Maybe your business only has a handful of people, or perhaps it only consists of you. If you are the main decision-maker, technical-support person, paper-shuffler, and everything else, it might seem overwhelming to also need to market your services and build an online presence. If you have never built a website or established an online brand, that’s understandable. But having a solid online presence can be a wonderful key to your future success, and it doesn’t have to be difficult. It doesn’t matter anymore if you are working from home in Oklahoma City or from Timbuktu, with a good plan and a little hard work, you can set up your brand and find new customers online.
BE YOURSELF AND TELL YOUR STORY
- The first thing to do is to remember what makes your business unique.
- The smaller your business is, the more its quality and character are synonymous with you.
- Spend some time defining what you bring to the table that other businesses don’t.
- Find a way to tell your individual story that demonstrates what you do best.
- When you can articulate what sets you apart, you have the basis for a website to tell that story to potential customers.
A simple static page that describes your services may be enough, but even better is to start building a blog for yourself and your business. This will give you the chance to give more in-depth information about your area of expertise, and also let customers get to know you a little better. The personal touch has great value in finding and keeping customers or clients.
In designing your site, make sure it highlights the most important information about you in a clean, uncluttered way. Take some time in considering the look and feel you want your site to have, and then find a design that fits it. There are lots of design options available to choose from, both free and premium website templates. Don’t be afraid to pay for good design if you can afford it. Or better yet hire Web Design Proof!
USE SOCIAL NETWORKS TO CONNECT
With or without a separate website, learn how to use social networks to connect with people. Set up a page for your business on Facebook, Twitter, Google, and any other service you use frequently. This is another area you can post tidbits of information about your business and expertise in a shorter form than most blog posts. It also gives your customers and people who want to know more about your business a way to contact you and ask questions. Again, the personal touch can be a very powerful way to attract people to your business.
One important thing to remember is that whatever you put on social media sites is public, and maybe more public than you think. Always keep your posts and responses polite and professional, no matter what you are responding to. Also, if you maintain a personal account in addition to your business page, remember that you and your business are not really separate, and what you post in one can influence how people see the other. Keep your personal posts upbeat and courteous too. Build respect through your interactions with people, and it will help you build your business success.