March 22, 2019
Have you ever googled your business? (yes, "Google" is now a verb in most English dictionaries...smile). Have you done so lately? It is imperative you know what the internet says about your business at all times. If you are not managing this information, your web presence, you are allowing the worldwide web to formulate your business' reputation and dictate your company's image!
We all know the importance of first impressions & often believe we are in control of our customers' first impressions by what we put out into the universe (our physical space, our business cards, our advertising and marketing materials, etc.). However, the reality is, most people form their impression of your business from what they find online...whether or not that information comes directly from you! If you do not have a website and have never established a social media account (both by the way are business essentials by today's standards), there is most likely information somewhere online about your business. Google, Yahoo, Bing, Facebook, Yelp, Yellowpages, etc...all create business profiles using basically whatever information they find online...without your permission, knowledge or contribution.
When a potential customer is online looking for a business to satisfy their needs, or goes online for more information about your business after a friend's recommendation, or takes to the web out of pure curiosity after simply passing by...do you know what they will find? Is it the "first impression" you want them to have? Is it reflective of your brand? Is all of the basic information (name, address, phone number, business hours) correct?
Take control of your internet presence...it can make or break your business! What the worldwide web says about your business plays a HUGE role in the growth and overall development of your brand. With consumers now using the internet to obtain most of their information, what it says about your business is not only a first impression...but a lasting one!