Your close friends and family love hearing about your business but how are people outside of your immediate network finding out more about your business?
You lose out on potential customers and sales when people cannot find you online. Having an online presence is essential for your business, especially when you are trying to scale up to the next level.
Building your business’s online presence is not rocket science and does not have to cost you thousands of dollars. You can easily set up your business to thrive online with our four cost-effective ways to start building your digital portfolio to attract new customers.
In this article, we’ll look closely at the following tactics:
- Setting up your social media profiles
- Securing your Google My Business (GMB) listing
- Getting listed on digital directories
- Building a basic website.
Having an online presence means people can easily find your business on the internet. It’s the most basic form of digital marketing—and one of the most budget-friendly marketing options out there. A business with a strong online presence is easy to find through search engines, social media, online directories, and other platforms where people seek your services.
It’s important to have your business visible online because most customers search for businesses online before making a purchase. An online presence makes it easier for potential customers to find your business, decide if you’re a good fit for them, and contact you for work.
Related: How to build brand loyalty to your business
Setting up your social media profiles
With so many social platforms available these days, it may seem overwhelming to choose the right one for you. To make it simple, it’s always best to start with Facebook.
With over 25.4 million users in Africa alone, Facebook has more active users than any other social media platform. What’s better: two-thirds of those Facebook users visit local business pages at least once per week, making it an ideal place for home service businesses to reach clients that need their services.
Creating a Facebook business page is an obvious first step. A Facebook business page is a professional and free way to boost brand awareness and improve visibility.
This makes it easy for potential customers to find you while browsing Facebook or Google.
To create your Facebook business page, log in to your profile and open up your account menu. You’ll find the option to create a page from there.
Try to fill out as many fields as you can. The more information you share about what your business does, who runs it, and why it’s great, the more you differentiate yourself from competitors.
Then, once you add a profile photo and cover photo, start inviting friends to like your page.
Securing your Google My Business (GMB) listing
Potential clients often use Google to find local services in their area.
That’s why one of the easiest ways for your business to get found in search engines is to create a free Google My Business (GMB) listing before you spend money on paid advertising.
When people search for your company’s name on Google, your GMB listing will show your contact information, location, business hours, and photos. It also lets customers leave online reviews with star ratings.
To claim your Business Profile on Google, follow the instructions on the GMB page.
Related: Social media marketing tips for shop owners
Getting listed on digital directories
If you don’t have a website yet, getting listed on directories is an easy way to give your business more visibility online.
Listing your business on online directories helps potential customers find you when they’re searching for a specific type of service. Directories like Hotfrog, Brabys and Entrepo all offer free listings.
There are many paid options for directories if you want access to more advanced features, but a free listing is a great place to start.
When people search for businesses on these directories instead of Google, they’re typically looking for in-depth customer reviews and a quick overview of the services you provide.
Building a basic website
A website is one of the first places customers will visit to learn more about you. It’s also a fantastic tool to showcase what you do and get customers to book work online.
Your website should:
- Attract visitors by using search engine optimization (SEO) to show up in Google results
- Turn visitors into prospects
- Allow customers to book you for work or request a quote
- Showcase your professionalism and establish trust
If you have a small budget, consider working with a web developer to build a website for you. This could cost around USD $60 – $80 per hour.
Or, you can create one yourself. Creating a website might seem intimidating if you have no tech experience, but it can be simple if you use the right tools and follow the right steps.
To build your own website, you can start out small with a free tool like Wix. If you want something more advanced but don’t have coding skills, WordPress and Squarespace are great options.
An online presence makes you look professional and helps you book more work. Establishing one can be hard when you’re first starting out, especially because there are so many ways to do it.
Once you have those all set up and optimized, start exploring other online marketing options, including paid advertising.
To get started on your business journey, fill out our form below and we’ll get in touch with you.
