It’s essential for you as a small business owner to have a web presence. Understand that the majority of potential customers will get their information about your company online through your website or social media. So, it’s vital that you take a strong interest in building a user-friendly website and pay attention to your traffic and promotions. Treat your site as though it’s your physical storefront.
“This is really about your brand, your company's outward visibility to your customers and prospects. So, web presence doesn't just mean have a website,” says Bill Furlong, CEO and founder of SquareStack. “35% of small businesses still don't have websites. You owe it to yourself, as a business owner, to know how people find out about your company. If you don't, you really don't know the effectiveness of your marketing or lack thereof.”
Compared to 10 years ago, it is much easier to get a website built and running.
Furlong also says keeping your social media channels updated is just the nature of the beast. If you fall behind or merely maintain a passive presence, you and your business are not going to seem engaged with the market and your competitors are going to notice.
“When you build your site, you should also have all the social media pages up and running,” he says, referring specifically to Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. LinkedIn could also be factored in if you’re a b2b landscaper with more commercial accounts.
In addition to the ongoing social media presence and engagement, Furlong suggests that there should always be some sort of ongoing communication with your customer base, and your prospects. “Remember, you're the expert about their yards, they want education, they want thought leadership and you have a great knowledge base to share that via newsletters,” he says.
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In conjunction with a website, it is important for you to facilitate and create an e-newsletter where you can feature current offers and discounts, as well as highlighting happy customers’ testimonials about how much they love your small business. Your newsletter should also share stories about the company, knowledge, or specific resources that the buyer can use to explore the particular product areas you offer.
Furlong says the newsletters help you develop a digital conversational relationship with your clients. “I think you need to understand where people are coming from in order to grow your business,” he says.
To assist in leaping into the digital age, he suggests recruiting a digital adept intern from the local college or high school by posting notice of an internship on any local recruiting site or job board. If you can, seek out web developer classes and any that specialize in social media, and look into talking with the instructors or department heads about making your needs known to the students. You can recruit a digitally adept intern or a paid part-timer who can really do the groundwork for you and then roll your sleeves up and start social posting yourself.
Some businesses even host webinars are certain topics related to their field.
“This may not be what you want to do as the CEO and founder of your company, but you can hire people to do it for you,” Furlong says. “Again, you must have a digital presence. Sill buy your ads in the local shoppers and newspapers, if you think that has a return but at the end of the day, even those newspapers have digital presences that you should leverage.”
Most consumers will search Google and click the “landscapers near me” field. “If you don’t have a website or any web presence, your company won’t come up on the list,” Furlong says. It’s the price of entry, if you want new customers, you must have a web presence.
