The Online Experience Basics

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A good website can be achieved using a free template, but a great website is designed and built with purpose requiring an investment of time and money. Sometimes a website is identified as a need in the planning stages of your business, allowing you to engage a provider, write the content, collate your imagery and undertake the build before the business launches. In other cases, the growth of a business means it’s time to get online quickly.

Having a reference point for your brand that consumers can head to online is important for your marketing, but websites can’t provide an instant fix. There are ways to create an online experience for a brand while waiting for a website to be built.

Google Business

Creating a Google Business account is a free and easy way to establish an online presence. Formerly known as Google My Business, Google Business appears as the box showcasing a business to the right of the results on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

You can see our Google Business Profile for KEO here, which appeared on the SERP for the search ‘KEO Design’. We’ve got our location, business hours and contact details available for those who want to engage with us.

To set up a Google Business Profile, head to https://www.google.com/business/ and click on ‘manage’ to sign in and add your business to Google. Add a business category and the key details about your business. You can also add posts to your profile, enable reviews and monitor the analytics to see how it’s being used.

Map Listings

Getting your business listed on Google, Apple and Bing Maps allows you to engage with consumers who are searching locations for the services they require. Think of a time when you’re in a new place and are looking for breakfast. A common solution is jumping on the maps app of choice and searching for ‘breakfast nearby’ to see what options are available. This is why it’s important to have a map listing for your business if you want to be considered by the consumer.

Social Media

While having a website to drive social media users to is the ultimate goal, social media profiles can still provide a lot of value without a website.

Posting to social media and utilising direct messages is an effective way to engage with consumers online. Whether you’re choosing to use Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok or another platform, showcasing your products and services, and personality can create a positive online experience.