3 Blunders Small Business Owners Make Online

The rise of the digital era has dramatically changed the way people determine which goods and services to use for their specific needs. A decade ago, people would ask friends for recommendations on where to buy the best cupcakes or peruse listings and advertisements for plumbing services. Nowadays, consumers make use of their computers or mobile phones to search for almost anything imaginable. In this regard, the online presence of a small business owner is crucial and can make a huge impact on their sales, or whether the business has the potential to expand and acquire prospective customers.

If you own a small business and have already established an online presence, take note of the following mistakes that could spell disaster for your business:

  1. Disregarding local SEO

A majority of the biggest companies in the world know that SEO plays a critical part in maintaining a strong online presence by ranking high up in the search engine results. Because a lot of consumers search for businesses and services in their area, small business owners can benefit a lot by making use of local SEO campaigns not only to raise brand awareness but also acquire potential clients locally. You can do this by including keywords into your website content that are specific to your area (for example, Perth laundry services), setting up a business listing in Google My Business, or even incorporating a Google Map of your business location into your website.

  1. Neglecting website maintenance

Just like coffee and bread, consumers want goods and services that are fresh and up-to-date. It is important to realize that a consumer’s web experience can be a deciding factor if they opt for your products and services or move on to a rival company. According to a report made by web designers and developers, customers are more likely to avail a product or service from a small business owner if their website is professionally designed, has accurate content (including current contact information, address, and operating hours), and maintained on a regular basis (for example, latest photos of new products or a short entry about upcoming services). It may be a challenge to juggle offline and online presence for your small business but exerting the extra effort to stay current and visible online can bring huge benefits to your company.

  1. Not having a domain name

Creating your own domain name adds credibility and professionality to your business. It could mean the difference between your website making or breaking your business. Using a generic or free web hosting site could leave a bad impression on your clients, as this shows that you are not willing to invest money for something decent and appropriate. If you cannot inspire confidence in your clients with your website, they will most likely not avail of your goods or services as well. In other words, having a proper domain name can help generate high traffic to your website and therefore establish a good reputation and eventually amp up sales for your business.

In today’s modern world, it cannot be denied that digital presence plays a big role in a company’s success. As a small business owner, putting some more work to build a credible website and taking advantage of having good online visibility could do wonders for your business.