The vast sea of the internet is home to approximately 5.16 billion users worldwide. And while this may present a huge market for businesses, it also presents a visibility challenge, especially for those starting out.

Brands that fail to capitalize on developing their online presence end up missing huge opportunities that dent their overall ambitions and success.

Offering solid, high-quality products is not enough these days. Having a credible online presence is what gets you over the line. It brings the desired visibility to your products.

But how do you improve your online presence, especially when considering the competitive nature of this domain?

In this article, we’ll look at some of the best and most effective strategies for boosting your online presence.

But first, what does your online presence mean?

What is My Online Presence?

Your online presence simply refers to the way you or your brand present yourself on various platforms across the internet. These platforms include anything from websites to social media platforms or online directories.

There are many benefits of online presence for businesses. For instance, having a strong online presence will help you build your reputation, increase product visibility and reach a larger audience.

Here are some of the most effective strategies you should consider to build your online presence.

Optimise Your Website For Search Engines

You might have heard this repeatedly, but optimising your website for search engines is one of the best strategies for boosting your online presence.

Search engine optimisation involves a variety of techniques that websites use to make them rank higher on search engines.

These techniques include using special keywords strategically, changing the website structure, and improving the content.

According to a survey, SEO can reduce the cost of customer acquisition by 87.41% compared to digital marketing. SEO is a big factor that can help you boost your online presence.

Fortunately, there are world-class SEO service providers that will help you improve your site’s traffic.

Obviously, this point applies to those with a website. If you don’t have a website, you should make it a top priority to get one, as it can greatly improve your online presence.

Other than showcasing your products and services, a website also helps customers get a better sense of your personality through testimonials. Besides, how else will you appear when someone searches for your business’ name online?

Regularly Update Your Website With Fresh and Relevant Content

Updating your website frequently is a great way to enhance your online presence. As mentioned above, this fits perfectly as an SEO technique. But most importantly, it also helps provide value to your visitors.

Customers like to share their experiences with other people. And updating your website with fresh content  improves the visitor experience meaning that they are more likely to share that content and return to your website.

Remember, about 88% of online customers are less likely to return to a website after having a bad experience. So having fresh and updated content slightly enhances the customer experience.

After all, no one wants to come back to a site that’s stuck in the past. But remember, it’s not just about putting out new content – it has to be relevant, engaging, and resonates with your audience.

Although you might have research techniques to come up with relevant content, consider using a VPN to help you access geo-restricted content. A VPN helps you bypass restrictions on content that would have otherwise been unavailable on platforms such as YouTube.

This can be particularly useful for businesses needing international news, market research, or other online resources.

Consider Social Media Marketing

Not everyone believes in the social media hype, especially the socially aware Gen Z. But having a solid social media presence allows even the smallest of businesses to interact with the world.

Besides, many people in your target market are using social media to research their next purchase. Fortunately, you don’t have to create profiles for all social media platforms — just those with which your audiences engage most.

Collaborate With Brand Ambassadors and Influencers

Have you ever heard of influencer marketing? This concept involves partnering with people who have a large following on social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube.

These people use celebrity status to ‘influence’ their following on certain matters, including lifestyle, sports, and fashion. Influencers have built up a loyal following of fans and followers who respect their opinions and trust their recommendations.

Using such influential people can prove profitable for your online presence as they allow you to gain many potential customers in a reasonably short period.

And not only that, but influencer marketing can help you gain trust and credibility with audiences.

Build a Positive Reputation (Even With Negative Reviews)

A positive reputation is almost always related to a solid online presence. Testimonials published on a website can be a great place to start. However, brands tend to shy away from including negative reviews as part of their testimonials.

It’s possible to turn negative reviews into assets that help build a positive review. Respond to the negative reviews in a professional and timely manner. Show empathy and understanding for the customer’s situation. Make follow-ups with the customer and show that you care.

Document all these experiences and include them in your testimonials. Remember, negative reviews can happen to any business, but how you respond to them can make all the difference.

Leverage the Power of Email Marketing

Some people would like to believe that the good old-fashioned email has been out fashioned by new channels, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

HubSpot statistics estimate that there are about 4 billion daily email users. That’s almost 50% of the population checking their emails daily.

This presents the ideal opportunity to develop your online presence further. And don’t just look at the sheer volume of the target audience. The return on investment (ROI) is undoubtedly eye-catching. Every pound spent on email marketing campaigns yields back an impressive £28.

Consider Paid-Per-Click Marketing

Paid-per-click marketing, also known as PPC, is a type of marketing that requires you to pay advertisers each time a user clicks on their ads.

If you’re unfamiliar with paid-per-click marketing, think of it as a way to drive traffic to your website or landing page by placing ads on search engine results pages (SERPs), social media platforms, and other websites.

Why is PPC effective for boosting your online presence? It allows you to target specific audiences with laser-like precision. You can choose the keywords, demographics, and even the location of the people who see your ads.

Many marketers today use this strategy to create awareness and boost their online presence.

Final Words

Having an online presence is key to growing your brand’s awareness and actualising more traffic. Some strategies to boost your online presence include working with influencers, optimising your website for search engines, leveraging e-mail marketing, and using social media marketing tools.

All in all, you’ll have to identify areas of weakness on your business’ marketing side before committing to a specific strategy. Nonetheless, we recommend trying any of these techniques to boost your online presence.