getting your business online

Due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, we are highly encouraged to work from home. This is the perfect opportunity to get your business online. I talked about why your business needs a website. Today i want to talk about how your business can have an online presence using various digital platforms.
When we talk about getting a business online, the first thing that comes to mind is a website. However there are various digital channels that will ensure your business is visible to the online community. These include;

Local listing

Local listing is where you list your business on online local listing platforms like Googly My Business so that your business can be available to the online community when searching for local services. 

E.g. You own a beauty salon in Town A, so when you list your business on Google My Business, and i as a customer goes to google and i search for, Beauty Salon's in Town A, then your business will be one of the results i find.

When using Google my business, Your business only needs to have a physical location, that's all you need. Your business doesn't need to have a website or Social media presence. However having both of those would be an advantage, since among the information a customer gets back, they can find your website or other digital platforms your business is in.

If you need help listing your business, you can contact us.

Mobile apps

Mobile apps are the new websites. Majority of people own a smartphone and they want an app where they can access services in an easy and affordable manner. So if you want your clients to access services easily, keep them updated and give them notifications of products or services then an app is what you need.

You can hire an app developer to specify your needs and get your app developed. Alternatively you can contact us and one of our team members will be happy to assist you.

Websites

We did a post on why your business needs a website. A website is a home for your business in the online world. Everyone needs a home, so does your business. In a website you can list services that you offer, contact details, Booking of appointments and even E-Commerce if you want your clients to shop online. You can also include a blog to keep your customers engaged and updated on various services or products.

E.g. You own a beauty salon and you need a website. Some of the services you can include in a website is contact details so that your clients will reach out easily; You can include a booking appointment service so that your customers can book for appointments, an online gallery to showcase your work e.g. hairstyles, happy customers and you can also include an e-commerce so that your clients will buy beauty products online. This will require you to also offer delivery services.

Social Media.

last but not least we have social media. Social media is a great way for you to engage with your customers. Know what they like, share content with them, in case of any changes in your business you can notify them through social media. Hence social media is great for engaging your customers and updating them.

Getting your business to the right people.

There are two ways of making sure that your business gets to the right people. Although getting your business online might sound easy, it is also a journey that requires hard work, persistent and commitment. 

To get your business to the right people there are two ways;

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

This is where you include specific keywords in your site so that when customers use those keywords then your business will be in one of the listings. For example you have a hardware store in Town A. some of the keywords you might use are; Hardware in Town A. When a customer enters their search on on a search engine e.g. Hardware's in Town A, then your business will be among the results the customer gets.

SEO is free it only requires adequate knowledge of some of the keywords that a customer might use to get your business listed. Alternatively you can hire an SEO specialist to help you in coming up with the right keywords for your business.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

This is Paid search. You pay to get your business listed on various search engines. It can be in form of Ad campaigns which can be in form of videos or images and also you get to bid on keywords, so that when a customer types keywords that match your business on search engines, then it will be easy for them to locate your business.

If you have any questions on the above topics or need help with any of the services listed above, please contact us and we will be more than happy to assist you and help you discover what your business needs.