In a world dominated by the internet, maintaining an online presence is of prime importance, especially if you’re a startup. Even before the pandemic hit us, consumers were turning online to look for services and discover new products.
Online media has the longest shelf-life, so before purchasing your product/services, a customer will look you up on the internet. This means that they want to be well-informed about your business offerings and functioning. By developing a strong online approach, startups can thus target and improve sales and business development.
If you want consumers to be able to find your products and services, building an online presence for your startup has become more important than ever. But how? Let’s dive into some of the primary ways you can achieve this.
Make a killer website.
Even if it is stating the obvious, it goes without saying that you need a website if you want to be found online. In addition to social media, your website will likely be one of the first places customers look to learn more about your business.
You can showcase your brand on your website by using specific colors, fonts, body copy, videos, and images that align with your brand tone and positioning. By manipulating these factors, you can appeal to your buyer persona’s pain points and offer a solution to their issue. Also ensure that your CTAs are displayed clearly and that navigation through the different pages on your website is seamless.
Master SEO.
Learning search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the best strategies to help increase your online presence because algorithms are constantly changing. On-site SEO and off-site SEO are the two subcategories of SEO. The practice of optimising things on the website perse is termed as on-site SEO, whereas optimising that on the internet and external links is termed as off-site SEO. You should remember that, content is the king for on-site SEO. You should conduct keyword research, use both internal and external links, and produce educational content that corresponds with the search terms used by your target audience.
You’ll focus on the more technical aspects of things with off-site SEO. For instance, you should ensure that your site is properly configured, has a straightforward URL structure, and loads quickly. In addition, off-site SEO involves establishing credibility through backlinks.
Another point to keep in mind is to avoid taking shortcuts that seem successful in the short term but will backfire in the long run.
One such method is using black hat SEO techniques to rank a website that disobeys search engine policies. They not only have a negative effect on your visibility and search rankings, but they also create a bad user experience.
Leverage the power of social media.
Nowadays, social media has become a crucial tool for connecting with your target audience on a platform that they are most active on.
Social media presence builds trust with both current and potential customers. In today’s world, it’s even possible for a potential customer loses faith in your company when they discover that it isn’t active on social media and begins to question the legitimacy of the company.
As crucial as it is to establish a presence on all the channels available online, test them out and see which platform is best suited for the product or service that your business is offering. For example, an up-and-coming streetwear brand may want to focus its energies on putting content out on Instagram, whereas a SAAS-based company will do the same on LinkedIn.
In addition, you should be active on your preferred platforms, apart from just using them to build your company’s online presence. You can participate in discussions if you find a forum where everyone is talking about your industry.
Educate through content.
Even though it is hard to do so, with setbacks such as generating ideas, adhering to content pipeline timelines, and the general aversion towards appearing on camera, it is important to remember that your chances of appearing online increase as you produce more content. Being visible in search results, on social media, and on websites like YouTube is the essence of having an online presence.
Decide where you want to appear online before you start creating content. Do you wish to have an online presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, Etsy, Poshmark, Goodreads, and/or Amazon?
Research your target audience and make a list of the websites where they are frequently active. However, the process doesn’t end there; you also need to think about the type of content that works best for those platforms, and then, only after that, should you distribute it. When it comes to distribution, incentivize this process for yourself and others. For instance, treat your coworkers to lunch upon the successful completion of a video post-publishing deadline.
If all of this seems daunting, and you are an up-and-coming startup looking for guidance, mentorship, and perhaps a space to work out of, come and check Beginest out! We are not just a coworking space in Bangalore, but a community of entrepreneurs that believe in creating value for each other. Located in Indiranagar and Residency Road, Bangalore, Beginest offers coworking spaces in Indiranagar and M.G. road that offers dedicated office space, including private cabins and offices for your startup’s teams. Be a part of a thriving community of entrepreneurs, only at Beginest. Connect with us today!