How to Build an Online Presence for Your Small Business?

Your business is the first and last original facet of your idea.  But with building a business comes the hardship to tackle all the boundaries, especially boundaries set by the digital world. Be it social media platforms such as Instagram, Linkedin, or a normal website,  your small business gradually grows when you begin putting a limelight that truly makes who you are. Before heading out to the main course (i.e., how to build an online presence for your business) let’s kickstart with discussing the starters—the relevant online platforms in 2024.

Instagram
As the fourth most popular social media platform in 2024, Instagram that has raked in over 2 billion active users, is surely not getting out of the league for biz growth. Your business sounds smarter. more engaging, and more promising when you leave an impactful footprint here on this platform. As reels and other forms of creative posts are increasing its demand, there’s no way out other than branding your business with those that shouts out your agenda out loud. As per the latest trend came out from Instagram updates 2024, the longer reels and posts will be favour of only those who sets themselves apart from others, doesn’t matter which industry are they hailing from.

Meta or Facebook
Let’s address a common misconception: Meta doesn’t perform poorly for brand building or lack a suitable target audience. In fact, this platform can be highly effective when you strategically use Meta ads, set demographics, and target individuals who genuinely need your services. Additionally, Meta offers valuable insights into your audience’s behaviour and preferences.

Website
To begin any process of creating a voice for your brand, website designing is hard to avoid. The average cost of website designing depends on three factors— level of quality you expect for your small business, the purpose you have for your business, and how you want to impress your target audience. East or west, the cost of designing a small business website is between $2,000 and $9,000, as per Forbes report 2024. Any small business gets ruled by the stamina of the website that it has. You already know, the first impression is the last impression. Around 57% of internet users say they won’t recommend a business with a website with a poor web design on mobile. (Forbes, 2024)

Well, there are other emerging and fast-growing platforms like Linkedin that made significant contributions to what business owners have been doing. With Instagram, Linkedin also supports reel features and post features, making it a true hero in collaboration and adding relevance in the audience’s eye. 

Coming straight to the point, why does a small business need an online presence? Just think from this point of view, you want to have a jewellery business. Keeping the local audience in mind, you may not feel the urge to differentiate your product from others’ because you are concentrating on a small camp rather than a larger one. You can easily prefer traditional methods like visiting and promoting your products door-to-door, interacting with nearby customers, and simply adding value to your products for better ROI. Despite all these efforts, do you think you will make it to the final? The answer may vary between yes and no. For securing your future for long-term benefits, an online presence of your business is a must to do. Let us tell you why.

1. Keep a track of what (and how) other businesses might be doing

2. Directly engage with your audience

3. Get the chance to show your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

4. And then, deciding the steps to follow according to build your brand

So, How to Build an Online Presence for Your Small Business in 2024?

STEP 1. Create a Website

No long introduction needed. A website exactly creates the aura of your business. In other words, your business will only work if backed with a good website. There are possibilities to recreate your business with better design structure or layout, relatable content, and speaks of what your services or products do for targeted customers.

• User-friendly design: Ensure your website is intuitive to navigate, visually appealing, and easy on the eyes. A cluttered or confusing website can drive visitors away.

• Mobile optimization: Given the increasing use of smartphones, your website should be fully functional and visually appealing on mobile devices. This ensures a seamless user experience for those accessing your site on the go.

• Clear call-to-action: Guide visitors towards the desired action, whether it’s making a purchase, contacting you, or subscribing to your newsletter. Use clear and compelling language to encourage them to take the next step.

• SEO optimization: Incorporate relevant keywords throughout your website’s content to improve your search engine ranking. This helps potential customers find you when they search for products or services related to your business.

STEP 2. Use Social Media Platforms

Whether you are a UAE-based business owner, or just starting off, if you have a fixed budget, social media platforms are here to save you. Cost friendly and with limited resources only, you can build content around your products. But your product or service must be unique and eye catching to the audience, which will direct them to reach you out. To ensure no interference in making your business stand out on social media platforms, hire a social media manager to be better off with your other important tasks of brand building.

• Identify target audience: Determine which social media platforms your target customers primarily use. This will help you focus your efforts on the platforms where you’ll have the most impact.

• Consistent content: Regularly share high-quality, engaging content that aligns with your brand and interests your audience. This helps you build a following and keep your audience interested.

• Engage with followers: Respond to comments, messages, and mentions promptly. This shows that you value your customers and are actively listening to their feedback.

• Paid advertising: Consider using paid advertising options on social media platforms to reach a wider audience and target specific demographics. This can be a cost-effective way to promote your business and drive traffic to your website.

STEP 3. Optimise for Search Engines (SEO)

There are never ending benefits of SEO for small businesses, you may not realise. With the right strategy and seamlessly running a website, you have already won half of the battles. While researching the best keywords that might shoot your business up to the top is unavoidable, there’s more depth to you. From guest posting to consistently adding backlinks from other sources will help you generate quality leads and simply your understanding of the user behaviour in a better manner.

