7 Key Benefits of Having an Online Presence for Your Business
Bill Gates once said, “If your business is not on the Internet, then your business will be out of business.” And this is not an exaggeration in 2023 when you realise that 6.23 billion people own an internet-enabled smartphone; there’s a forecast of over 7.7 billion by 2028. You’d also be surprised to know that more people are searching for local businesses than you could imagine: Google’s study says 97% of consumers search the web for local companies. That’s a lot of people you could be selling to without having to leave the comfort of your home or physical office.
Having an online presence for your business does not imply that you will no longer explore traditional and offline ways of doing business; the difference is that now you are exposing your company to an expansive audience most likely interested in buying your product or service. And the advancement of technology has made it possible to register an online presence for your business cost-effectively.
Before we share the benefits of having an online presence for your business, what do we mean by an online presence?
What is an online presence?
An online presence refers to all activity and content that an entity — a person or business — has under its name on the internet. HubSpot defines an online presence as how easy it is to find a brand or company online.
To build an online presence, you need to do any or all of the following:
- Create and grow social media profiles for your business
- Create a website where you can host an e-commerce platform
- Create an email newsletter and build a list of subscribers
- Get the hang of local SEO
Now, let’s look at seven key benefits of having an online presence for your business.
What are the benefits of having an online presence for your business?
It helps you to reach a larger audience
With an online presence, you can reach a larger audience faster than when you deploy traditional marketing strategies such as billboards, radio stations etc.
These days, everyone is on their smartphones and this makes it easier to reach your potential customers than when you limit your promotional efforts to billboards or radio programs which are restrictive in nature.
Increased brand awareness
When you go to a physical store to shop, you probably already have a brand in mind. The likelihood of you buying from a brand unknown to you is lower even if it is cheaper and as effective as your first choice. This is a real-life example of the impact of brand awareness.
Brand awareness refers to the level or extent to which a customer recognizes or recalls the distinguishing aspects of a brand at different occasions or times.
And when you invest in an online presence, you will enjoy top-of-mind awareness from potential customers.
Easier accessibility
When you register your business online by creating a website or an email newsletter, it becomes easier for potential and current customers to access you by email or phone. They won’t have to go through the hassle of finding your physical location especially if they are in a different city.
It is a cost-effective approach to marketing
Building an online presence is affordable. Compared to the cost of offline marketing in the traditional sense, online marketing strategies involving search engine optimization (SEO), social media or pay-per-click ads do not cost an arm and a leg but provide far more effective results.
24/7 availability
Having an online presence also means that your business will be available round the clock whether you are awake or asleep.
Your physical store might be closed but your website is not. And so, you can make money at any time of the day without hassles or worries.
Faster response time
For customers looking to make a purchase from you, having an online presence makes it quicker for you to respond to them.
When potential customers intend to make enquiries, it’s also faster for you to respond with an online presence in place.
Room for increased growth
The benefits of having an online presence for your business ultimately help you to scale your business exponentially.
If you are ready to create an online presence for your business, we are here to help you. Send us an email or contact us here.
