Your brand is the culmination of every phone call, email, or advertisement that anyone has seen, received or experienced with you and your business. A strong, positive brand embraces various aspects, such as the words you use to describe your business, the visuals you place in your advertisements and even the values you encompass as a business.
How you position your brand to your audience should tell a story about what your business is and what services you provide, while establishing credibility, reliability and trust at the same time.
Your brand lives everywhere – through the interactions your employees and clients have, the details and information on your web site, and even in the tweets you share. So, how does a small or even a home-based business develop a strong and memorable brand?
Today, the fastest way to create a valuable business brand is by utilizing the internet. If you’re still a little new to the digital world, here are four ways to get you started.
Be online with a good website.
Regardless of the size of your business, you need a website. The number of consumers who seek information from the internet is ever-increasing, so a good website is crucial for attracting new business opportunities. Your website is often the first impression that your clients see of your business, and a well versed website can help you create brand authority and recognition.
Does your website need to be fancy or complex?
Not at all. In fact, an effective website is a website that interests its audiences, where they engage, promote, and become immerse in the website in front of them. A good website can be the key factor to converting prospects into customers. To learn more about digital marketing and website maintenance, visit our resource center on wsiworld.com.
Creating Directory Listings
Online directories are changing how we find local businesses.
These days, if you’re looking for a business’ phone number, you’ve probably done a quick online search. And chances are, your clients are doing this too. To make sure your business can be found online, you need to ensure your business appears on all online directories, pay special attention to local directories to increase local business traffic.
Not only will your prospects be able to find your business, but this will also help Google find your business too. Online listings are important to gain website exposure; they allow customers to review your business, and also provide location and contact details to those wanted to find or learn about your business.
Getting Customer Reviews at the Point of Purchase or Soon After
The importance of a business review cannot be understated. A customer review is not just a few sentences, but a method build client relationships and they’re a great tool to help you improve your business. If harnessed properly, reviews can empower your brand, and help prospects trust your company. By taking your reviews seriously, you can pin-point issues in your business and ensure the happiness of your customers.
Future clients can read these reviews to assess the value of your business, and determine whether or not to buy your products or services. However, time is of the essence, the longer you wait to collect reviews, the less likely you will get that information. To keep your reviews coming in on a consistent basis, ask your customers for a review at the point of purchase or shortly after.
Making Testimonials and Reviews Visible Online
Getting a client review of your business is one thing; but what you do with it is another. Showcasing your reviews to the public can create a sense of community with your past clients, create brand recognition, and open doors for new business opportunities.
It shouldn’t surprise you that when a prospects visits your website, that they’ve also seen your competitor’s website. Online reviews can help you differentiate from your competitors.
By utilizing your business’ website, directory listings, and client reviews, you can create, evolve and maintain your brand, recognition and authority. Remember that happy clients become loyal clients; the most valuable customers you will have. Treat your clients well and watch them return and promote your business to their friends and family. This alongside to having an online presence, is the key to creating brand recognition. Be aware of both, your online and offline impressions and you’ll be on the path to success for years to come.
To learn more about brand reputation, watch our podcast interview with Michael Fertik, founder of Reputation.com. In this podcast, we’ll talk about the challenges small and medium businesses face when dealing with their brand reputation.