The inception of the internet has made it possible for virtually everyone to connect online. According to the 2021 internet usage Statistics, about 4.93 billion out of the world’s current population of 7.8 billion people use the internet. This indicates that any person, business, or organization that wants to thrive in this era must have invested in building its internet image. Your online reputation can make or mar your ability to secure specific opportunities. Your business internet image represents what your business stands for and the mode of operation of your business. You can intentionally craft the impression you want people to have about you or your business. Yes, it may take a long time to build the online image you want to project to your existing and potential employers or customers. However, it has many benefits.
Why should you build your internet image?
An organization that intends to hire you will look at your online profile and activities to find more details about your personality. Potential clients that want your services would first check the internet to find out more about your business. Next, they would read through your business description on many online and social media platforms that your company uses. They also want to know what others people have said about your business. The reviews made by previous clients can influence the decisions of your potential customers. The results from a review survey by BrightLocal showed that ninety-three percent of potential clients read reviews before making their purchase decisions.
A positive internet image helps to promote your business online. Beyond marketing strategies such as advertising, building an excellent online image can help you reach more clients easily. Your business would likely get clients from anywhere around the world.
Your business would experience an increase in revenue. With a solid online presence and good reputation, your business would become popular for the services it renders and attract more clients. This portends an increase in sales and, in turn, an increase in business revenue.
1. Identify your Niche.
The first questions to ask are “What do I have to offer?”, “What do I want to be known for 5 to 10 years from now”? The answers to the questions will help you build the right kind of online profile targeted at potential clients or employers anywhere globally. The big names and businesses like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Cristian Ronaldo, and Warren Buffet have one thing in common. They are popular because they offer great value in their various industries. These people have spent years dedicated to becoming top-notch in their identified niches. You should identify the mission and objectives of your business, as well as the standards that you want to uphold. You should study your niche’s competition and strategize on how you can do better or offer higher quality services.
2. Create a user-friendly website.
You cannot overlook the importance of having your website as your business’s online interface with clients. The webpage of your business serves the purpose of providing information to potential clients. A client can pay a visit to your website at any time and make positive or negative decisions based on the impression he gets from the webpage. Here are some points to consider in creating a website:
- Use a short and attractive domain name.
- Ensure that the design, layout, fonts, and colors used on the website are easy on the eyes.
- An overload of information should not congest the website. Make it as concise and straightforward as possible.
- Include vital information about your business like a description of the company, services rendered, pricing, office address, email address, telephone number, and map directions.
- You should also include customer reviews. Create sections for customer suggestions and opinions to help you improve on your services regularly.
3. Maximize your social media platforms.
One of the ways to be visible on the internet is through the use of social media platforms. Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and many other social media platforms have made it easy to open accounts and network with people. Open accounts with as many as possible.
Be intentional about using your social media accounts to promote the services and achievements of your company or business. Regularly create and post engaging content on your social media account. Engage your audience and followers by replying to their comments and inquiries promptly, which is a key aspect of social media moderation. Upload pictures and graphics that focus on your business’s goals, awards, achievements, and values.
You can also work with social media influencers with a good number of followers. They can help publicize your brand and refer it to their followers. It has been observed that about ninety percent of online consumers trust recommendations from their peers, and seventy-one percent of online consumers are likely to make a purchase based on the referral on social media.
4. Be active online.
If you have a website and social media accounts without making the most of them, your business will not get the online awareness it needs. Your website should be SEO optimized to ensure that it appears on search engines, helping your business to be visible to your target audience. Both optimize existing articles and use AI content generators to write new ones.
Look out for your mentions on social media and maximize every opportunity to present a positive image of your brand. Respond promptly and politely to every comment, negative or positive, made on your online accounts. It will give potential customers the impression that you value their opinions and your willingness to render quality services.
By staying online, you can easily find out what people think and say about you or your business. This could give you an idea of the areas to improve on.
5. Use online booking systems.
If your business requires an appointment or reservation scheduling, an online booking system will make it easy for clients to access your products or services. The benefits of using online booking software include customer attraction and retention, time-saving, improved efficiency, ease of accessibility to clients, and increased revenue. You can incorporate the online booking system into your website to make it easy for customers anywhere in the world to access your services at any convenient time of their choice. In addition, the automation of the booking system helps eliminate mistakes like double booking or entry of wrong customer information that can arise with human-managed scheduling. This helps you keep your customers satisfied and gives them a positive impression of your brand.
6. Create valuable and straightforward content for your customers.
Running a blog will help increase online awareness for your business. It is also an avenue to publicize the values, services, and achievements of your business. You can post blogs with great content engineered to increase the awareness of the products or services you offer. You should ensure that the content for your blog is well researched. Make use of simple English words and error-free, easy-to-understand sentences. You can include appealing pictures, charts, and infographics in your blog articles.
7. Utilize podcasts and vlogs.
You can effectively use podcast recordings and YouTube videos to put your brand in the online limelight. Your target is to present your business brand as an expert in its domain. Sharing information through podcasts and YouTube will help you capture the attention of your potential customers. In addition, it increases the clients’ awareness of your business on the internet.
Conclusion
Your online image is essential for the success of your business. If you want to stay relevant in your domain in this era, you must build your vision. The value of your offer, the effectiveness of your website, and social media activities can be channeled to improve how customers perceive your brand. You can also partner with social media influencers for positive referrals online. Blogs, Podcasts, and Vlogs are also tools to maximize content marketing and forge your internet image. Online booking systems can make scheduling stress-free and faster for your clients. Respond to the comments of clients politely. This shows you care about how they feel and what they have to say. Building your virtual image is a continuous process. Reach out for help if you need assistance.
