online presence
Estate Planning

Tips For Increasing A Small Business’ Online Presence

In today’s digital-everything world, nearly every business—no matter how small—has some degree of online presence. Some, like e-commerce shops, may operate completely online, while even brick and mortar businesses likely have a website and Facebook account. However, unless you’re an online-marketing guru, building your business’ online presence can be challenging. Here, we’ll offer valuable tips for maximizing your online operations, so your company can thrive and grow in the web marketplace.

Be Unique

When it comes to e-commerce, you’re competing with businesses around the world, so your web services should stand out by offering something unique. What will attract customers away from your competitors’ websites and toward yours? A website and/or app that speaks to your unique brand is a must, otherwise your business will get lost amidst the sea of other businesses.

One key thing to remember is many people shop online for convenience. So make sure you’re not only offering a unique product, but you’re also making the shopping experience quick and easy for customers. A few examples of this are an easy-to-navigate e-store, quick shipping options, and superior customer service.

Be Consistent

Whether you’re found only online or boast other retail outlets, your company’s brand and message need to be clearly communicated at every step. It’s vital you create a winning brand identity and stick with it, no matter where a customer encounters your company. To this end, your website, app, social media, and/or physical aesthetic should be consistent as much as possible.

Such consistency develops a more uniform experience that customers will become familiar with and remember. This builds brand recognition and repeat business, as people are more likely to seek out companies they recognize and are comfortable with. A uniform style is what allows even small-scale businesses to stand out and thrive on a global scale.

Keep Fulfillment Standards High

If you have a fulfillment partner that packs and ships your products or you outsource some other business service, it’s essential these vendors offer the same high-quality service as you. If a customer’s online shopping experience is awesome, but their shipment takes weeks to arrive and/or is damaged when it gets there, you’ve likely lost a customer.

Be Everywhere

There are myriad online marketing options to take advantage of to get your brand and message out there. Whether it’s e-newsletters, Facebook, Twitter, online ads, or traditional advertising, it’s critical to stay in the front of a customer’s mind, so whenever her or she wants to make a purchase, you’re just a click away.

These e-tools are also an ideal way to engage customers with marketing campaigns—sales, promotions, and VIP services—as well as keep them updated on company news, like the opening of a new location or launch of a new product.

If you’re serious about growing your digital footprint, you’re going to need to ensure your legal systems are in compliance, with up-to-date privacy policies, terms of service, and data management systems. To ensure you’ve got what you need, begin by sitting down with us. We can help you identify opportunities for growth and put valuable legal and financial protections in place to ensure  the online part of your venture is both secure, in compliance, and competitive in the global marketplace.

We offer a complete spectrum of legal services for businesses and can help you make the wisest choices on how to deal with your business throughout life and in the event of your death. We also offer a LIFT Start-Up Session™ or a LIFT Audit for an ongoing business, which includes a review of all the legal, financial, and tax systems you need for your business. Call us today to schedule. Or, schedule online.

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business
Business Planning

Promoting Your Business on Social Media? Here’s How to Protect Your Reputation Online

Social media as a marketing tool can be a blessing and a curse when it comes to building your business reputation. Friends, followers, and likes on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram can help your business gain raving fans with a tap or a click. Not only can you easily gauge the public’s response to your company (for better or worse), the immediate nature of these digital tools allow you to instantly make reparative efforts if a customer’s complaint paints you in a bad light.

Along with the benefits of social media come considerable drawbacks. A few vocal, unhappy customers can start trends you’d rather avoid. And as Warren Buffet has so wisely declared, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” The best way to protect your business reputation is to put systems in place to prevent major mishaps and allow you to quickly and authentically respond to and mitigate any social media crisis.

Listen

Social media is the perfect venue to listen to your customers so you can better respond to their needs. Listen to what people are saying, and be proactive in your responses. Encourage satisfied customers to post reviews and submit testimonials so that you have proof of a positive track record to weigh out any negative reviews that come in. And they will come in! One or two bad reviews won’t bother prospects when there are 75 glowing ones to balance them out. Be sure to read and respond to feedback in any form - positive or negative - so that your customers know you are listening.

Respond Appropriately

Not every company has the resources to respond on social media in real time. Just make sure you set reasonable expectations for responses (e.g. 24-48 hours), and make sure you post that promised response time.

Also, be thoughtful when responding. Showing your customers you care by responding thoughtfully to complaints can prevent crises from occurring. Better yet, leverage the impact of a negative review by using it as a means for demonstrating your ability to take in feedback and apply appropriate solutions. If you don’t feel the feedback accurately reflects the “true story,” use it as an opportunity to clarify details and explain your side of the story. You may not win one unhappy customer back, but you can use your responses to negative reviews as an opportunity to show prospects your ability to reason things out and find solutions.

Be Transparent

Transparency isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a necessity. Be honest, upfront, and don’t try to hide legitimate customer concerns. Honestly truly is the best policy and will help you win loyal customers over the long haul.

Be Social Media Savvy

This entails more than just crafting the perfect tweet. Have a crisis plan in place for sticky situations. Set clear moderation guidelines so taking down violating posts doesn’t look suspicious. Consider hiring an experienced social media manager to handle your accounts, and restrict access to those accounts.

Keep Your Cool

You can’t please everyone all the time. The best thing you can do is to be prepared to handle sticky social media situations with grace, honesty, and transparency anytime they arise.

If you’re ready to take that step toward protecting the online reputation of your business, begin by sitting down with us. We’re here to help you implement legal, insurance, financial, and tax systems that will prevent major mishaps so you can focus on the positive aspects of business ownership.

We offer a complete spectrum of legal services for businesses and can help you make the wisest choices on how to deal with your business throughout life and in the event of your death. We also offer a LIFT Start-Up Session™ or a LIFT Audit for an ongoing business, which includes a review of all the legal, financial, and tax systems you need for your business. Call us today to schedule. Or, schedule online.

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