The expansion of the online marketplace redefined how small businesses or any brand of any size operates. Today, it is mandatory for any business to have a well-optimized online presence since most users will google the brand’s name or products and services in order to find out more about them before making a purchase.
This also applies to brick-and-mortar and traditional establishments as users today are invested in making good choices that are based on facts, additional research, and reviews from previous customers.
So, truly there is no way to get around it; if you are looking to build a well-established brand in any niche, you need to have a great online presence. That said, if you don’t know where to start or you feel overwhelmed by all the elements that you need to be aware of when you’re building an online brand, in this article, we will provide an overview of the foundational elements for your business.
Mobile-Friendly Website
Source: newcastle-seo.co.uk
Maybe a decade ago, the first step would have been to have a website, but today that is not enough. Having a website without a mobile-optimized site or even an app is the same as not having a website for your customers. You need to be where your customers are, and today customers are mostly using online resources through smartphones and tablets.
Actually, over 50% of the global website traffic comes from mobile devices. This means that not only do you have to keep in mind that your website needs to be user-friendly and easy to navigate, but it also needs to be well optimized for mobile usage. Of course, it goes without saying that the mobile version of your website needs to be compatible with both Apple and Android devices.
This also applies to complicated websites which have numerous features, products, services, or options for their users. Again, it’s crucial for the website to offer the same catalog of options and to function well on every device.
One good example is online casinos which typically have hundreds of different casino games, a plethora of promotions, offers as well as payment methods and loyalty programs. In a nutshell, they have a lot of features, but due to the demand for mobile gambling, every new online casino today is customized for mobile gambling; also, there is an increasing number that also has dedicated mobile applications.
You can check out Spinsify.com if you’re looking to learn about the latest casinos in the online gambling market and what they offer to the users, as well as their mobile features.
Customer Support
Source: murraybcompany.com
Every online user expects to be able to immediately get in touch with the customer support representative. Not only do users expect to get in touch easily with the customer support agents when they have any issues on the platform, but they also expect to talk to an agent when they want to learn more about certain offers, products, or services.
In other words, your business needs to have a dedicated team of customer support agents that are reachable in multiple ways, including email, live-chat option, and social media apps.
Of course, it’s not mandatory to be present on every social media platform or offer numerous options for contacting customer support. However, it is necessary for your users to be able to immediately get an answer to their questions. Given that the market is growing rapidly, the customer support agents represent the face of your brand, and some businesses even integrate software-based solutions like chatbots in order to provide better customer support, decrease the costs and serve a wider audience of users.
Lastly, it’s equally important to pay attention to the feedback of your customers; without it, you won’t be able to make appropriate changes and improve the customer experience on your website.
Social Media Sites
Source: seeromega.com
The emergence of social media platforms gradually shifted the customers’ habits. It provided a direct connection between the potential customers and the brands, and it also created a new market for influencers that collaborated with certain brands.
It is one of the most important aspects of any business because, in addition to googling the brand, the customers will also check out social media sites – what the previous customers have said about the brand, the interactions with the audience, what kind of posts they share, latest offers and promotions among other information that was posted on social media sites.
Based on the characteristic of your target audience, you need to decide where you would want to be present and update your social media platforms regularly, including Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
The main goal is to forge a relationship with the audience and social media platforms to educate them about the benefits of the products and services and also to make connections with influencers and other important partnerships in the industry.
SEO
Source: carrefour-maires.com
SEO is another vital part of any online business. In order for your website to be visible on search engines, it needs to be SEO-optimized. As most users use Google, you will probably want to optimize your website for Google.
There are professionals who can help you with this task, but otherwise, you need to be aware that providing valuable content on your blog will help you elevate your online presence, and also, having a user-friendly website is another important factor for a higher rank on search engines.
Source: pcmag.com
An email newsletter is a valuable tool where you get to communicate with your customers or any prospect that has left their email address on your website on social media platforms. You can reach them when you have any news to share, including promotional offers, new products, services, or other news about your company.
In addition, it’s also important to provide valuable content for them. So, you can repurpose the blog posts from your blog, for example. A good way to attract new subscribers to your newsletter is to provide something for free. This is a valuable option that allows you to directly contact your customers.
This is why it’s something that you should always value above all else, especially since it’s one tool that is totally under your control, and it’s not affected by Google’s algorithms or social media trends.
