In an always more connected world, an online presence is essential for any company. Many consumers rely on the internet to find all the information they need in just a few clicks. In terms of visibility, websites and social media accounts are amazing showcases to present your services or the products you sell. In this article, we will share with you what are the perks of these platforms and what you can gain for you organization.
Why is developing an online presence key for your business ?
Website : maximize your market potential
First, the website. We will see why it is so crucial to have one and how can you make it as efficient as possible.
Let’s start with numbers. Almost 9 people out of 10 begin their purchasing process with a Google search . It means that if potential clients cannot find you on the internet, you are reducing the potential size of your business by 90%. For them, no website means you don’t exist. A website is the perfect way to attract a larger audience, not only the people within your location that already know you but also those from beyond.
However, a URL address is not enough to make it work for your sales. First impression is of huge importance. That is why a modern and functional look is essential. It creates a feeling of professionalism and gives credibility to your company whereas an old and unintuitive one can translate as an outdated state of mind. Potential buyers settle on quick judgment calls about whether your site offers what they are looking for. This implies that your site needs to catch the client’s eye in a few seconds and be super simple to explore. As soon as they land on the homepage, visitors should feel compelled to use your services or buy your products. A user-friendly interface is necessary for them to carry on their search. If they are not confident with what they see, they will simply look for other opportunities from your competitors.
Your final goal is to turn these visitors into customers.
The next step of having a good website is good referencing, in other words you need to appear at the top of online search lists. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be summarized as the practices used to improve a website ranking through organic search engine results. The first links of the search are the ones that generate the most traffic : 91% of the traffic is generated by the sites listed on the first page of Google. For your business, the aim will be to arrive as high as possible on that first page in order to increase the quality and the quantity of the traffic on your website.
Create a strong brand awareness trough social medias
Now let’s see how social medias can be a great asset in terms of communication and visibility. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and others alike are now part of our web life. Users connect on a daily basis, often more than once a day.
Social medias are very interesting tools to build a real community behind your brand. These apps allow you to share news about your company to the whole world. No matter where your followers are, they will always be aware of your developments and everything your company has to offer. In addition, you are addressing people that already know your company which increases the chance of them responding favorably to your posts.
OECD (2019), OECD SME and Entrepreneurship Outlook 2019, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/34907e9c-en.
Furthermore, these platforms enable your company to reach for new potential clients. First, good content and interaction create a strong brand awareness that can increase your leads, sales and revenue. The more people know you brand, the more your prospect base increases. Second, you can implement extremely effective advertising campaigns. Because these social medias have all the information about their users, they can target specific types of people depending on market demand (age, place, work, gender,…). With specific advertising tools implemented on the platforms, you can easily set up successful campaign.
Here is some social media tips to increase your traffic and the interactions on your account:
- Define your goals : your objectives will be the driving force of your online media advertising strategy
- Learn about your target audience : you need to know your target in order to determine which platform you should work on and what type of content interest them
- Set up social media content calendar : you need to organize your publications timely and efficiently
- Humanize your brand : present the human beings behind your brand and all the work they do in the shadow
- Optimize your post frequency : post at times were the majority of people are online (Sunday at 7pm is way beter than Monday at six in the morning)
How can the J7 Junior Enterprises support companies in developing their online presence ?
The J7 is an organization that reunites 7 JEs among the best in Europe. We offer different services in consultancy : marketing, engineering, strategy, IT and CSR. With more than 300 students devoted to this network we can help you expand your online presence on internet and social media.
With our youthful, innovative and different mindset, you will find we can provide unique solutions to your challenges. Our engineering departments can create, transform or redo your website/e-commerce from A to Z by offering a modern, intuitive and unique look, 100% customizable to your needs. We provide also services in SEO to help maximize your ranking and your referencing in the various search engines. In addition, we can develop an effective communication plan to increase your visibility on social media : create professional templates for a strong brand image, a content-planner, lead advertising campaign, identify your client base and much more.
Don’t hesitate to contact the J7 – Junior Seven for any further questions, we will be happy to help !