post tag icon Marketing
06 / 05 / 21

The Benefits of Having an Online Presence

Today, more and more people have moved to online platforms to find the products and services they need.  This has highlighted how vitally important it is that your business has a good online presence. In this article, we are going to be looking at the different benefits that come with having a good online presence. 

Make it Easier for People to Find Your Business 

The key benefit of having an online presence is that it makes it easier for potential customers to find your business, whether that is through your social media platforms or your website. Giving your customers the opportunity to share your content and their experiences online can be a great way to engage with your audience. Also, the quicker it is for a customer to find your business, the more likely it is that you'll be able to create a lead from their visit. 

Increase Your Reach

Another core benefit of having an online presence is the reach that it gives your business. When you only choose to use traditional forms of marketing, such as cold calls, newspaper advertisements and in print, you reach is limited to the audiences of those platforms.  

Using online platforms such as the businesses website and social media channels to boost your presence, means that potential customers can search for your company organically on search engines and easily find your website or social profiles. 

Using online advertising tools like Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Ads can massively improve your reach within specific audiences, using targeting criteria to shows your ads and expose your business to those most likely to show and interest.

At Formation Media, we have experts on SEO optimisation and Google Ads, who can help you widen the reach of your business. 

people building a webpage

Monitor Performance                                       

Building an online presence for your business helps you to monitor the performance of your business's website, social media channels and posts. 

Using tools such as Google Analytics allows you to monitor how the pages on your website are performing, allowing you to create detailed reports which can tell you about the behaviour of the users who visit your site, visualising the path that they take when they are moving from one page to the next.

Social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook allow you to view insights into your posts, story, and profile.

Each one gives you different types of data:

  • How many impressions were made? 
  • How many people followed your profile? 
  • How many people viewed your profile? 
  • Where was your post found?
  • From their home feed 
  • Hashtags 
  • Location tags

Instagram, in particular, allows you to see when your followers are most active on the app, allowing you to plan posts around certain times. This helps you to ensure that your posts appear on the radar of your audience.  

Using these tools allows you to tailor the content on your website and social media channels. It highlights to you what it is that needs to be changed or adjusted to make users more inclined to stay on your profile or website and move from a prospect into a lead. 

Here at Formation, we have a team who can monitor your website and social media, providing you with monthly reports and advising on what your next steps should be. 

Establishes Credibility & Build Trust 

Using your online presence, you can create a consistent brand identity across the digital spectrum, which can be easily recognisable and help you to establish credibility and build trust with potential customers. Your platforms allow you to publish your company values and give information about the services and products that you offer. 

Keeping your online platforms up to date, helps you to build trust with potential customers, especially if can post previous testimonials or reviews on products, as this can tip the balance on whether a potential customer wants to enquire with your business. 

Support Your Customers 

Websites and social media platforms give your business the chance to build a direct relationship with your customers. It's where they are most likely to turn to for support if they run into issues with products, or if an individual requires help and advice in an area that your business specialises in. Taking 5 minutes to respond to a seemingly trivial enquiry could help improve your relationship with a potential customer and convert them into a lead, moving them through the sales pipeline. 

Do you want to use your online presence to reach more people, or improve your online presence? Why not get in touch with the Formation team to see how we can help. 

Written by Kathryn Formation