Karani Nyamu has been in the business world for a number of years now and his company, VERVEK.O, has weathered all types of storms. He offers his two cents on the online basics your business needs to survive in this digital age.
Karani Nyamu however believes that one does not need to go all-out with an online strategy. If you want to build a reputation for your business, or at least satisfy your existing customers, there are some online basics you’ll need to put in place.
Karani Nyamu quotes Jayson Demers, Founder and CEO AudienceBloom, on the bare-minimum features every modern business should have:
A website
If you don’t have a website, you’re behind the times. Your website is the hub for the rest of your inbound marketing strategy, serving as the final destination for your directional efforts. It’s the place where people can reach out and contact you, giving you the opportunity to gain new customers and leads. Even more importantly, a website is a place where people already familiar with your brand can find more information about you, such as where you’re located and what your services are. It’s also a marker of legitimacy; if a prospective customer finds out you don’t have a website, he or she may not take you as seriously, or believe you don’t keep pace with modern trends.
A social media presence
Having some kind of social media presence is also important. It’s not absolutely necessary to post every day or go out of your way to build an audience (though I highly encourage this), but you should at least fill out the basic information in profiles on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Again, social media serve as a marker of legitimacy, showing the “realness” and modernity of your company. It’s also a way to get in front of people who are specifically searching for you on these outlets.
A base of local citations
Local citations are brief entries or descriptions of your company in off-site locations, such as third-party local directories or review sites. Chances are, even if your business doesn’t have a website or social media profile, it’s already got a handful of local citations in existence due to customer reviews or mentions of your business. Because they’re there, you might as well take advantage of them. Peruse popular sites like Yelp or Trip Advisor, and make any needed corrections to information like your company name, address and phone number. Local citations are good for local SEO and general visibility alike.
Regular updates
It’s not enough simply to establish a presence; you also have to take the effort to update that presence whenever necessary to keep your audience in the loop. An important example: If your company changes locations, you’ll need to update your address on your website, social media profiles and possibly your local citations, as well. The same is true if you change your hours or offer new products or services. Take the effort to keep your audience updated.
Easy contact options
Much of the reason you need an online presence is to give online users an easier way to connect with you; you’ll want to make that potential connection as easy as possible by including many varied contact options. For example, you’ll need to at least include a phone number and contact form on your website, and perhaps a live chat feature as well. You’ll also need to reliably respond to people who reach out to you on social media channels.
Karani Nyamu also believes that you should try to keep an open mind about the possibilities for online marketing, even if your industry is an old one, and even if you’re used to more traditional means of marketing and advertising. Simply establishing a baseline presence can have an enormous benefit for your current and potential future customers alike, providing information, direction and additional visibility.
