It’s the age of the internet. And the things we do in real life are greatly impacted by our online identities. The same can be said for businesses, both big and small, which would need to maintain a perfect online impression in order to taste success. And if you are ton the throes of starting a small business, here are some handy tips that can help you make a great impression online with both new and existing clients.
Clean up Personal Profiles
With companies scouring the personal profiles of potential candidates before hiring them, it won’t be surprising to note potential clients and customers checking the personal profiles of a business owner before getting interested in his business. And if they come across disturbing posts, pictures, videos or links on these profiles, chances are high that they would skip the business owner and his business altogether. Therefore, it is essential to clean up the personal profile before posting messages, pictures, videos and links that promote the business.
Set up a Brand Image
Any business would need a brand to promote itself online. Think in lines of established companies like Apple, Nike, KFC and McDonald etc., all of which are known for their trademark brand images. A brand image would serve as an instant recognition for your business. And setting up a unique and creative brand image would catch the customer’s eyes long enough to notice the business and the product it sells.
Keep track of online profiles
It can be very easy to start up a basic profile on a social media network and then forget about it altogether. Add a couple of more websites and a business owner would end up having more than one uncompleted, unused profile that can potentially ward off interested customers. Therefore, deleting unwanted profile pages and updating the existing ones regularly can help a small business make a positive impression online.
There are also strong chances of an online business profile being featured in review sites and forums. Monitoring these sites regularly can enable a business owner to find out how his customers come to know about his business, and what he can do to avoid negative criticism.
Maintaining online client relationships
An online customer is every bit as important as a physical one. Attending to physical customers while neglecting the needs of online ones can be devastating for a business’s online impression. In addition to actively promoting a product online, a business should respond to online queries and comments, and encourage feedback from customers who visit the company website. This in turn would encourage more visitors to visit the website, and would greatly satisfy physical customers who happen to visit the website at irregular intervals.
