Searchability – How To Make Your Business Easily Found Online

Starting a business is a challenge. Investing in both the business and your ideas takes time, money and confidence. Creating long-term success depends on relationships developed and building the reputation you and your business deserve.

So, how do you build a good reputation and reach the audience you are hoping to reach? The Internet has become the first place customers go to find information about where to find products or services. From gym memberships to groceries, people search the web to find where and how much it will cost them to get what they want. By ensuring your business’ searchability, you increase the likelihood a potential customer can find you – which can ultimately lead to sales.

Most consumers’ first stop to find what they want is the company website. This is used as a jumping off point to research the company. Therefore, building a website is the first step to being searchable. By investing in a website, you can provide the basic information your customers are looking for. It also serves as a platform for holding additional content that they might find interesting or useful – hopefully both! Build the voice of your organization through your website. The ‘About Us’ section is invaluable to your potential customer – that’s how they get to know you. A company blog and other information allows you to position yourself and your organization in way that will connect most effectively with your audience. Spend time creating a voice and look to pull your brand together. Invest in logo design, then build the look and feel of your site around the logo. This can create consistency and will allow you to build your brand across other platforms as well.

Don’t let your website get buried among the millions of other websites online. You can encourage visibility by working to maximize your website’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is a way in which your website helps Google understand its relevance in relation to specific keywords. By using relevant keywords, you can indicate to Google what your site is really about and why it should move your site up in the results list. By making SEO a priority, your business and website will get better exposure. User behavior should influence the keywords associated with your webpage. By tailoring your keywords and content to match user needs, your website will likely be deemed relevant by Google, meaning you will show up higher in the search results and have more opportunities to drive traffic toward your website. SEO is not an all-encompassing measure, but for those who know the basics, it offers increased opportunities for exposure.

Social media platforms can also contribute to your business’ searchability. Facebook, Google Places, and Yelp are sites which allow business listings. These can contribute to making your business more searchable. Social media allows for direct interaction with your main audience as well as greater exposure to peripheral networks that otherwise would not have been introduced to your brand. When thinking about SEO in conjunction with social networks, Google takes into account backlinks from social media sites when determining search engine results. This means that having a strong presence on social sites can also help with exposure on a number of levels.

Building a strong presence online can help ensure that your organization is searchable. Availability of pertinent information as well as relevant content can mean a higher ranking in search engines as well as more exposure to your core audience. Invest in an online presence and watch as your small business grows.

Do you already own a thriving business? Are you considering selling it? Find a Sunbelt Business Broker in your area to assist with the process.