Most of us have a Facebook, and when you think about how long it’s been around (less than 20 years!) It’s hard to imagine when platforms like Facebook and Instagram didn’t exist. However, despite being less than two decades old, it’s also undeniable how much Facebook has impacted how we interact with one another — from casual conversations to business interactions. 

If you’re a business owner today, it’s imperative to have an online presence with a far-reaching strategy. Incorporating killer content, good SEO, great lead strategies, and targeted social media action creates an online presence easily.

A Professional Website

The first step in creating a killer online presence? Make your website. 

Today, it’s easier than ever for anyone to create a website without knowing coding, in-depth Google analytics tricks, or SEO marketing tactics. 

Think of your website as your storefront. Now more than ever, we don’t spend much time in traditional brick-and-mortar stores. And even if we do go to a physical store, we often use the internet to compare prices, look for specific ingredients or materials, and more. Having an online presence means that you are more likely to reach potential site visitors and visitors looking for what you have to offer in a store. 

You can use sites like WordPress to create an online business “storefront” without paying for traditional business costs like marketing and storefronts. When combined with social media, a professional website can go even further.

Social Media Accounts

If you’re not a social media user but want to draw in more people to your site, now’s the time to join a platform. However, you don’t have to get every social media account profile known to man. The intended audience for your website should dictate what type of social media accounts you have. Age demographics are the best way to consider which social media accounts to get. Most recently, the top social media platforms are broken down by age demographics in the following ways:

• Facebook users are mostly 18-44, with the most significant users being between the age of 24 and 35. Facebook is your safest bet for catering to a wide age demographic.
• Instagram users are concentrated between the ages of 18-34, with a heft of users being in their twenties.
• TikTok Users include some of the youngest demographics– ages 10-29, with nearly 50% of its users being under 30. For 2022, this is the target social media app for younger adults. 
• Twitter Users are still younger people, aged 18-29, with over 40% of users between that age range.
• LinkedIn caters toward a young professional demographic, aged 25-34,
• Pinterest, meanwhile, caters toward retirement-aged people between 50-64, with the most prominent social media presence in people over 40.
• Snapchat is one of the youngest demographics out there, catering to those between the ages of 15-25.
• Youtube users make up the most significant age range of target users, between 15-35.

So, while you can get every social media account out there, business owners should, at a bare minimum, strive to maintain a social media presence on the platforms that best cater to their demographics.

Linking Social Media Accounts To Your Site

One beneficial thing about social media is that it is easy to link potential customers to your site, and vice versa. Most websites, including WordPress, have ways to easily link your social media pages to them. Luckily, social media websites have made it just as easy to link back to your website. So, regardless of where a user interacts with your site, they’ll be able to get a good feel for your brand. 

Social media links are also an excellent way for customers to reach out to you and get a quicker response than they might get via email. In other words — social media is a cheap and effective communications channel that ultimately helps your customer service ratings.

Adopting A Digital Communication Presence

As well as social media messaging, many businesses are turning to WhatsApp for effective B2C communication. Unlike business landlines, WhatsApp allows customers to talk with one another (regardless of their country or zipcode) just as quickly as one might talk to someone via text. Most importantly, it leaves the human element behind communication intact, unlike less personalized customer communication options like chatbots. Additionally, it’s a seamless transfer from a webpage to an app, unlike dialing a number into a phone.

Allowing customers to connect with you via WhatsApp and other digital communications channels protects your identity and personal information while allowing customers to feel as though they have a way to connect with you. 

This leads to the penultimate point about online presence: although online business interactions take customers out of physical interactions with businesses, customers still want to know that there’s a face and personality behind the brands, blogs, and companies they follow. Having a good website, social media presence, and a way for customers to reach out, bridges gaps and enhances business-to-customer relationships — which is suitable for everyone.

Building your online presence doesn’t have to be hard. Book a consultation with us today to see how easy it can be.