It’s been said that “if you build it, they will come.” This may be true if you are building a stadium or an amusement park, but in the world of business, there is no such thing as passive customers. To get people to your door, you need a website.

Online Presence 24/7

Having a strong online presence is crucial. Your online presence provides your business with 24/7 access, unlike any other platform. A website can be accessed at any hour, from anywhere in the world, and will allow you to expand your reach globally. Every aspect of your business, from booking appointments to answering customer questions, can be done online. Online presence lets you focus on more important things in your life and provides a platform for growth while you sleep. A website sets the stage when customers begin their search for what they need; even if it’s not with your company, it creates positive buzz about who you are and what you do.

A good online presence is essential because everyone uses the internet at some point throughout the day; according to statistics, 81% of all adults in America use the Internet on a daily basis. Having an active online presence puts your brand in front of millions upon millions of people each year and allows them to learn about what you have to offer.

Credibility

What is your business’s credibility? Are customers going to trust you if they don’t know anything about who you are? You want to create a solid foundation with the general public so that they are more inclined to choose your company over others.

Your online presence lets people see what type of business you run, and allows them to look into your background before deciding whether or not they should take their money elsewhere.

Credibility is essential because it determines how much people believe in your brand and how effective it will be in meeting customer needs. It also gives potential customers something on which they can base their opinions about whether or not to use your services.

Website Analytics

Analytics will help you understand your website and how people are using it. It shows where users are visiting, for how long they stay on the site, and what pages they visit most frequently. Analytics helps you adjust your advertising campaigns to ensure that you’re getting the best results possible with the least expense.

Analytics help you see what areas of your website are more popular than others, so that you can further optimize them for a better user experience.

If you really want to know about your business, it is recommended that you have analytics built into your website and accessible via any device.

Advertising

Online presence allows you to advertise your business in a way that is entirely unique compared to other platforms. Google AdWords and Facebook Ads, are all great ways to help promote your company and get the word out about what you have to offer. Online presence is an excellent way to advertise for your company, and it has become a standard in our society.

On average Americans spend about 34 hours on the Internet each week. You can reach a large audience and allow them to learn more about your company with just a click of a button.

Online presence allows you to advertise in ways that will help grow your business while keeping costs low; through social media, email newsletters, etc. The opportunities are endless for creativity when it comes to promoting your company’s products or services online. Every year there are new developments in SEO best practices that create new effective strategies for your business’ online presence. Due to this, customers have access to new information every day involving what brands they should choose based upon their needs and wants.

Every entrepreneur needs to choose the best location for their business. It’s a decision that will affect your finances, your relationships and even your personal life. But what are some of the things you should be thinking about when choosing a new location?

Think About Your Target Audience

If you run an office supply store, it would make sense to find a place on Main Street. If you run a pet shop, your target customers are probably going to be more likely to flock to an area with higher foot traffic.

In addition to proximity, savvy business owners know that part of targeting your ideal client is understanding what their needs and wants are.  If they live in the suburbs and prefer big parking spaces and wide streets rather than small downtown homes with tiny alleys, then stay away from places like those!

Think About Your Business

If you run a delivery service for giant packages, you probably don’t want to be located on the fourth floor of an office building that has no elevator.  Or perhaps if you are running a restaurant, there must be adequate parking and foot traffic. Most importantly though, think about what long-term plans you have for your business when deciding where it should go.

Think About Crime, Sanitation, and Accessibility

There are a number of great places in this world, but if your potential customers might get mugged when they’re walking there, or the floor gets flooded every time it rains, you’ll be less successful.  So don’t just think about what’s best for your business now—also think about what will work in five years or ten years.

Similarly, you need to check accessibility for your employees and your customers.  If you’re going to run a business that employs mostly senior citizens, it probably would be wise to find a place with an elevator. And if you’ve got delivery drivers who frequently make pick-ups and deliveries late at night, you should avoid places in sketchy neighborhoods.

Think About Costs

Finally, think about the day-to-day expenses of owning the space—the rent or mortgage payment are only part of the story. You might have to pay for things like utilities and maintenance as well! So look into how much all of those will cost before deciding where your new business will go.

Zoning and Bylaws

Another thing to consider is where your new business will fall in terms of zoning requirements.  Depending on what you do, there may be certain areas that are off-limits for a new business (e.g., if you want to run an oil refinery, it would not be wise to try and get approval in a residential neighborhood).

If you’re starting the business yourself, this may mean going through the process of application before setting up shop—but if someone else has already started the business, then this step could mean changing locations! And even after all of that work and expense have been done, bylaws can change unexpectedly; sometimes businesses need to relocate when laws are changed or modified.