Owning a website online doesn’t guarantee an online presence

Some time ago it was enough to have a website with nice pictures and contact information, but nowadays things have changed.

Having a presence on the internet is a way to connect all the identities you have created in this (webpage, social networks, etc.) and interact with your consumers.

Why is it important to have an Internet presence?

Currently, there are more than 4 billion Internet users around the world, so, this means that more than half of the population uses internet daily.

And you might be wondering why this is relevant if you have a local, regional or national target.

• Expand the relevant market. Having a presence on internet will help you increase the size of your offer and demand, and achieve differentiation, recognition and brand positioning.
• Your customers will find you easily. According to Google data, 97% of consumers search for companies on internet before buying a product or service, specially if it’s expensive. So, having a presence on internet will give you a competitive advantage.
• Build relationships. It is true that nowadays relationships have become more impersonal, however, people continue to seek that human contact. That’s why having a space to interact with them actively is so important and can be a great differentiator.
• Instant answer. It will help you to have an effective communication with consumers, you will be able to evaluate the reaction they have with a product, a proposal or if they are having some problems give them an instantaneous solution.
• Promote your brand. Social networks and websites have become one of the best ways to do marketing, in them you can promote your products or get recommendations from consumers.

Having a presence on internet, will help you with both your current and potential customers to be their first choice when purchasing a product or service.

If your presence on internet is successful you can even achieve a community of people who, beyond loyalty, become promoters of your brand.

How do I start to have an Internet presence?

For your presence in social networks to be successful, you need consistency and strategy.

You have to understand that all this will be part of your brand image, and the importance of the strategy you will follow.

Here we have some necessary steps to create a good strategy:

1. Define objectives. It is very important that you are aware of what you want to achieve in a short and long term, and that all your strategies and efforts are to achieve them.

For example: gain visibility, promote products or services, improve online presence, have better contact with customers or seek new market niches.

2. Choose the right channels. This point is crucial, because you’ll define the sites and social networks in which you will be present and will help you to achieve your objectives.

It is a fact that most people have a profile on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, so, you have to assess whether your target is in them or is on other social networks such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+.

3. Be visible. If there is something really important when you are building your presence in social networks, it is to make yourself known and visible to your target audience.

Both your website and your social networks should be included in all your advertising, business cards, emails. You can even start inviting your current customers to follow you on social networks through an email.

4. Value content. It’s not about sharing things just for the sake of sharing. Find out what interests your target audience.

Value content is very useful and interesting to your followers and to help them achieve their goals. Also, this will be a proof of credibility, confidence and will help you to be a reference in your sector.

5. Commitment. Having presence on internet is a double-edged sword. Now that you have made the decision to be on it, you have to be committed and aware of what this means.

Having unattended profiles will negatively affect the image of your company.

Now that you know a little more about the importance of having an internet presence and how to achieve it, it is time to put it into practice. Remember that if you have doubts about how to execute it, we are here to help you choose the strategy that best suits your needs.