What kind of first impression is your online presence making?
If people are making this face when they look at your website, it’s time to make a change.
By Danielle Mellema, Chief Ghostwriter & Digital Content Manager
You have worked hard to sharpen your skills and build your business. You and your past clients and customers know that you have something unique and valuable to offer. You have what it takes to make an impact and reach your goals.
But if your online presence—your website, social media accounts, the results of a Google search for your name, etc.—doesn’t make a strong first impression, potential customers may not stick around for a second one. Which means your business will be treading water.
Investing in your digital footprint is essential to growing your business. Developing your online presence directly impacts your…
Credibility.
Think about it:
Would you spend the time and money to learn from a leadership coach whose blog posts are unpolished, filled with typos, and less than inspiring?
If you were looking for someone to help you out with social media posts, would you work with a company that hasn’t posted to Instagram in 6 months?
Would you count on the wisdom of a business consultant who hasn’t updated their website since the days when Donald Trump was just a reality TV star?
Of course not. And people are doing the same thing based on the state of your website and social media accounts.
Potential clients have to sift through a lot of different brands, businesses, and personalities to make decisions about who they want to work with. Right or wrong, true or false: the quality and consistency of the online content you create sends an instant signal about the legitimacy of your business and the quality of the work you do.
Pricing.
A customer’s impression of your credibility is directly linked to how much they will be willing to pay for what you create. Your time and expertise are worth money, and you deserve to be paid fairly. But you cannot expect to charge a fee commensurate with your abilities if your digital footprint leaves any doubt about the quality of your services.
Ability to compete with larger companies.
Don’t underestimate the power of your online presence to boost your competitiveness in the marketplace. Yes, there are many factors that determine whether a small business or solopreneur is able to compete with larger companies. But developing your digital footprint is one of the simplest, most affordable, and hardest-hitting ways you can match (even exceed!) the quality of your biggest competitors.
Reputation.
Have you Googled your company or your own name lately? Give it a try, and take a look at your first page of results through the eyes of a potential customer. If a face-palm-inducing Yelp review is there, or someone with the same name as you happens to have done some…super illegal stuff, this is going to impact your business. There are a range of solutions to get those search results cleaned up in no time, but you will likely need some focused help.
Ensure your website, social media content, blog posts, search results, etc., reflect the true value of what you have to offer.
Maybe that means you need to consider having an actual plan for your marketing efforts for the first time to make every minute spent on marketing move you toward your goals.
Or could it be time for a website facelift with updated graphics, easier navigation, and punchier copy?
Maybe developing your digital footprint could be as simple as outsourcing your social media posting or working with a ghostwriter to populate your blog with quality content that allows you to be more than just another company offering goods or services, but instead a thought leader in your industry.