The internet is a source of information for many people even before the start of the pandemic. Aside from information, people also go online to purchase products. E-commerce has been steadily climbing since 2012.
When the pandemic started, there was a sharp increase in e-commerce activities after people stayed home to avoid the virus. The situation also compelled businesses to set up a website and work on increasing their online presence.
Here are some tips that businesses can consider if they want to increase their presence online during a health crisis.
Build a Responsive Website
The first thing that businesses need to do is to create a responsive website. They should make sure users can view the website using all types of devices. This means customers can use their smartphones to view the website to allow them to shop. Around 85 percent of Americans own a smartphone, and a good number of these smartphone owners use their mobile devices to purchase items online.
Businesses should optimize their website for these mobile devices since Google prioritizes the indexing of mobile versions of the website. Businesses should also make sure the website loads fast and contains optimized images. They can take advantage of browser caching to allow the website to load quickly.
The design should also catch the attention of users while maintaining a certain level of professionalism. Its colors, text, and font should also be relevant to the brand of the business.
Create High-Quality and Engaging Content
Aside from the design, business owners should also pay attention to the content they publish on the website. The content can come in different forms, including blog posts, podcasts, images, and videos. It should be relevant and engaging for the users. Business owners should know how to perform keyword research since it allows the business to create content aimed at its target audience. The keywords should be relevant to the audience and focus on the terms that the audience uses when they search for something on the internet.
The content itself should also consider the motivations and pain points of the customers of the business. Once they consider these motivations and pain points, businesses should create content relevant to them. They can publish answers to questions that customers may have about their products. Businesses can also use content to introduce their brand and products to the market.
How-to guides are also useful in educating its customers on how they can use its products. Businesses should also help provide the advantages their products offer to their customers. In addition to educating its customers, content also builds the credibility of the business. It also helps increase its trustworthiness among its customers.
Work on Optimizing the Website
Another way to increase the online presence of a business is to optimize the website. To optimize the website, business owners should develop and implement an effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
Businesses should incorporate the search terms they use in their content to increase their rank in the search engine results pages. To accomplish this, business owners should work on both on-site and off-site SEO. On-site SEO requires the optimization of web page elements to increase relevant traffic to the website. They should also ensure that the design of the website loads fast. Businesses should also make sure to optimize their content.
On the other hand, off-site SEO requires business owners to improve the online reputation of the business. They can accomplish this through positive testimonials and reviews from customers. A good online reputation encourages other websites to link and promote the business. Business owners can also create a Google My Business profile and conduct link-building activities.
Create a Social Media Presence
More than 70 percent of the total population in the United States has a social media account. This makes it important for businesses to develop and implement a social media strategy to increase their visibility online. Social media has become necessary for businesses aiming to connect with their market online.
Businesses should focus on selected social media platforms that their target market uses. This allows businesses to avoid wasting time and energy in implementing a strategy that does not offer anything in return. They should create a profile on these platforms and optimize it. Businesses should also make sure to fill in all the necessary information on the profile, and they should include a link to the website.
Business owners should upload photos that can attract the attention of their market. They should also be active and engage visitors to their social media account. Businesses should answer questions and comments from their audience. Aside from increasing its online presence, using social media can also help improve the business’s online reputation.
Increasing online presence is crucial for businesses that aim to increase sales, especially in the middle of a pandemic.