According to data gathered by Oberlo, there are about 30.7 million small businesses all over the U.S. However, over 42 percent of this number close up within the first five years of operation due to lack of demand in the market.
To make these statistics even sadder, more than 60 percent of small businesses were forcefully closed amid the social distancing and lockdown regulations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Small businesses were among the worst-hit sectors as the deadly virus spread all over the world. It was a challenge for small business owners to find alternative means to continue earning revenue and prevent a permanent shutdown.
One viable solution seen amid the ongoing health crisis was the multitude of digital solutions. E-commerce was in full bloom during the outbreak and even until now, businesses are slowly trying to get things back to normal.
These days, consumers expect businesses whatever shape or size may be to have a strong digital presence. Younger consumers usually look up a business online before actually making a purchase. Even boomers and gen x-ers would utilize search engines to look for businesses closer to their area.
These are some of the reasons you need to boost your digital presence:
Increase Brand Awareness
Physical stores are typically open around 8 to 12 hours a day. Not to mention, they are usually closed on Saturdays and Sundays. If you think about it, the business is missing out on a lot of opportunities to generate revenue.
But, if you opt to put your business online, you are actually creating an avenue to make your business available 24/7 for everyone — even for customers overseas.
Be an Authority
By utilizing your e-commerce platform, social media, and website, you ensure you stay as an authority in your industry. Publish relevant and interesting content while at the same time showcasing how great your services or product are to the rest of the world.
Accessibility
Although most customers prefer to shop in person especially when they are making major purchases, the internet makes it easier for consumers to look for products and services online. Now, it is convenient to find the nearest store, figure out their operating hours, and what types of products or services they offer.
Improve Customer Relations
It is not just generating revenue and increasing the bottom line that businesses concern themselves with these days. Relating more to the audience, “humanizing” the business has become of utmost importance to businesses.
Thus, having a good online presence allows you to interact with your customers and potential ones on a more personal level. Good customer relations guarantee a strong business with loyal patrons.
Ways to Boost Digital Presence
Considering those above-stated reasons, these are the three foolproof strategies on how you can increase the online presence of your business.
1. Utilize Social Media
More than half of the world’s population these days have at least two or more social media accounts. Given that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic sent millions of people shut in their homes for safety and health reasons, it is more likely that the numbers have increased.
With boredom and isolation making everyone crave human interaction, people are likely to resort to social media. These social networking sites allow people to reconnect with others, even if it is just digitally.
Considering this, your business should utilize social media to increase its online presence.
Nowadays, the majority of businesses at least have Facebook pages. But of course, other platforms could serve the interests of your business better. Like Instagram, this SNS is best for visual content.
2. Enlist Press Release Campaigns
Press releases are still good marketing techniques to boost brand awareness. However, traditional methods using radio stations, television, magazines, and newspapers no longer are effective. Almost everything is on the internet these days.
A viable solution is to hire a reputable marketing company that can help you with your marketing campaigns using the latest digital marketing methods.
3. Embrace Website Optimization
Optimizing your website is also a must in order to boost the digital presence of your business. But surprisingly, a lot of small businesses are not too keen on building their own websites. Most point out a lack of resources and necessary skills for running one.
But these days, there are plenty of firms who can provide businesses with such needs. With the help of a reliable IT solutions provider, you can improve the appearance of your website and boost traffic while keeping it cost-effective.
Pandemic or not, a good digital presence is crucial for a business’s survival these days.