If you read the last article about getting found on Google, you should very well know that a comprehensive internet presence is absolutely necessary when it comes to maximizing your brand image, generating consistent leads, and converting them into lifetime customers.
I don’t care who you are, what you do, or how well you think your business is doing…If you have a crappy website from 2005 or don’t have one at all, and are not effectively marketing to relevant people, then expect to become a laggard very soon. In this piece, I’ll go in depth about late technology adopters and the reasons they give for not using the Internet to the fullest.
I’ve Been Doing It This Way Forever…
Now for the older generation out there, the traditionalists, the “do it my way” type…Have you ever seen the show “Restaurant Impossible” or “Hotel Impossible”? These people own failing restaurants and hotels and are in desperate need of change, whether it be from a lack of leadership or simply a poor product. Some of them have been around forever and refuse to adapt to shifting times. It’s 2014 and the world is computerized, so owning top-notch technology is a must.
Social Media Is Good Enough…
Many company owners feel that social media in itself is enough to generate the type of traffic and customer engagement needed to support and grow their business. Of course, these platforms are phenomenal outlets for expanding and capturing a solid audience, however the benefits of having one’s own space on the Internet is lacking entirely. No company website means:
- No one can find you through natural and/or location-based search.
- Your reputation is immediately tarnished.
- Potential customers cannot learn about the people involved with the company itself, thus dehumanizing the business.
- Your competitors will reap the profits from specific keyword phrases that you could have owned. Simply put, you aren’t letting the people who want to find you, find you. In what world does that make any business sense?
- If you have a storefront, you are open certain hours of the day. What about the other 16 hours of the day? It’s competitive out there, so you should be working while you sleep…the world never stops and the Internet is the world. Get your beauty sleep and dream about all the people who may very well be converting into customers. Your website is the new storefront.
Social media simply acts as a bridge between your website and the inbound traffic you desire. On your social media pages, you should show your company’s personality or flare if you will.
But I’m Bootstrapping My Business…
What was that you just said? You are bootstrapping your business from the ground up and minimizing your costs at any expense (pun intended). Well lucky for you, you don’t need an entire IT team or a CTO for $80,000 a year to fully use technology to your advantage. It is an investment, plain and simple. You put a certain amount of money into your online reputation, and when the final product is combined with continued marketing efforts, you’re revenues are supposed to be greater than your expenses. The way we see it at WeSpotlight is that if you are passionate enough about your business to spend some or all of your time on something, why would you falter to gain the exposure you need to be a complete success?
I Own A Small Business So I Don’t Need To Be Online…
Here is some incredible information from Forbes about the current state of small businesses in the United States. It’s clear small businesses drive the economy and as part of this ecosystem, your ultimate goal is profit. I’m well aware of the “Three P’s”: People, Planet, Profit, or Process, People, Products. Personally, I am extremely environmentally conscious and I whole-heartedly believe that in order to achieve sustainable success, you must provide for the common good of society. But realistically, this capitalistic society makes us all paper chasers because without it, how can you eat and live up to the world’s standards. A communal world where everyone shares and lives of the land would be peaceful and great for the earth, but in the world we live in, everyone is unfortunately trying to cut out a piece of the pie for themselves. With the Internet, everyone now has an opportunity.
My Company is Referral Based…
“I’ve developed a loyal clientele that continually uses my company and regularly brings me more business”. We hear it quite often and our answer is always “If you can handle more business, why not get it?” If I found a twenty-dollar bill on the sidewalk, I definitely would not leave it there. Natural referrals are great and word-of-mouth advertising is a phenomenal sign of continued success, however implementing a creative online referral program is necessary. In a globalized world, you simply cannot afford to let opportunity pass by while it’s knocking at your front door.
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It’s incredible the number of businesses who still don’t have websites ( at least here in Ireland) . It’s a bit like evolution I suppose. You know survival of the fittest where the weak die out over time and the strong flourish and grow strong. Yes I am comparing having a website to evolution. Without an online presence it’s unlikely any old dinosaurs will be around in a few years.
We’re trying to give the weak a fighting chance James. Information is moving online and the goal is to help businesses realize this fact and avoid extinction!