• Keyword research: Identify relevant keywords that your target audience is likely to search for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find popular search terms related to your business. 

• On-page SEO: Thoroughly update your website’s content, meta descriptions, and headings with relevant keywords, if required. This helps search engines understand what your website is about and rank it accordingly.

• Off-page SEO: Build backlinks from other reputable websites to improve your search engine ranking. This shows search engines that your website is valuable and trustworthy.

• Local SEO: If you serve a specific geographic area, make your website local friendly for better search results. This can help you know customers in your local community.

STEP 4. Content Marketing

Content is everything, especially living in the times when information is bombarded from every direction. When a content writer or a copywriter writes a copy for email/social media/blogs, make sure to address the key pain points of your target audience. The content is of different types. One is informative that gives you a basic overview of topics around your services or products. The other can be a creative way of promoting a campaign or ad for your product. The choice of words, tone should align with your business’s values and agenda.

• Create valuable content: Develop high-quality content that provides value to your audience. This could include blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, or case studies.

• Consistent publishing: Establish a content calendar to ensure regular and timely publishing. This helps you build a consistent online presence and keep your audience engaged.

• Promote content: Share your content on social media, through email marketing, and on relevant online communities. This helps you reach a wider audience and increase visibility.

STEP 5. Email Marketing

Build a High-Quality Email List
Collect email addresses from visitors to your website and social media followers. This allows you to communicate directly with your audience and build relationships.

• Collect emails: Use pop-ups, lead magnets, and website forms to gather email addresses.

• Segment your list: Categorize subscribers based on demographics, interests, or behavior to send more targeted emails.

• Keep it clean: Regularly remove inactive or invalid emails to maintain a healthy list.
  

Create Engaging and Personalized Content
Send targeted emails based on subscriber preferences and behaviour. This helps you deliver relevant and valuable content to your audience.

• Tailor content: Write emails that address specific needs and pain points of your audience.

• Use personalization: Include subscribers’ names and other relevant details to make emails feel more personal.

• A/B test: Experiment with different subject lines, content, and calls to action to optimize your email performance.

Optimise Email Deliverability
Keep your subscribers informed about new products, promotions, and industry news. This helps you stay top of mind and build loyalty.

• Warm up your IP: Gradually increase your email sending volume to improve deliverability.

• Authenticate your emails: Use SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to verify your sender identity.

• Monitor deliverability rates: Track metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates to identify any issues.

Automate Email Campaigns
Use email marketing software to automate workflows and save time. This can help you streamline your email marketing efforts and improve efficiency.

• Welcome series: Send a series of automated emails to new subscribers with the help of latest AI tools.

• Abandoned cart emails: Remind customers about items left in their carts.

• Win-back campaigns: Re-engage inactive subscribers with personalized offers.

Track and Analyze Performance

• Key metrics: Monitor open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and unsubscribes.

• A/B testing: Experiment with different elements of your emails to optimize performance.

• Use analytics tools: Leverage email marketing software to track and analyze your campaigns.

STEP 6. Paid Advertising

Paid advertising can be a highly effective way to reach your target audience and drive conversions. Here’s a breakdown of key strategies:

1. Google Ads: Target potential customers through search engine advertising and display ads. This allows you to reach people who are actively searching for products or services related to your business.

• Search engine advertising: Target users who are actively searching for products or services related to your business.

• Display advertising: Reach potential customers on websites and apps across the Google Display Network.

• Remarketing: Show ads to users who have visited your website but didn’t make a purchase.

2. Social Media Ads: Reach a wider audience on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. This can be a great way to target specific demographics and interests.

• Targeted advertising: Reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviors on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

• Video ads: Engage your audience with visually appealing content.

• Influencer marketing: Partner with influencers to promote your products or services.

3. Retargeting: Show ads to users who have visited your website but didn’t make a purchase. This can help you recapture lost sales by reminding customers about your products or services.

4. Track ROI: Check out the effectiveness of your paid advertising campaigns to measure return on investment. This helps you determine which campaigns are most effective and allocate your budget accordingly.

• Key metrics: Monitor clicks, conversions, cost per acquisition (CPA), and return on investment (ROI).
  
  
• A/B testing: Experiment with different ad creatives, targeting options, and bidding strategies.

• Use analytics tools: Take advantage of platform-specific analytics tools to track and analyse your campaigns.

Online Presence is an Universal Anthem For Any Business

The best way to boost your business’s online presence  is experimentation with different platforms. Success in digital marketing requires a consistent and data-driven approach. Continuously monitor your campaigns, analyse performance metrics, and make adjustments as needed to monitor your results.

Ready to take your business in the UAE to the next level? Start with Wizer today.