While most of the articles on here are insurance-specific, this one is geared towards all small business owners and entrepreneurs. Here are the step-by-step instructions, to build a strong internet presence online. These can be done by anyone and do not require any special skill sets. I will preface this by saying the 2 keys to a successful internet presence are consistency and patience. This will outline the steps needed to build the foundation:
- Naming- This is critical! If you are an existing small business owner, you already have your name. As a start-up, you have the extra chore of coming up with a name. This is your identity, your first first-impression, it’s who you are. Every thing begins and ends with your business’ identity. With that said, take your time with this and make sure it’s exactly what you want. Write down several ideas. Google some different ideas to see if they’re available and how you will be able to separate yourself from the competition. Check GoDaddy to make sure a suitable domain name is available.
- Business Name- Your business name should give your customers an idea of what you do. It should be concise so it’s easy to remember. In most cases, this step comes first, but in the day and age we live in it may make sense to check domain names first.
- Domain Name- Almost as important as your name. For web-based only companies (like BuffaloQuotes.com) it can be your name. Try to stay away from lengthy domains and acronyms. Do not settle for domains that are not .com as they take away from your credibility.
- Contact Info- Be ready for people to reach out to you. Legitimize your business with phone numbers, emails, website, logo, and a mailing/physical address. Here are some tips for the following items. Please note that there are countless options for these and people have different preferences.
- Phone- If you do not have a specific business line there are a few options. Google Voice is a very popular option. It gives you a unique phone number (which you can choose), a voice mail box, and the ability to forward to a different phone. Honestly, though, if you’re just starting out your cell phone number is sufficient. While you may be wary to tie your number to business listings, it does add some credibility.
- Email- Think of the message you want to send your customers when you’re emailing them. Using a personal email, or a Gmail/AOL email takes away from the legitimacy you’re trying to establish. Again, there are a ton of options for email hosting. I think Microsoft Office365 gives the most bang for the buck. They offer it through GoDaddy as well in their domain, website, email bundle. While GoDaddy gets a lot of flak, their system is ideal for beginners and they truly do simplify the process. For Email Addresses, stick with the typical [email protected] or the [email protected].
- Website- We’ll touch on website hosting down the line. As far as contact info goes, though, I’ll say keep the formatting of your website consistent everywhere you publicize it: (Ex. BuffaloQuotes.com as opposed to buffaloquotes.com or Buffaloquotes.com or www.buffaloquotes.com or www.Buffaloquotes.com)
- Logo- People put a lot of emphasis on logos. Honestly, how your logo looks is not even close to as important as having one and being consistent about it. Unfortunately, branding cannot happen overnight. Having a placeholder logo is OK, though. Go to MS Word and play around with Word Art if that’s your level of expertise to hold you over until the branding phase.
- Mailing/Physical Address- One of the biggest mistakes I see is businesses not having an address. Giving yourself a physical location greatly improves search-ability. If you have an office/business location, then you’re set. If not, then use your home address. This is key to the next part!
- Lock Down Your Brand- This is a huge step that people often wait too long to do. Someone is going to say something about you on the internet, beat them to it. This is more important than even building your website. This is your one opportunity to control exactly how your business name, logos, and contact info are presented to the world. Let the world know who you are, while also tying up those usernames for future reference. Create Logins/User IDs which are consistent. Follow these links one-by-one to get started:
- Search Engines
- “Phone” Books
- Online Reviews
- Business Directories
- Manta
- BBB (Must Add to Your Local BBB Site)
- Social Media Sites
Please Note: With Social Media it is difficult to be active on multiple sites. However, it is still extremely important to Lock Down Your Business Name in as many places as possible. Simply Put Your Business Name, Address, email, phone, and website(not created) and a picture of your logo. Feel free to put up a post saying what your business does and to stay tuned…
- Website- This part is going to vary based on your skill set. However, there are a few things a beginner should do regardless. It’s important to get at least a landing page up and running. There are several easy to use tools to do this. Do not go crazy in the design aspect at this time. Have a quick blurb about what you plan on doing, and some of your basic contact information available. Even for a completely web-based organization, this is the last piece of the puzzle; not the first. For website hosting, again there are countless options. Stick within your comfort level! Also, avoid free sites which force you to use one of their domain names.
Congratulations!! You now have a solid foundation upon which you can build on. These steps are critical for long-term success and future marketing. You have essentially just let the world know who you are, what you do, and where to reach you. The message you send to prospective customers on each site should be consistent. These steps will not result in immediate success, but they have been proven to add legitimacy to businesses. As I mentioned in the opening, patience is key moving forward!
Our next article will touch base on how to build a successful brand.
Thanks!
BuffaloQuotes.com
