Online presence is becoming more popular for businesses. Customers are more likely to shop online for their required products and services. Online business-to-business transactions are also a popular trend. Online marketing opens up your business to more people than you’d expect a brick-and-mortar store to reach. Strategically launching your online business will increase your visibility and improve your return on your investment. Here are 10 reasons your local company should have an online presence.
1. Accessibility for Customers
Take this as an example: A survey by WebVisible & Nielsen found that 34% of people use search engines to locate local businesses. If someone searches for a local restaurant or a shoe repair shop, 75% will use Google search engines to find the company. If you’re not online, 75 percent of your customers won’t find you. What if they could find your website and see all your products and services? This could increase your customer base and boost your business’ profits.
Unlike brick-and-mortar stores that close at certain times, the Internet is open 24 hours a day. Your business can be online at any time. Your online shop will allow customers to browse your products and make purchases. You can operate a 24/7 business online without having to be present physically. You will be amazed at how much sales and business revenue you can increase by being open longer.
2. Wider Audience
Today, the Internet is accessible to more than 2 billion people. Potential customers are a huge opportunity. You can sell your products and services internationally with the ability or long-term plans. You don’t need to open a physical shop in every country and geographical area you wish to reach. Instead, set up a virtual one that anyone can access.
Online tools and web apps that are free to your customers make it easier to establish a local presence. An online presence is a great way to attract more customers. Businesses know inquiries are good, even if they don’t lead to immediate sales. Answering inquiries is how you can pitch to local customers. With an online presence, you might be able to raise as many people as you want.
3. Customer Reviews
Online and offline businesses rely on word of mouth as one of their most important channels for marketing. However, offline corporations are limited in the reach of ‘word-of-mouth’ customer reviews. These reviews can only reach a few people, typically a customer’s closest friends and family. An online presence allows customers to leave reviews about your business, and potential customers can access them and see your product offerings. Reviews can be a major factor in determining the success of your business. To get great reviews, you must provide excellent customer service and support. Your customers will be able to spread the word about your business online. Numerous studies show that potential clients will read reviews before purchasing a product or service from you.
4. Brand Building and Visibility
Brand visibility is about making your brand visible to potential customers. You might be surprised how few people know your brand as a brick-and-mortar business. Your business will be more visible online than it is to potential customers and media. While mainstream or social media can play an important part in marketing and promoting your business, they must be made aware that your business exists.
Building trust between your business’s customers and potential clients is part of brand building. Prospects can easily find out more about your business by visiting your website. Your options can see if you are the right company to buy a product or service. You can compare your offerings with the competition and have ample opportunity to show clients why you are better than them.
5. Marketing and Selling Made Easier
It’s well-known that people don’t like being sold to, and businesses don’t like appearing pushy. The Internet is a great platform for companies to market their products and not put too much pressure on customers. You can make it easy for customers to make informed decisions by providing great marketing and information copy about your products. Online marketing can help you build customer trust and establish long-term relationships.
Online marketing allows you to present your offer in an appealing way to your target audience. Your audience can be sold on your product and receive incentives they can easily access. You can also give away digital products like white papers and ebooks as part of your marketing campaign at virtually no cost. This contrasts offline marketing, where you would need to print these incentives or give them at a high price.
6. Operation Costs Reduced
Online business will significantly reduce the cost of running your business. Although the initial setup cost will be significant, the long-term benefits of online business far outweigh this cost. An online business setup is a great way to save money and increase your bottom line. An online presence can reduce customer support, office space, and marketing research costs. Many online tools can automate these tasks.
7. Affordable Infrastructure
Businesses often need to be more concerned about payment and delivery online. However, many platforms and solutions can make it easier to do business transactions. Your e-commerce website will be protected with Secure Socket Layer encryption. This encrypts transactions between you and your customers and warns you if there are security threats to your site. You can also easily access online merchant payment options, such as PayPal.
