Business owners everywhere should know that fully two-thirds of all the people in the world use the internet today and over 80% of them will turn to the internet for information when they are looking for a particular product or service. No business, large or small, can afford to ignore numbers like these.

Growing your online presence is essential to the success of your company. If you want your business to be presented as a top suggestion when consumers search the web, you must increase its presence on the internet. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to do this and the strategy you choose will depend on your business, your goals and your budget. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Start With a Great Website

Expecting shoppers to find you online if you don't have a business website is kind of like wanting friends to visit your home but never giving them your address. Building an accessible website must be your first priority if your goal is to increase your web presence.

You can create your own website with help from instructional guides or videos, or you can hire a professional to construct one. Most business owners would agree that the expense of getting a great website up and running is money well-spent. Your website should include several essential components including an eye-catching home page, a page describing your business, a page dedicated to describing and selling your products or services, a blog and a contact page with clear instructions on how to contact you.

Optimize Your Website

Once your business site is built, it isn't enough to just let it be. It should be updated and refreshed regularly to remain current and useful to customers. An outdated website sends a negative message to consumers who have cause to wonder if your company doesn't pay attention to its own website, how does it treat its customers?

Employing SEO throughout your website can make a crucial difference in how you rank in an online search. Search engine optimization is another task that may be better developed by a professional like The Mather Group, LLC. Professional marketers make it their business to understand the sometimes complex and confusing science of SEO and increase your organic search results.

As well as being keyword-rich, content on your website should be valuable to consumers. It may sound counterintuitive, but you'll want to avoid the hard sales pitch on many of your pages. The reason is simple; your website is there to build relationships, strengthen your brand and foster customer loyalty. None of those things will happen if a customer feels that you're only interested in selling to them. Especially your company blog should be used to serve your customers and provide them with information that is valuable to their lives.

Embrace Social Media

Whereas a majority of businesses have some level of understanding of the importance of a functioning website, significantly less comprehend the importance of being active as a business on social media platforms. You may be surprised to find out that a staggering 90% of consumers will click through to the website of a company they follow on social media and a huge majority of those will end up making a purchase. Again, statistics don't lie and businesses should take this one to heart.

Be discriminate with your social media presence. Don't try to establish yourself on all of the major platforms, at least not all at once. Like your website, these accounts must be maintained regularly. Additionally, not every platform is a good fit for your business. To choose the ideal platforms for your key demographic, do some research into the types of consumers that frequent each of the major platforms and combine that data with what you know about your ideal customer.

Establishing your business's web presence is essential for its success. Start with a streamlined website and move forward from there. Optimizing your site with SEO is a logical next step and getting active on social media outlets will drive business your way.