Be generous and always show gratitude to customers.

Cost-effective content marketing

A great way to supercharge your content marketing is to utilize user-generated content (UGC). Anything created by people, including videos, photos, testimonials, and reviews, falls into the category of UGC.

You can leverage that content to boost your online presence using the following tricks: 

• Inspire people to create and share their own content on your page.
• Come up with contests to tap into people’s creative side and get new UGC.
• Encourage people to share and feature stories on your site or social page.
• Always respond professionally to comments and feedback.
• Curate galleries showcasing user photos more systematically.

While UGC can help improve your presence, asking creators for permission before re-using their work is essential. But, also keep in mind that you have to use that UGC in a creative manner. For instance:

• Use it on your blogs for user engagement and SEO benefits.
• Try podcasting to expand your reach and deliver value.
• Create infographics and use other forms of media to inspire people to share them.

Online networking and partnerships

This is where online networking and partnerships can help small businesses gain traction. If you look carefully, you can find other companies happy to collaborate and allow you to combine their customer reach, expertise, and technology to stand a better chance against more prominent brands.  

You can also take advantage of various downtown events, allowing you to get better visibility and build customer connections. Simply consider partnering or sponsoring these events to enhance business credibility. So, remember that supporting local enterprises, proactively networking, and adding value through collaboration can help with your online and offline presence. 

Conclusion

Taking steps to boost your online presence helps establish a premier hub for customer engagement. Your website can work wonders, but you must go up and beyond, as the digital landscape also encompasses social media dynamics and strategic partnerships. But, whatever you do, don’t forget to track performance to learn what strategies deliver the best results.