In today’s digital world, it’s more important than ever to have a strong digital presence. That’s because people are increasingly turning to the internet for information about products and services.
Don’t believe us? Just take a look at the data. According to Google, 78% of people look to the internet first when they need to research something.
Simply put, your target audience and ideal customers are online and you should be too. When it comes down to it, businesses that don’t have an online presence are at a disadvantage.
However, we understand that developing a digital presence isn’t as easy as putting up a website and occasionally publishing on social media. If you’re new to the digital world or are struggling to keep up then here are some tips on how to develop your digital presence.
Why You Need a Digital Presence
A digital presence is important for successful businesses for a number of reasons. First, it helps you to connect with others online. With a digital presence, you can interact with potential customers or clients, build relationships, and even generate sales leads.
Don’t think this is important and figure you can make do with just a general presence in your local community? Think again!
18% of local mobile searches lead to a sale within one day. Furthermore, 38% of qualified leads for businesses rely on media articles to make decisions.
So, if you’re not investing in an online presence as much as you are in a physical one then you’re losing out in today’s digital world. Not only that, but a digital presence can help you to build your brand.
By creating content and interacting with others online, you can establish yourself as an expert in your field and attract more attention to your business.
Outside of those factors, however, having a digital presence can simply make you more visible. In today’s digital world, people are searching for information online more than ever before. If you’re not present online, you’re likely to be overlooked in favour of your competitors.
In fact, it could even be the difference between you winning bids for tenders and not. Yep, a digital presence matters there, too.
Tips for Developing a Digital Presence
Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, customers are increasingly likely to find you online before they ever step foot in your store or pick up the phone.
Here are some tips for developing a strong digital presence that pretty much any business can implement.
Invest in Customer Behaviour Analysis
Customers today are digital-savvy. They rely on digital channels for their shopping journey, from initial product discovery to post-purchase reviews.
This means that it’s extremely important to be visible where your customers are spending their time online. It also means understanding their behaviour and providing a seamless experience across all digital touchpoints.
Customer behaviour analysis is key to achieving these objectives. By analysing customer data, you’re able to gain insights into what their customers want and need. This helps you create targeted marketing campaigns and improve the overall customer experience.
Additionally, behaviour analysis can help businesses to identify potential issues and address them before they cause major problems.
Analyse Your Competition
Before you launch your digital marketing campaign, it’s important to take a close look at your competition. Answer these three questions.
- What are they doing well?
- What could they improve?
- How can you set yourself apart?
Start by taking a close look at their digital presence. What platforms are they using? What kind of content are they sharing? Are they seeing results? Once you have a good understanding of their digital marketing strategy, you can start to develop your own plan.
Then, focus on creating unique content that will appeal to your target audience and using platforms that will reach them where they are.
Develop a Strong Online Voice
A brand voice is a unique way a company communicates its message to consumers.
This includes the language used in advertising and on social media, as well as the overall tone of communications. Ultimately, a strong brand voice helps differentiate your company from its competitors.
To help your brand stand out online, you’re going to want to ensure you:
- Create quality content that is relevant to your audience
- Make sure your content is well-written and free of errors
- Are consistent in your posting schedule and stick to a regular cadence
Really, it’s about focusing on creating a strong emotional connection with consumers in a way that lets them know you’re the top choice due to your expertise and attention to their needs.
Optimise Your Website for Search Engines
A website is digital real estate. Like any property, its success depends on location, location, location. The higher your website appears on a search engine results page (SERP), the more likely people are to find it.
However, by optimising your site for search engines, you can make it easier for potential customers to find you online. And that can lead to more traffic, more leads, and more sales. To do this, you’ll want to:
- Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions
- Structure your site in a way that is easy for search engines to read
- Use relevant keywords throughout your site that have high search volumes and low competition
- Make sure your site is accessible to search engines (look into creating a sitemap, which is an XML file that lists all of the pages on your site and helps search engines index them more quickly)
- Promote your site through social media and other online channels
Optimising your site best way to ensure that your site is seen by the people who are most likely to buy from you.
Keep Your Content Fresh and Relevant
If you want to keep your digital presence relevant, you need to keep your content fresh. Of course, that can be a challenge when you’re busy running a business.
How can you keep up with a content schedule that will attract customers and ideal supply chain partners? First, set aside some time each week to create new content. Whether it’s a blog post, a video, or even just a social media update, try to add something new to your site every week.
Then, make sure you’re regularly updating your older content. If an article is starting to feel outdated, take the time to revise and update it.
And finally, be sure to keep an eye on your competitors. See what they’re doing and look for ways to do it better. There’s no harm in using their content for inspiration, especially if you see them winning tenders and stealing your customers.
Find Opportunities That Are Right for Your Business
In summary, developing a strong digital presence is crucial in helping you not only attract the right customers but also in helping you find opportunities that are right for your business.
Yep, we’re talking about more contracts with suppliers, too. However, sometimes a digital presence isn’t enough to help you attract public sector opportunities.
With Supply2Gov, the public sector contract opportunities come to you. Simply set up your Email Alert Profile with the relevant information and contract opportunities will be sent straight to your inbox as soon as they become available.
Interested in chatting about how we can help you attract more business? Get started for free!