Most small businesses understand the importance of having a website, but not as many understand the importance of maintaining a consistent and active online presence.

Maintaining a consistent online presence is crucial for businesses wanting to see results from their online marketing strategies. A consistent and active online presence breaks down communication barriers while opening up new levels of communication with customers; it can boost your business’s credibility and it can also help online followers and customers (current and potential) easily recognise and relate to the business.

Here are some ways businesses can actively improve their online presence:

Encourage online customer reviews
Online reviews now play a strong deciding factor that influences the purchasing decisions of customers. Therefore, every time a customer purchases a good or product from your business, you should encourage that customer to share an online review with others about their experience. Reviews are also good for SEO purposes, since search engines consider them ‘fresh content’.

Engage with online followers
The internet has created so many ways for businesses to connect and communicate with customers. Utilise these channels and get talking to your customers. If they leave a review, question or general comment on your social media pages or website, make sure you reply immediately. As the conversation is public, this will show other online users that your business cares about what the customer wants and thinks and will be more inclined to shop with you.

Share relevant information regularly
Sharing valuable content consistently not only shows customers your business has a strong online presence; it is also beneficial for SEO purposes and growing your credibility in the industry. This doesn’t mean you have to update your blog or share five articles a day; as long as the content is regularly published, visitors and search engines have something to read.