Is it time to Overhaul your Online Presence?

First impressions matter. In today’s hyper-competitive market, a digital presence that inspires trust and ensures recognition has become mandatory. In fact, according to the PwC Global Consumer Insights Survey, more than 80% of consumers currently research products/services online before making their purchase decisions.

Which brings us to the question – how often should you update your website and/or online presence?

Based on your business and the services/products you're offering, there may be no single answer. For example, an e-commerce website or online store may have to be updated daily or weekly, whereas an informational website may only need quarterly tweaks with a major update or redesign every two to three years depending on the company’s growth or change in direction and strategy.

However, in order to boost consumer trust and gain brand recognition, you need to ensure that you utilise social media effectively and align your social media efforts with the messages and information you display on your website.

To determine if your online presence needs an overhaul, ask yourself the following questions:

• Have you redesigned, edited or updated your website in the past three years?

• Is your website scalable and user-friendly?

• Is your website mobile friendly?

• Are you actively aligning your social media efforts, in particular, your chosen keywords with your website’s SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)?

• Are you promoting your social media pages via your website and vice versa? Are these links all active?

• Is your contact information easy to find and are your website’s pages easy to navigate?

• Can your website and social pages be found easily via an online search?

To ensure that your company comes off similarly on all platforms, you must establish consistency in your branding, brand voice, and storytelling. Take control of your social media strategy and analyse your ROI (return on investment) from each of your chosen social media platforms.

Never underestimate the value of consistent monitoring and improvement of your online presence. Recognise that your business is so much more than your products, service offerings, and ground-breaking ideas. Identify the current gaps in your online presence and establish an online presence that showcases your business as a trustworthy and reliable brand.