Whether you’ve decided to kick-start your own business online or you’d like to make your personal brand more prominent for your target audience, your digital presence is the key ingredient to help you reach your goals. Today’s advanced, yet simplified tools have enabled entrepreneurs without any IT background to create websites from scratch. But, the challenges come once you launch your site. From managing your reputation online, building your reviews, all the way to marketing your brand to your local audience, it takes perseverance and knowledge to create a successful presence.
Even if you’ve already managed to establish your brand locally and you want to expand beyond borders, the risks of running a business still exist. How you tackle them preventatively will make all the difference in your potential to succeed and build a timeless brand. To surmount these and other expected challenges in running a business, you should make sure that your own web strategy includes the following ingredients.
Design a mobile-friendly website
Today more people use their phones to conduct basic web searches than ever before. We’re deeply dependent on our many hand-held devices, so it’s only natural that search engines have incorporated the trend into their own ranking factors.
Being mobile-friendly is a prerequisite for keeping your website in the search results, enabling you to rank higher over time. Your visitors should be able to enjoy your website on PCs and to comfortably browse content on their phones at the same time.
Rely on social media
You’ve heard this one so many times before that it has probably lost all meaning. It’s crucial for professionals to remember how essential it is to make use of social networks to grow online. There is no way to avoid these social platforms if you genuinely aim to become competitive enough in your industry.
Even if you’re a freelancer establishing a professional profile with the help of a personal website, you should keep in mind that there are many others trying to do the same. Your social footprint, therefore, plays a key role in setting you apart. Social media is vital for dispersing your website content, for getting more people to engage with your brand, and for establishing your presence and your authority.
Localize your SEO efforts
Your visibility in the online realm isn’t just in the hands of your customers. It also depends on your ability to appease search engines and their algorithm preferences. If you’ve made your website mobile-friendly, you’ve already gone a long way to stay in those top results. However, in order to reach location-specific audiences, you’ll need the same, specific knowledge to drive your SEO campaigns.
Individuals aiming for competitive markets in Asia such as Hong Kong often require professional help in such matters. As a result, working with a reputable SEO company in Hong Kong can have its merits in allowing you a tailor-made strategy to improve your local ranking in that specific region. It takes years to truly understand the uniqueness of any given market. Thus, collaboration is often the best way to overcome such an obstacle and make your brand more visible online.
Brand voice consistency with content
Content creation has long transcended its original form. It’s no longer enough to write 600-word blogs or simple how-tos to earn your audience’s undivided attention among competitors. Even if you’re doing personal branding, you should still make sure that you know what kind of content formats fit your niche and brand voice.
Going visual has been one of those defining 2020 trends that have enabled businesses and professionals to engage their audiences in a new, more exciting way. Videos, live-streaming, and filters are the new go-to creative format for brands to create the edge they need to become more appealing. Find ways to diversify your own content output for better web outreach.
Build influencer relationships
Too many professionals try to go it alone in any industry out there. The truth is, you will be able to boost your brand awareness much more easily and to a far greater extent with the help of other authority figures in your field. One of the successful strategies to do that effectively is to collaborate with influencers. It is essential to do that on a long-term basis and build lasting relationships with them to strengthen your position.
If you’re aiming for a new location for your business, consider local names that resonate with the local audience. If you’re building a fashion business in NYC, for example, collaborating with someone such as Andrea Pion will help you build more recognition for your brand online. The key here is to aim for long-term commitment by searching for an influencer that shares your brand’s values.
Your web presence is the cornerstone of your success, no matter the industry you’d like to dominate in. Even if you’re a solopreneur or someone aspiring to build a large corporation over time. These strategies are the foundation of your brand’s future. So, make sure to have these bases covered before you move on to more intricate endeavors. You’ll set the stage for your brand and establish a strong, memorable presence that your audience will appreciate and love.
Fiona Wood is a lifestyle blogger based in Melbourne, Australia. She is a fan of beauty, healthy lifestyle and above all our mother nature. In spare time she plays tennis and travels around the world.
