One of the great things that have happened in the last 100 years is the Internet. It is a free resource, knowledge, and communication system available to anybody, wherever on the planet. Your internet presence is the new storefront for small enterprises.
Websites and smart content have usurped storefronts and sales pamphlets as sources of information for clients. It's how they look into childcare choices and scour the area for the most dependable tutors, housekeepers, and dog walkers. But, with so much competition out there, failing to maintain an online presence puts you in danger of losing potential consumers.
The Internet is an excellent tool for small business owners to use to expand their operations. For one thing, technology has transformed marketing, allowing small enterprises to compete on an equal footing with giant corporations. But how can one stand out in a sea of noise online?
Municipal Broadband: Is it Right For You?
Municipal broadband is a new way to link to the internet. It means that local governments offer their communities high-speed internet services. There are pros and cons to these neighborhood broadband networks. On the plus side, municipal broadband can give people faster, more reliable, and often cheaper internet access. This helps small businesses and closes the digital gap. On the other hand, building and running this kind of network can be expensive for local governments and established ISPs may try to stop it in court.
At the moment, municipal internet companies aren't everywhere, but their presence is growing in many places across the United States. With government funding, the growth of municipal broadband is likely to speed up even more. These financial aids will probably help ease some of the costs of setting up community-based networks, making the idea more accessible to a wider range of cities and towns.
When it comes to municipal internet, the laws in each state are very different. Some states actively support the creation of these networks as a way to improve connectivity, especially in rural places that don't have a lot of service. Others, on the other hand, have put limits or even bans in place, citing reasons like the need to avoid unfair competition with private ISPs. It's important to keep up with these changes in the law if you want to know everything there is to know about municipal internet.
Build on the Basics
Don't run before you can walk. To really stand out from the crowd, you need to make sure you have the fundamentals in place. This means a good reliable website that is easy to use and aimed at sharing your business. Websites can be built on platforms such as WordPress, Wix, Weebly, Squarespace to name a few, and finding the right one for you can help set you up for excess.
Next to choosing a web hosting provider. Many different web hosting companies can host your new website, and many come with one-click WordPress installs, which is one of the most popular website platforms around.
Choosing your name and buying a domain name will give your website an address people can search for to find you. All websites need an address, and making sure it is relevant to your company if your company name is taken is vital. Before you make any decisions, you can use Brandroot's business name generator to find the perfect brand name and avoid clashing with other businesses. One of the steps for developing your brand is to have a logo representing your company both on and offline.
Get Verified By Google
Ensure your Google company profile is complete, including your current address, hours of operation, services, images, and links to your most recent blog entries. Getting your business certified through Google My Firm can help your business appear higher in Google's search results.
Content Is King
When you search for something online, think about what you type into search engines and the type of results it gives you back. Look at the results for the type of content and keywords you are looking to rank for. To get your website to the top of the rankings and compete with established websites and authorities in this area.
This will give you a basis for creating content on your website. And a website without content is not going to serve you well. Newsletters and blogs are two ways to communicate with your readers. You can embed your blog into your website to show off your personality by sharing your views, experiences, and ideas. You should also encourage customers to leave comments to maintain a positive relationship with them.
All of your content, including images, text, and how-to guides - which are a great way to rank in the SERPs, product descriptions, etc. needs to be SEO optimized to ensure it meets the requests of users looking for content such as what you are producing.
Make Connections
Once you've established your presence, you must remain consistent and noticeable. Building your brand and establishing yourself as a thought leader requires networking. Someone who is a source of valuable ideas in their field is referred to as a thought leader. By sharing this knowledge, you can assist others in learning, succeeding, and growing.
Millennials, for example, like thought leaders since they are often the first to test a novel idea or offer insightful advice on current events. If your target customers are millennials, reaching out to them as friends and experts is a good idea.
Be Social
Partnering your website and online presence with your social media accounts can give you even more visibility and really help your company to stand out. Over 86 percent of Americans use the internet regularly and are thus considered "online." Nearly 79 percent of those people use Facebook, compared to 32 percent who use Instagram, 31 percent who use Pinterest, 29 percent who use LinkedIn, and 24 percent who use Twitter. Social media has surpassed email, news, and other types of entertainment as a percentage of online time spent, so if you want to reach your customers, you must meet them where they are.
Make sure your branding is on point to maximize your efforts and allow customers to know they have the right social media accounts for your company.
Takei into consideration the age of your target audience and tailor your content to them specifically. Of course, there will always be a crossover of generations, but if you are a new company that primarily is looking to attract Gen Z, then combining creative video that captures their imagination on platforms such as Snapchat and TikTok will serve you better than status updates on Facebook. Again, boomers, respond well to memes and the invitation to share their knowledge on Facebook.
To really stand out, you need to make sure your online efforts are consistent and keep your company's style. With more people than ever before looking online for their next new favorite brand, answers to questions, or simply for entertainment purposes, it pays to make sure that you aren't lost in the noise of the billions of websites taking up space online, especially if your market is saturated or you have some bigger brands you need to compete against.
On the plus side, there has been a switch to supporting smaller local businesses over larger companies that have a monopoly in the market in recent years. By focussing on providing the ultimate customer experience, you can reward this loyalty by gaining a solid customer and utilizing your good reputation to keep growing and expanding what you do.
