Why web presence is crucial for small businesses

We’ve all heard the horror stories about the deserted high streets and empty shops plaguing Britain. We’re not quite ready to write off a physical presence for small businesses, but these days an impactful online presence is just as important for a start-up, if not more so, than their premises.

Just like a bricks and mortar presence, it’s important for your web presence to be visually appealing – and that’s not just limited to your own website. A cohesive branding that can be seen across your website and social media accounts is crucial in allowing potential customers to make the link between the channels.

And speaking of social media, you should treat these as much like a shop window as you might your website. Although you may not be able to take orders there directly, information that consumers have found on your Facebook page or Twitter feed is just as likely to lead to an order or booking.

That means interacting with followers just as you would in real life – using posts to pitch your products or services and answering queries and complaints in a friendly and professional manner. Putting out a constant stream of content that’s interesting to your followers will help to build your online fan-base and drive real-world sales (making you real-world cash!)

Another way to improve your sales, bookings or enquiries as a small business is to make sure your website is optimised for local SEO. By making sure that your location is mentioned frequently, and consistently, on your website (ideally an address in the site header or footer) you can improve its ranking in the ‘local’ section of search engine results, moving it closer to the top.

This is an area increasingly used by searchers looking for services in their local area, as it’s a quick and easy way to find what they’re looking for. Improving in the rankings could also drive custom at your business’s physical premises, as well as online.

At Yellow Marshmallow we offer a range of services to make sure your small business or start-up makes the most of everything the internet has to offer, without the hassle of coordinating it yourself.

These include social media management, local SEO optimisation, web design, logo design and blog management. Call us today to discuss how we could help your small business.