How to put your best foot forward on the internet
A respectable reputation is earned through your in-person interactions with customers. And a positive in-person interaction usually translates to a positive online representation due to positive reviews and testimonials. Other SEO strategies can give your online presence a facelift. We’ll take a detailed look at how glowing reviews can boost your online standing and more ways to brush up your online appearance.
An Appealing and User-friendly Website
Even if your business is booming and your customers are pleased, an outdated website might give potential new customers the wrong impression. You will want to make sure your website fits in the modern age. There are many design guides you can find with tips on how to improve the visuals of your site. Some simple insights include creating clean, easily scannable web pages, a properly-linked navigation menu, and high-quality images.
A website should also represent your company’s tone and overall ethos. For example, a pediatrician in Grayson or an ENT in Mount Arlington should have a more professional online persona than a summer camp in Wichita or a scuba diving tour in Honolulu. You don’t want people to have the wrong idea about what they are getting into when visiting your place of business. And just like a store should be neat and tidy, your website should be, too. This allows people to quickly find what they need and encourages them to stay on your website. As a bonus, building a beautiful user-friendly site will automatically boost your SEO, resulting in a higher rank on Google.
Online Reviews and Management
Over 80 percent of people use online reviews, and a majority of those people are influenced to act a certain way based on what reviews suggest. Because online reviews carry so much weight, your businesses should make an effort to boost their Yelp and Google Reviews presentation. If you are a busy operation like a dog training service in Billings or a pediatrician in Radford, you might not have time to dedicate to collecting positive online reviews. If that is the case, there are many online review management companies you can hire to help. Because Google wants to see up-to-date comments, it is helpful to ask patrons to leave reviews for you. Management companies often do just that by email or text. It also might be a good idea to hire a reputation management company if your business has acquired some low-star ratings. These companies can help you earn new positive comments to dilute the negative ones and improve your standing.
If your business has worked with major clients, it can be very beneficial to ask for a testimonial to display on your website. This shows the caliber of your clientele and your ability to do the job right.
Social Media
Social media is an excellent tool to engage with your customers, which is one of the most important keys to an online persona. You may have come across businesses that respond defensively to customer complaints. This online behavior will be very detrimental to the business in the long run. On the flip side of that, positive interactions—even in response to negative comments—will reflect kindly on your company. Social media gives you a unique opportunity to speak directly to potential customers, too. If you impress them with your personality and communication, chances are they would be interested in doing business with you or purchasing your product.
Social media also provides a place for businesses to share more about themselves—both personal and professional. For instance, a pediatrician in Overland Park or a pediatrician in Richmond might be working hard on their content marketing with exciting videos and informational blogs. They can then share this new content on their social media platforms, furthering their reputation in the children’s healthcare field with colleagues and patients.
A good rule to follow is never to treat someone online like you wouldn’t treat them in person. Your company carries more responsibility than the customer to present themselves and communicate professionally. A good-looking, functional website, positive online reviews, and a likable online presence all work together to polish your online presence and enhance your SEO, too.
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