Building A Digital Presence: First Steps for New Businesses
Get Your Biz Set Up Online
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Get Your Biz Set Up Online 〰️
The beginning of a brand-new business venture is an exciting (and stressful) time for seasoned and new entrepreneurs alike. Today, not only do you have to focus on setting up the actual business itself, but you also have to create, manage, and monitor your digital presence online.
Before you set a date for opening day, here are some basic steps you can take to help connect, engage, and serve your customers -and your business-anywhere on the web.
Establish Your Brand Identity
Before you dive headfirst into the digital world, take a moment to think about your brand identity…
What makes your business unique?
What values do you stand for?
What might your customers want or need to see from you?
Take time to carefully define your brand's mission, values, voice, and visual elements such as logo, color scheme, and typography. Consistency across all digital channels will help build brand recognition and trust among your audience.
Once you've got that figured out (easier said than done, we know), make sure it shines through in everything you do online from colors, fonts, and overall style to how you communicate your message.
Create Your Site
Think of your website as your virtual storefront. It's where people go to check you out before they decide to do business with you. So, make a memorable first impression by investing in a website that's not just pretty but also easy to navigate, anticipates your customers’ needs, and shows up on Google when people are looking for what you offer.
There are many easy-to-use hosting and design services that help you create a beautifully functional site like Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, Wordpress, and more. We encourage you to explore the capabilities, features, and usability, as well as annual or monthly hosting fees, of these services before deciding on which one will best suit your needs.
Get Found Online
Improve your website's visibility in search engine results by implementing SEO best practices. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is essentially a popularity contest run by search engines that your site needs to win to be featured on that coveted first page of search results.
For example, if you are in need of a plumber immediately, are you going to scroll through pages of results to find a local plumber, or choose from the few at the top of the page? Likely the latter.
Search Engine Optimization can get incredibly complex, however, as you start out, here are a few things you can do to help your business get found by your ideal customers…
Tips to Get Started
Claim and complete your Google Business Profile
Add your location to services like Google and Apple maps
Choose relevant keywords and use them throughout your content where applicable
Write high-quality, original content to post on your site (this includes your web pages, blogs, and more)
Leverage CTA’s (calls-to-action) throughout your site
Consider taking an SEO course. Hubspot Academy is full of free online courses to help give you the digital basics to succeed online
If you want to DIY your SEO strategy, most hosting services can help alleviate guesswork when it comes to SEO with tools and plugins meant to make each webpage the best it can be. In general, focus on providing valuable, high-quality content that satisfies user intent and earns backlinks from reputable websites.
Create Your Social Profiles
By now we all know the necessity of an active, well-maintained social presence. But getting started can feel like learning a second language. Clear the mental clutter and stick to the basics in the beginning…
1. Think about what platforms will suit your needs. Your business doesn’t need to be on every social platform.
2. Make sure you’re creating business accounts, not personal.
3. Carefully follow best practices to ensure your profiles are completely filled out
4. Use keywords where appropriate in your social profiles
5. Curate your social presence with consistent branding across all platforms
Develop A Content Strategy
Your profiles are ready, your brand guidelines are in order, now what? Content is king in the digital world, and having a well-defined content strategy can help attract, retain, and engage with your customers and followers.
We encourage businesses to create a content calendar outlining the type of content you'll publish, such as blog posts, videos, infographics, social posts, or podcasts. Tailor your content to address the needs, interests, and pain points of your target audience while showcasing your expertise and unique value proposition.
A content strategy can be as simple or as complex as you’d like. It all depends on what your business needs, what your audience demands, and how much time you have.
Your Roadmap To Digital Success
Building a digital presence can be a daunting task and it takes time to build an audience, find a strategy that fits, and delivers results. A digital strategy is fluid and will evolve as your business does, so understand that constant monitoring and social listening are critical to continue to grow your presence and your audience.
Ready to Chat?
Need help getting your new business off the ground? Get in touch with our team for a free initial consultation. We’ll learn all about your business, your challenges and goals, and help you decide what’s right for your business. Get started here.