Whether you’ve been online for the past decade or are just starting out, you can’t underestimate the importance of your web presence. The following list of tools and procedures are the minimum essentials every business and organization should be using.
- A fast, mobile-friendly website: These days, the majority of searches are made on mobile phones or tablets. Nobody, especially not Google’s rankings, has patience for a site that isn’t optimized.
- Fix any website bugs: As you continuously update your site, it’s inevitable that there will be broken links and other issues you may not catch. This can affect your credibility and user experience.
- Google My Business account: This is one of the best ways to get higher visibility on Google. Local businesses have the option of building a local Google My Business page, which requires you to verify your address. You can also opt for a Google My Business Brand Page that isn’t limited to a location.
- Google Analytics: Google’s free analytics tools monitor what’s driving traffic to your site and how visitors interact with your content. Data should be used to refine and tailor your site’s user experience.
- Blogging: A regularly-updated blog (even one post per month) distinguishes you in the noisy web and conveys expertise, professionalism, and unique human voice….and the Google-bots love it too.
- Social media engagement: Facebook is the big one, but depending on your product/service, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn can also be fruitful. Post with enthusiasm, share your blogs, start conversations, and get recommended by friends. If you have the budget, put it to use here — even five dollars could make a huge difference.
- Responding to comments and reviews (especially negative ones): Potential clients do their homework and are reading up on your brand. So solicit reviews and five star ratings on Yelp and Google. Even if you get slapped with a negative review, remember that a polite response could undo the damage.
- Contact forms/Calls to action: Make sure your web pages have well-placed sign up, opt in, contact us, or buy now options. You’d be surprised by the difference this could make.
- Be an active member of social groups related to your niche: Join the conversation related to your field of expertise. Comment on posts and give expert answers to questions.
- Get other websites to talk about and link to you: Don’t be a secret. Get yourself featured on other sites. Be it a local newspaper or an industry specific blog, people are looking for interesting stories all the time. All you need to do is reach out.
