If you are running a business that has a physical presence you may be wondering whether it is worth the time and money required to build an online presence. As the world is becoming more and more interconnected businesses with an online presence appear to be pulling ahead. There are many different reasons for this, but to keep it simple we will give you the top 5 reasons why you should definitely have an online presence.
- Credibility
In today’s day and age, the top reason why you should have an online presence relates to credibility. While a few years ago businesses grew to be credible through word of mouth, that has now evolved into having an online presence. It is very often that customers will check online for company reviews before choosing to work with your company or not. If you have no presence online it will make your clients and customers more suspicious and less likely to engage in business with you.
- Visibility and accessibility
Most people nowadays tend to simply remember the name of the places they visited and liked. As a result, it is only through googling the name of those businesses that they are able to find those places again. By not having a basic online presence you are reducing your chances of having repeat customers. This lack of visibility and accessibility could also reduce the number of customers that you get because of recommendations.
- Wider reach
Any business with an online presence is able to access millions of users at any given point in time. This wider reach could translate to more customers in the long run. Especially if your business is one that non-locals can use, having an online presence and getting your business on some travel sites could help you find more customers without any additional costs.
- Customer expectations and engagement
Every customer expects that they will be able to find businesses online. What’s more, brands that use social media and their online presence to increase engagement with their clients are seen as more personable and will often gain a larger clientele because of their engagement rate. As having an online presence has a relatively small cost, it would not make sense for business owners to not have at least a small online presence that increases their visibility, reach, and accessibility.
- Marketing and branding
Advertisements and marketing campaigns can normally be quite costly. But when it comes to your online presence running your own marketing campaigns could be completely free. These campaigns can be key in the promotion of your brand and its visibility. Whether you are choosing to run a campaign on social media or simply choosing to promote deals your business has online, you will be able to see a lot of returns from keeping an active online presence that is focused on business promotion.
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