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Online presence is everything for your business. Even if you’re a local company such as a cafe, launderette or shop that doesn’t sell online, you still need to be out there on the web or you risk losing customers. People will be searching every day for businesses like yours, and regardless of what you do or sell you need to be out there. You need to have a strong presence that shows you are active online, have followers and are who you say you are. Whether you’re a new company looking to get out there or just want to boost your presence online, here are a few ways to go about it.

Invest in a Fantastic Website

Your site is your online representation of your business. It is the first thing customers and clients will see, so it needs to be right and make a good impression. A web designer will be able to create something custom for you and help you stand out from your competitors. Try and do this yourself and your site might look amateur and put people off before they’re even properly looked. It should be visually pleasing, not cluttered with ads and have beautiful graphics designed. A good website doesn’t come cheap, but is a very worthwhile investment for your business.

Advertise Correctly

There is no point having a fantastic business if no one can find you. Advertising and marketing is so important, it allows you to get out there in places where potential clients and customers can find you. You could go with affiliate marketing, Adsense, banner ads and guest posts from bloggers and so much more. A big part of your budget as a business will be on getting yourself out there. Don’t underestimate this, make sure your finances allow for room for it.

Have A Responsive App Created

A cellphone app is a amazing way for small and medium-sized companies to get ahead of their opposition. It is the perfect way to basically get your business onto the phones of your customers. It gives you the opportunity to have all of your information, products and contact information in their pockets, only ever a touch of a button away. It makes you appear like a dependable and trustworthy company, and this is beneficial if you are new to business. Customers know that a rip-off company isn’t going to go to go through the trouble of creating and paying for an app, so seeing yours can reassure them that you are secure to shop with.

Write An Engaging Blog

Blogging is something that grown in popularity over the last few years. The benefits of blogging for business are well established, and this is something you should definitely consider getting on board with if you’re not already. It’s fantastic for your business’s online presence, as well as helping to grow your audience, getting more organic traffic and showing your customers you’re a legitimate business. You could write the content yourself or work this into one of your staff members jobs. Or you could work with a talented freelance writer there are plenty of sites online which can connect you. Use a company’s SEO services to ensure you’re using the right keywords and tags to get your posts seen by as many people as possible.

Ask For Reviews

It’s against the law to provide compensation in return for a positive review. However if you’re doing a good job, people will naturally leave good reviews. And there’s no harm in asking your customers if they’d like to leave a review on social media, your website or a third party review site like Reevoo. That way other customers can see that people have used and had a good experience with your site which can mean they’re more likely to go through you themselves. Another option would be to work with bloggers. You could provide a product or service to them free of charge in exchange for an honest review. This can also get you backlinks on high quality blogs as well as a (hopefully positive) review of your business. Again you can’t ask for a positive review, but if the blogger reviewing has any issues it doesn’t hurt to sort these out so you’re getting the best write up possible.

A lack of online presence could mean the end for your company- even if you don’t sell online. Follow the steps above to get your business out there and seen by the right people.

Your day begins like any other day at the office. You arrive ahead of time, but no sooner have you walked through the door, the phone begins to ring and your team of employees are lined up outside your room with any number of ‘urgent’ queries.

This is before you have managed to look at your calendar for the day, which is inundated with meetings, both in the office and across town. Your email inbox is overflowing with ‘important’ messages, as well as a few suspicious looking ones telling you your bank account has been hacked by aliens.

You haven’t had time for your morning cup of coffee, your blood pressure is rising, and you sit back in your chair wondering how you are going to prioritise the many tasks at hand. Just another day at the office!

Does the above sound familiar to you? Don’t worry; there are business managers up and down the country having the same work based crises you are. There was a time when you had a life, with an opportunity to breath during the day, and yes… have that cup of coffee. You can have those days again, without having to take early retirement. In this article, we will consider several ways in which you can streamline your operations and simplify your working day. “It’s just a pipe dream” we hear you saying as you put your jacket on to zip across town for yet another meeting, but keep reading before you get into your car and waste another couple of hours of your day.

