Some traditional businesses that have established and run successfully do not see the need to have an online presence. However, in today’s business environment, an online presence is not only meant for startups. Instead, it is giving businesses equal opportunities to reach out to limitless potential customers. Although the internet is associated with security issues, there are good reasons why you should establish an online presence. Below are some of the reasons.
In Episode 93 of the podcast, we talked about the importance of having a strong online presence, almost like a welcome mat to your customers that helps to establish your brand and your credibility.
Enhancing the brand of your business should be enough reason to establish a presence online. Due to the advancement of the internet its proliferation, lack of a website, blog or other online platforms can dent the image of your business. Nowadays, most companies, regardless of their size, are establishing an online presence. Your business is likely to lose customers to competitors who have embraced the internet.
Even though 24-hour service is suitable for some brick and mortar businesses such as gas stations and restaurants, it is impractical for other types of businesses. The internet provides all kinds of business the opportunity to manage 24-hour service. Most companies remain closed during certain unavoidable circumstances such as holidays and other national events. Establishing an online presence will enable your business to run day and night no matter the situation. You can also find ecommerce solutions to meet the online needs of your business in terms of customer service, payment processing, and fraud protection. Merchant One explains that choosing POS software with 24/7 support means that if you do experience fraud, you are more likely to get it resolved quickly.
Episode 73 of the podcast gives you specific steps on how to create a 24/7 self-service knowledge site, that can be useful to your customers.
One significant advantage of establishing an online platform is flexibility since you are not limited to any physical location and can live and work from anywhere. You will only need a good internet connection to engage with your customers. Some entrepreneurs have taken advantage of the internet to conduct their businesses in distant locations. It is possible to live in the US, host your website in Europe and conveniently run warehouses in Asia.
According to Plus Voucher Code, customers know that some of the best deals and offers they can get are online. The internet provides a better way of engaging with customers. For instance, you can handle customers’ concerns instantly, offer sales webinars and answer questions. On the other hand, research has shown that a significant number of consumers are conducting research online before making purchases. Therefore, establishing an online presence will enable you to provide your customers with the right information they need. This not only helps to create a better relationship with the customers but to also increase sales.
The best thing about the internet is that the customers are just a click away from your business. Unlike the traditional brick-and-mortar businesses, you can use the online platform to give instructions and educate your customers. Even more useful, an internet presence makes it easier for people to find you and come to your brick-and-mortar location. Podium explains that location-based business listings make it easier to target local customers and bring them into your store. Furthermore, you can accept and receive orders and payments directly on your online platform. No matter your goals, engaging with more customers is a tremendous benefit of building an online presence.
Unlike starting a brick and mortar office, establishing an online presence is less costly. For instance, you can create a website using free platforms and make a quality professional theme at affordable prices. Actually, some web hosting companies such as WordPress provide free sites. If you already have an offline business, you can continue selling your products and services online. In fact, establishing an online presence opens you to a new source of customers. According to a survey by BigCommerce, ninety-six percent of the US population prefers to shop online.
Enhancing a single task in the traditional business model can help to save significantly. For instance, accepting and receiving orders on your online platform can eliminate reliance on customer service staff. The employees can be utilized elsewhere to increase business productivity. Traditional advertising is expensive and manages to send a marketing message to the masses with the aim of targeting a small percentage. However, the internet provides cheaper and effective ways of reaching customers. Also, you can even view the number of people that visited your platform on a regular basis. Additionally, you can integrate your online platform with other service providers to cut on cost.
If you operate a brick and mortar business, you can only target a specific market of individuals. However, with a good internet presence, you target thousands or even millions of people on a daily basis. According to Statista, there over three billion people in the world that have at least one social media profile. In the United States, over eighty percent of the population use social media. Therefore, you can integrate your online platform with various social media platforms to reach more potential clients.
In conclusion, there are a lot of reasons why traditional business should establish an online presence. When creating an online platform, it is advisable to include a call to action. This way, your clients will easily connect with your business.
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