5 Ways To Build Your Small Business’ Online Presence

How would you rate your small business’ online presence? 

Maybe you have a website but you’ve never sent a customer email. Or you could be a social media pro who’s nervous about running an online shop.

No matter your level, you likely know it’s more important than ever to be ‘virtually active’ — and lucky for you, we have some tips to help you step your game up.

1. Create and Update Your Website

Don’t have a website? You could be missing out on new business opportunities.

A small business website doesn’t need to be extensive — it can simply explain who you are, what you do, and where to find you. Your site can literally be a tool you use to direct potential customers to your storefront.

But what’s the point? Search engine optimization is the point.

Say you want some house plants or you’re ready to take up gardening. You’ve never done this before, and you prefer shopping local, so you type “garden center charlotte north carolina” into Google. The results show you which garden shops are in your area, where they’re located, their business hours, and more.

That’s where you want to be. When someone searches for a business of your kind, you want your shop to be at the top of their Google results. The first step in getting there? Create a website.

If you already have a website, think of how you can kick it up a notch. What kinds of things would your potential customers search for online? Which keywords can you use throughout your website? Being strategic about what’s on your website can help guide new customers right to your door.

2. Build an Online Shop

Online shopping is huge. While many people still prefer going into stores to do their shopping, it isn’t always an option. 

Having an online shop makes it easy for customers to purchase their favorite items whenever they want. Again, people love supporting local businesses — so help them help you!

In addition to buying your products from anywhere and at any time, your shop’s items can also appear in search results as a suggested purchase. This means, depending on how your online shop is set up, your business can appear on Google as both the shop itself and your main website. 

If you’re a POS Nation customer, your point of sale software is designed to integrate with your online shop so your inventory counts are accurate. If this is something you want to be set up, contact support@posnation.com for your e-commerce needs!

3. Start Writing Blogs

Blogs are another great way to drive traffic to your website and step up search engine results.

You don’t have to be an all-star writer to blog for your business, either. Just share what you know! You’re running a small business because you have an expertise or specialty, so use it to your advantage.

Write blogs that share tips and tricks or how to use your products. For example, if you’re a beauty shop that sells serums and moisturizers, create content that explains how much you should use, when you should apply the products, and what results they can expect.

Maybe you sell exclusive sports team collectibles. Write about how you should care for these items so they don’t get damaged. Long-term care is something customers will ask you about.

Your current customers will love having access to this information, and of course, publishing blogs like these will also help you appear in search results. A potential customer may find your blog, and if you answered their questions or taught them something new, they’ll look to you as a trusted source. Once you gain their trust, they’re more likely to stop into your storefront.

4. Get Active on Social Media

Whether you have personal social media profiles or not, you’ll definitely want pages for your small business.

Facebook is a great place to start. Create a business page and focus on posting a few times per week. Later on, if you’re feeling good about the traction you’re getting on Facebook, it could be time to move to Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and other platforms.

For small businesses, social media is a great space to:

• Show off the blogs you’ve written
• Link to informative website URLs
• Post business updates
• Share related news
• Introduce fresh product offerings
• Upload custom photos and videos

Getting creative and posting your URLs drives more traffic to your website, helping its overall success.

Your photo and video content don’t have to be of extremely high quality, either. In fact, most people appreciate authenticity nowadays. It’s time to pull out your smartphone and have some fun.

Believe it or not, social media efforts contribute to a strong online presence. Don’t miss out!

5. Send Out Targeted Emails

Are you collecting emails and sending targeted messages to customers?

Emails are another great way to build an online presence. Like social media, here you can share links to your blogs, new items in your online shop, and so much more.

Send customers a special coupon for an item they’ve purchased from you in the past. Or blast out an email to your entire list promoting a limited-time online sale. 

If you’re a POS Nation customer, your point of sale system can manage customer loyalty, purchase history, and email marketing. (Need help setting this up? Contact support@posnation.com.)

Like blogs, your emails don’t have to be extensive or professionally written. Putting together a short, simple message that gets to the point and drives people to your website does wonders for your online presence.

Become an Online Expert With Your POS System

We hope that these tips inspire you to get working on your small business’ online presence. It’s more important than ever to get in front of potential customers through virtual mediums.

Your point of sale system can play a huge role in managing your online presence. If you want to learn how our software supports online efforts, reach out to our team at sales@posnation.com or 1-877-727-3548. If you’re in the market for a point of sale solution, you can also request a free quote or build your POS system online.

If you’re a current customer who wants help activating marketing integrations on your point of sale system, contact support@posnation.com.