CREATING AN ONLINE PRESENCE: KEY PRINCIPLES TO REMEMBER
The Internet enables people all over the world to get information on products and services and to use that information to their advantage. In such an environment, it is essential that consumers are aware of your business, its products and services. Over 81 million Indians now have access to the Internet1 and over 1.9 billion2 Internet users exist worldwide, making it a rich and powerful medium to create awareness of your business. Your website makes your business visible to these Internet users.
An online presence is a business must-have. The Internet helps you reach out to a large number of consumers both in your neighborhood and globally, irrespective of how large or small your business is. In fact it presents a great opportunity for small businesses to play up their strengths and help to compete with their bigger rivals.
A good business website can work for you in many different ways. A website can help project a more professional and well-established image of your business. A website is a great way to keep in touch with customers, disseminate information on your products and solutions and sell products online. It could be your first point of contact with customers and prospects, investors and even people you want to hire. Think of your website as your business card in action 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Establish the right presence online. Prior to conducting business on the Internet, an important first step is to select and register a domain name that helps boost your company’s visibility on the Web. A .com domain name offers you one of the best options as it helps provide instant recognition, visibility and credibility for your brand online. A .com is appropriate for businesses of all sizes and it is currently the most widely used domain name extension around the world.3
Build a website that works for your business. A website should be visually appealing and professional. A website will reflect your company’s identity and, in some cases, may be the first impression a potential customer receives of your company. It is usually best to keep away from a complex design, as it detracts from your message. Elements such as content, visual aids and the navigation should be considered carefully as these can lend to making your website effective in terms of being able to capture the attention of visitors who may want to buy your company’s products and services.
Promote your business online in a cost-effective way. Once you have built your website, an important phase begins – that of promoting it so that more people can find you online. By using tools such as search engine optimization (SEO) or by exchanging website links with businesses that complement yours, there are a number of things you could do. Do remember to include your website address on all company marketing and sales materials. This helps introduce your company to businesses who may not be familiar with what you do but have a need for your services and products.
The time to build your website and leverage it to grow your business is now. So get started!
Welcome to the Internet world!
1 www.internetstats.com, June 30, 2010
2 www.internetworldstats.com, June 30, 2010
3 During the fourth quarter of 2010, the overall base of .com and .net domain names grew to reach a combined total of 105.2 million names, according to the Verisign Domain Name Industry Brief (Volume 8, Issue 1, February 2011)