As the world continues to evolve to include more of an online presence, so too must the industries that consumers rely on. Therefore, whether or not you are tech-savvy, when it comes to starting up and running a small business, it is important not to stay static and to
grow with the industry you are working in. Creating a recognizable online presence can seem like a confusing and involved process at first, but there isn’t as much to it as it might initially seem like. In fact, here are four simple and easy to follow steps that you can utilize for building an online presence for your business from scratch.

Set your goals

In order to create an online presence to suit your business needs, you first need to outline exactly what you hope to get out of it. Write a list of objectives, so that you have a clearer understanding of what you aim to achieve, and then create a prioritized list of things you will need to do in order to achieve these goals. For example, you might have the goal of being more accessible to customers, and one way to accomplish that would be to make your business the number one site that appears on search engines when specific keywords are entered.

Create a website

Once you know exactly what you hope to achieve through building up your online media, you can then start by creating a business website. Your website is among the most important marketing tools which you have to promote your products and services to potential clients, as a website is often the first impression customers will get of a small business. Make sure that throughout the designing process you keep your business goals in mind, as there is no point creating a website for the sake of it: it has to function well enough to serve your intended purpose.

Understand the importance of SEO

Creating a website is the first step in cultivating your online presence, but this will only take you so far until you optimize your website with proper SEO methods. If you are an SEO novice, then all you really need to know is that Search Engine Optimization relates to the use
of different techniques which will boost your business ratings when key words and phrases are entered into search engines. For example, if you run a local beauty business, then you would want your website to be amongst the first hits for ‘beauty’ in your local area.

Branch out into social media

Once you have your main website set up and functioning well, then you can move into social media outlets. Social media offers the opportunity to advertise to a broad target market, and there are a number of different platforms available for you to utilize. For example, for small
local businesses, creating business pages and groups on Facebook is ideal for interacting with the local community and keeping them up to date with your business. For instance, you may use the page for announcing new products or instore promotions.