The internet has changed the way people communicate, inform themselves and relate to brands. Nowadays, it's almost impossible to imagine a world without the online presence of companies, whether through a website, a blog, social networks or other platforms.
But what does it mean to have a digital presence? And what benefits can it bring to your business? That's what we're going to look at next. Follow along!
Understanding the meaning of online presence
Also known as digital presence, it is the way in which your company positions itself and shows itself on the Internet, through the various channels and tools available. [
In other words, it's the image you convey to your online audience, which can be made up of customers, potential customers, partners, suppliers, competitors, etc.
But contrary to popular belief, having an online presence doesn't just mean having a website or a Facebook page. Not at all!
In fact, it means having a well-defined and integrated strategy that involves content, design, SEO, social networks, email marketing, online advertising and other actions aimed at attracting, engaging and retaining the loyalty of your audience.
Positive impacts on business
Having a strong and consistent online presence can bring several benefits to your business, such as:
- Increase the visibility and reach of your brand;
- Generate more traffic to your website or blog;
- Improve the relationship with your audience;
- Building authority in your segment;
- Increase sales and profits;
- Reduce marketing and advertising costs;
- Monitor and analyze the results of your actions.
These benefits are not just theoretical. They are proven by up-to-date data showing the importance of an online presence for companies. Here are some examples:
- According to We Are Social Digital Report 2023There are 5.16 billion Internet users in the world, which represents 64.4% of the global population. In Brazil, there are 156 million users, or 84% of the population;
- Out of every 10 Brazilians, 9 use the internet to research products or services before buying, Google data reveals;
- According to ABCOMM (Brazilian E-Commerce Association), because of the Covid-19 pandemic online sales in Brazil grew by 68% in 2020 compared to 2019, amounting to more than R$ 120 billion.
In addition, it's worth noting that modern consumers trust information online, making a digital presence a powerful tool for building trust and credibility.
We can therefore say that companies with a strong online presence are more likely to attract and retain customers.
How can you improve your company's online presence and grow on the Internet?
Given this data, it's clear that having a digital presence is essential for any company that wants to stand out and remain competitive in today's market. But how can this be done in practice?
Here are some essential tips for your company to grow on the Internet. Check them out!
Know who your online audience is
The first step to building an effective online presence is to know your online audience well.
Who are the people who are interested in your product or service? What are their characteristics, needs, desires and pains? How do they behave on the internet? What channels and platforms do they use? What types of content do they consume?
These are some of the questions you need to answer in order to create personas, i.e. fictional representations of your ideal customer.
Personas will help you define your online presence strategy, as they indicate the best means of communicating with your audience. And also what solutions you can offer them.
Have SMART objectives and goals
The second step to building a strong digital presence is to define your objectives and goals. What do you want to achieve with your online presence? What results do you hope to achieve? How will you measure your success?
In order for your objectives and goals to be clear and realistic, it is recommended that they be SMART. In other words, specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
A good example of a SMART objective is to increase the number of visitors to the site by 20% in 6 months.
Create an optimized and responsive website
The website is the showcase for your business on the Internet, as it is where you will present your company, your products or services, your differentials, etc. That's why it should be beautiful, functional and easy to navigate.
In addition, it must be optimized for search engines (SEO). In other words, it must follow good practices that make it easier to rank on Google and other search engines.
And don't forget to make it responsive, i.e. adaptable to different screen sizes. mobile devicessuch as smartphones and tablets.
Consider having a blog with original and relevant content
A blog is a powerful tool for generating value for your audience, because it's where you share useful, educational and interesting information about your industry. But it's much more than that.
Blogging also helps to improve your positioning in search engines such as Google. After all, the more quality content you produce, the more likely you are to appear on the first pages of the results. This, in turn, increases your visibility and authority in the market.
Don't neglect SEO techniques and best practices
But what is SEO? In principle, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization.
It's actually a set of strategies aimed at improving the performance of your website or blog in organic (unpaid) search engine results.
Some of the main SEO techniques and best practices you can use to build your online presence are: using keywords appropriate to your niche, optimizing page titles and descriptions, creating friendly URLs, using tags and categories, inserting internal and external links, using images and videos, among others.
Harness the power of social media
Another tip for building a digital presence is to harness the power of social networks.
These communication channels are indispensable for anyone who wants to connect with their online audience, as they allow for more direct, fast and interactive communication.
Social networks allow you to publicize your business, share content, interact with your followers, receive feedback, create an engaged community, increase traffic to your site, among other benefits.
But beware: it's not enough to be on social media. You need to choose the most appropriate social networks for your business and your audience and create a professional and attractive profile.
It's also important to publish relevant and varied content and to interact with your followers, monitor your results and be aware of trends.
Invest in branding
Branding is the process of building and managing your brand. It involves aspects ranging from creating your visual identity to defining your company's personality, values, mission, vision and tone of voice.
Branding is fundamental to creating a positive and distinctive image for your company on the Internet, as it helps to convey trust, credibility and professionalism to your audience.
What's more, it helps to generate recognition and recall of your brand in the minds of consumers.
Your audience is already on the Internet. Are you?
As we've seen in this article, having an online presence is no longer an option, but a necessity for any business that wants to stand out in today's market.
The internet offers countless opportunities for growth and success for those who know how to take advantage of them. But to do so, you need to plan and execute the best digital marketing strategies.
And if you need help building a strong and constant digital presence for your business, you can count on CMLO&CO, marketing and advertising agency whose mission is to turn ideas into results.
We specialize in creating creative and effective solutions for our clients, from website creation to social media management. Contact us and find out more about our services.
