5 Things You Need to Know to Step Up Your ONLINE BUSINESS GAME.

I visited my hometown of Traverse City, Michigan this past summer and I realized that between the pandemic and big box retailers, my favorite storefronts were slowly closing down. My heart ached as my beloved hometown started to look more like a ghost town.

The online retail space has slowly taken out our favorite mom and pop storefronts for a few years now, but the good news is that they don’t have to close for good, they just need to convert to the online space in order to compete with those that have been conditioned to click and buy now.

I know it’s not quite the same as browsing through your favorite scented candle store in person, but it’s important for businesses to take their online game seriously in order to survive.

I also work with many public speakers, coaches and authors that also want to stand out while displaying their expertise. At times it can feel daunting to start a marketing campaign when you haven’t even created a website yet, but don’t give up, there are people like myself that will guide you in the right direction and even do the work for you, if you choose.

Keep reading below or choose to watch my video tutorial  HERE

First thing you need to know, logos and colors of your brand matter.

I explain in my video, that I was having a hard time finding the twitter account to Thrive Global, and thankfully they are consistent with their branding as I found it easily by spotting their green leafed logo.

Your ideal client will also get familiar with your branding and will seek you out on other platforms, looking to recognize signs of familiarity. Even if your logo is just your face, be consistent in using the same profile headshot on all of your social platforms and website. This will give your ideal customer confidence that they’ve found the right business.

Choosing a symbol, or specific colors will create consistency and separate you from the online noise.

Second thing you need to know is that websites say A LOT about your personal brand.

I’ve gotten many referrals at times of who to hire and when I do my own due diligence and shop the business or person online, at times I’m horrified by what I discover. To be blunt, their website looks like a 5-year-old created it.

If you’re asking for high fees for your services but your website looks like you’ve only invested a hundred dollars in it, you will have a hard time justifying your fee.

Here is an example, very rarely will you walk into an expensive art store and see dirt and grime everywhere. Usually, the art store has expensive flooring, windows and pretty music playing in the background. Even their sales associates are dressed accordingly and presented professionally to reflect the fact that you just stepped into a very expensive retailer.

Invest in a quality website that reflects your brand proudly with consistent messaging. You may never know who is shopping you and who have chosen to never reach out to you, just because what they may have discovered turned them away.

Which leads me to the third thing that you need to know, invest in quality photography.

Whether its your own personal photography or images of your items for sale, please take this part of your brand seriously.

I love to try out new restaurants and prefer to check them out online ahead of time. I want to see the atmosphere, the seating arrangement, I’m looking for reviews and checking out their menu way before I make a reservation or choose to walk in.

What can be frustrating is that many restaurants don’t even have a website, and if they do, their images of their food don’t look appetizing at all. In fact, it can actually work against them if the photos are of poor quality.

I cannot repeat this enough, you have no idea how many customers are not walking through your doors, just because they were turned off by what they saw online ahead of time. That’s money going to your competitor, instead of you.

This also applies to those that have a personal service such as public speakers, authors, coaches and influencers. We want to know who we are hiring or working with. We want to see a fresh face with a smile or lifestyle photos that bring a warmth to your brand and gives off the astounding, non-verbal message that you’re approachable.

A website and brand that has professional photography is always going to get more attention than the one that has a selfie or two and a few borrowed memes from other sites.

Choosing wisely always pay off in the long run.

The fourth thing that you need to know to step up your online game is to know that social media platforms are not loyal to anyone, so be sure to play on ALL platforms.

We are experiencing an all-time high right now when it comes to censorship. Our freedoms are being limited if our opinion doesn’t match the narrative that big tech companies want their viewers to believe. I’m pretty loyal to LinkedIn and haven’t had any hiccups with uploading content to that platform, but other platforms have not been so kind.

The only way to protect yourself is to play everywhere. Make sure you have a strong influence and following on every social platform available, so that your audience can find you easily when you find yourself being censored on other platforms.

I am seeing more and more beloved leaders that have had to be creative with their followers and lead them to platforms that are more user friendly and actually allow freedom of speech. So be smart, be aware and always be one step ahead of those that are trying to silence you.

Fifth thing that you need to know is to invest in a quality marketing agency that will do the heavy lifting for you or a virtual assistant that has online business experience.

I know what you’re thinking as you read through the first four tips. It can be overwhelming, and you’re probably thinking, how can I manage my marketing and run my business at the same time? I know it can be very time consuming, so I recommend outsourcing whatever you can take off of your plate so that you can focus on your craft. Most business owners go into business because they love to speak, write books, or create items for sale, not because they love to create a website or online ads for their business.

Online marketing agencies like mine have packages for our clients where we do everything for you with a unique co-creation process where your feedback is necessary, but your time will be freed up to focus on the parts of your business that you enjoy.

There are also many virtual assistants out there that don’t need a lot of micromanagement and can handle your e-commerce for you as well.

I don’t recommend trying to do everything yourself unless you have the free time and ability to do so. What may take you hours to learn and apply may take only minutes for myself and team to complete.

Interested in what we can take off of your plate for you?

Apply for a free consult HERE