A PS Digital Workshop Shares "The 5 Critical Elements In Building Your Solid Online Foundation"
PS Digital was invited to SCWBEC’s monthly meeting to discuss
“The 5 Critical Elements In Building Your Solid Online Foundation.”
Want to know what a PS Digital Workshop includes? Read more to find out…
What Is SCWBEC?
Suffolk County Women’s Business Enterprise Coalition (SCWBEC) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower and connect women business owners across Long Island. They encourage and provide resources to their members to help them succeed in business through networking and professional development opportunities.
What Does a SCWBEC Meeting Entail?
SCWBEC’s monthly meetings include networking and access to helpful business resources, as their mission states. Members spend time networking as they introduce themselves and learn about each other’s businesses. Sponsors of the meeting get an extra moment to shine a spotlight on their business. Resources include a guest speaker, and for the month of July, that was Brian LeDonne, PS Digital’s Digital Marketing Specialist.
Why a PS Digital Workshop is Special.
Throughout a PS Digital Workshop, we always encourage participation and questions. We know that interaction is key when learning and understanding the ins and outs of building a solid online foundation, so we make sure our workshops are extremely hands-on. It is important to look at your business through the eyes of a customer, which is why we have you look at your own business’s online presence before we get started. We want these tips to be applicable, so we walk you through each element with your online presence in mind. Want to have us take a look at your business ourselves? Just raise a hand and ask! We would be more than happy to.
The 5 Critical Elements In Building Your Solid Online Foundation…
To put it simply, PS Digital has compiled the five critical elements to pay attention to when a business owner is building their online foundation. These include:
1. The Importance of Your Logo
2. How to Claim & Optimize Your Google Business Profile
3. Why Online Reviews are Important
4. Your Website – Is it User/Mobile Friendly & Convertible?
5. How to Utilize Google to Increase Your Market Share
By starting with these five critical elements, you can completely transform your business’s online presence.
Logos – Why are they Important?
Logos are the first attention grabber when a customer is looking to use your business, so you want it to make a strong first impression. This is the foundation of your brand identity, so you want to be sure it represents your company and is clear, concise, and powerful.
Having a consistent logo across platforms is key to building a solid online foundation and brand. Be sure to keep your logo the same across all websites, accounts, and products.
Google Business Profile – How to Claim and Optimize…
In our workshops, we walk you through the step-by-step process of how to claim your Google Business Profile and the important steps in optimizing it. Why is this platform so important? Google is the leading Search Engine option for consumers and this profile is the first impression of our business that a customer will get off Google. You want it to be concise and accurate when displaying the important information about your business, so be sure to complete every section and be meticulous with contact information. Collect and respond to reviews and messages, and publish posts and photos to draw in customers and ultimately convince them to trust your business when they need a product/service.
Reviews – Bring Your Business to the Next Level
Reviews build trust in your business; so much so that 84% of people say they trust online reviews as much as a professional recommendation. Therefore, you must be sure to ask your customers to review your business and make these reviews accessible to view on your online platforms.
When asking a customer for a review, be sure to ask when they are the happiest, as well as right after the service is completed. Make it easy for them by including a QR Code or a link directly to your Google Reviews page.
Responding to all reviews is also extremely important. When responding to positive reviews, be sure to give thanks, keep it short, mention the specific service you did, and share the review on your website and social medias. You can use a 3rd party service to display your Google reviews on multiple other platforms. Responding to negative reviews is just as important. When doing so, be sure to acknowledge the issue, apologize, be authentic and personal, provide an explanation, and invite the user to discuss off line to hopefully resolve the issue.
Website – Make it User Friendly
A website that converts will draw in more leads for your business. Your website should convert clicks into phone calls, texts, form fills, and purchases. Make sure these call-to-actions are easily accessible and identifiable to draw in more business.
Mobile responsiveness is an extremely important feature to consider when making a website. More and more consumers are using multiple different devices to get their information, so make sure that your website looks just as good on tablets and mobile phones as it does on desktops.
What are some other important features to include on your website? Strong visuals will help to initially draw-in a viewer to learn more about your business. Make sure educational content, services, and service areas are all clear and present so that a consumer can educate themselves on your business. We know why reviews are so important, so be sure to include your Google Reviews on your website through a 3rd Party Service. Most importantly, make sure you regularly check-up on your website and update and fix it when any changes/issues arise.
Google – How Google Can Help Your Business
As mentioned, Google is the leading search engine for consumers, so be sure to take advantage of all Google has to offer. On top of Google Business Profiles and Reviews, Google Ads and Google Local Service Ads can help grow your business.
Google Ads appear when users search for businesses like yours on Google Search and Maps. These Pay-Per-Click Ads can be an extremely effective way of driving relevant, qualified traffic to your website, exactly when people are searching for the types of products or services your business offers. Online advertising will also keep your current and potential customers up to date. You will be able to communicate the information that you think is most relevant to consumers like changes to offerings, inventory, or hours. Campaigns you build with Google Ads will show the right message to the right user, at the right time.
Google Local Service Ads are another feature of Google Ads for specific industries. If your business falls under this list of industries that Google has provided, you can use this platform to help consumers quickly and easily discover, connect with, and hire service providers like you with complete confidence. You will be “Google Guaranteed” with a green verification check next to your listing, and have your profile listed above any other information when a user is seeking out your specific service. This Google feature builds additional trust in you and your business and can lead to even more customers.
If you have any questions on “The 5 Critical Elements In Building Your Solid Online Foundation” or, if you want to inquiry about a PS Digital workshop, please be sure to contact PS Digital today.
