Why Your Online Presence is Crucial for your Business

Online, consumers can learn about who you are as a business and engage with your brand on a more personal level. Having a substantial digital presence can not only increase consumer awareness, but it can also work to strengthen your brand by building up your credibility. Your business’ online presence reinforces your brand and what you offer to your target market. 

It helps consumers find your brand before they are aware you exist and it helps them learn about your reputation before making a purchase. Eventually, all of this information will play a role in your customer’s purchasing decision. According to Adaptive Marketing, 97% of consumers use the internet to find a business.

The Importance of First Impressions

The importance of first impressions cannot be overstated. According to Forbes, first impressions in business settings may form in just seven seconds. Businesses should be self-aware of how their audience—and even competitors—see them, especially online.

A Good Business Website

When thinking about your business’ online presence, the first place to start is your business website. 75 percent of consumers judge a business’s credibility by the design of its website. This first impression is crucial in order to keep new potential customers engaged. Ask yourself, does your business website reflect your brand? Does the website function how you want it to? Does it load fast enough and is it engaging for someone who has never seen it before? Keep in mind that 47 percent of website users expect a maximum loading time of 2 seconds and 39 percent of people will stop engaging with a website if images won’t load or take too long.

ZeMaas offers a white label online ordering platform that is customizable to your business. This includes a digitized menu with pick up, dine in or delivery options and a seamless and flexible checkout process. To learn more, book a free demo here. 

The Power of Reviews

Consumers are becoming increasingly dependent on third-party reviews when deciding who to buy from or where to go. People overwhelmingly rely on reviews when it comes to purchasing decisions. In fact, the average consumer needs to see 10 positive reviews prior to trusting a business.

Here’s the statistic rundown:

• 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
• Nearly 3 out of 4 consumers trust a company more if it has positive reviews.
• 60% of consumers say that negative reviews made them not want to use a business.
• 49% of consumers need at least a four-star rating before they choose to use a business.
• Consumers read an average of 7 reviews before trusting a business.

Source: ReputationX

This goes to show how important it is to have a good online presence. When your business has positive reviews, it reflects a positive experience from your customers and ultimately makes your business more appealing.

The Impact of Social Media

When it comes to your online reputation, your customers have all the power. This is perhaps the biggest challenge of social media reputation management. In fact, Forbes states that 97% of business owners say online reputation management is very important for their business.

Social media allows for immediate interaction and customer feedback. Businesses can also respond to their customers right away, anytime and anywhere. Social media is authentic and unfiltered, which is why it’s a great place to discover products and customer feedback minus any sort of marketing spin. People can say whatever they want freely, for better or worse.

Research shows that consumers are about equally inclined to express both negative and positive experiences alike.

Marketing Charts, June 2018, https://www.marketingcharts.com/customer-centric/customer-experience-83707/attachment/temkingroup-consumer-feedback-following-good-and-bad-experiences-june2018

To read more about the impact of social media for your business, check out our previous blog “The Top Tips to Boost Your Business Sales through Social Media”. 

Remember:

Your online presence is something that you should not overlook for your business, as it can bring you many opportunities. Remember to keep in mind that your first impression online through your website, social media and reviews, which can make or break your customers’ decision to order from you. Start focusing more on your online presence and see the difference it will make!