Automate your accounts

Many business owners hire an accountant to deal with the company finances. If you haven’t gone down this route, or you still prefer to handle some aspects yourself, you can streamline the process without giving yourself a mathematical headache. Use an accounting package to manage your bills and invoices, and automate the process so you don’t have to worry about manually sorting things out. From chasing your customers for late payments to paying your broadband bill, you can automate all those repetitive tasks that take up much of your time.

Create a FAQ page online

You should already have an online presence for your business, but if not, get on it as soon as possible. There are plenty of web hosting companies who will help you set something up quite cheaply, no matter how much of a technophobe you are. With a website, you can streamline many areas of your business, from online payments to marketing your products. However, you should also set up a FAQ page. Your clients and customers won’t have to contact you for trivial (or major) details if you can provide as much information as you can on your site. It will save you time answering queries that can easily be sourced on your website.

Easily find staff

Staffing issues are common among both small and large companies. Not only do you have to find a reliable team to begin with, but you also have to find cover when they are ill, on holiday, or just plain unreliable. You can save yourself a lot of trouble by using an external firm such as Portfolio Procurement Recruitment Agency. Such agencies can help you get the right people for your team, on both a full-time and temporary basis. Considering the amount of work it takes to hire people, through the application and interview process, it makes sense to delegate this responsibility.

Manage office schedules

Not only do you have to manage your own schedule in the day, but you are also responsible for each member of your team as well. You want to make sure every person is where they are supposed to be, and not wasting time getting involved in tasks that aren’t a priority. For this reason, it’s worth using scheduling software packages that will help you keep track of your employees, and manage your own time more effectively. Packages come in a range of prices, but you can try a free demo with most of them if you are unsure about paying upfront.

Cut down on travel time

Travelling to meetings can be a nightmare, especially if traffic is a problem, and parking is non-existent. It’s still possible to have a face-to-face meeting with one or more people through video conferencing software. Not only can you talk to people who are in the same town as you, but you can make international calls as well. Not only does this cut down on travel costs, but it’s also cheaper than making a phone call. Video conferencing not only allows you to talk to another person, but you can also make presentations on an online whiteboard, share files, and broadcast your meeting to passive viewers.

Delegate tasks

You may be in charge of your business, but that doesn’t mean you have to do everything! You aren’t showing weakness if you delegate to others, so if there are tasks that could easily be managed by another member of your team, pass it over and give them the responsibility. Not only will it help you, but they will benefit from the experience as well. If you don’t have the people to delegate certain tasks to, then consider outsourcing. From web designers to freelance writers, there are private companies and individuals who can take on board specific tasks on a short or longer-term basis.

Cut down on staff meetings

Meetings get in the way of everybody’s day, so cut down on them. If you have something important to say to your team, send them a circular email so they are all up to speed. Alternatively, schedule a meeting first thing in the morning, using it to convey important information before getting on with the rest of your day. This will save you time later on, and it will cut down on people coming to your door with insufferable questions.

Final word

They are only a few ideas, but they will save you time and stress in your working day. Hopefully, you will be able to relax a little more and give yourself a break from time to time as well.

In the modern age, it’s not unheard of for big businesses to operate solely online. You only have to look at Amazon to see the potential of such an enterprise. And, no one can deny the benefits of this move for new companies. You can cut startup costs in half by eliminating the need for a physical shop space.

But, even an online business needs to find its place in the real world. You may well find some level of success in your bedroom, but if you want to take things to the next level, it’s important to reach out into reality sometimes. In the future, that may change. But, for now, finding a balance between both options is your best bet. Even Amazon has been dabbling in the physical world since 2015. And, if the most well-known internet giant in the world has to do it, so do you.

The good news is, there are ways to keep it real, and still save money. You don’t have to jump right in with a physical store if that’s what you’ve been avoiding. Instead, consider the following ways to make ripples in reality.

Get other shops to stock your stuff

You may not want a shop space of your own, but what’s to stop you using other people’s? Many department stores, supermarkets, and other big names stock from outside sources. There’s nothing to stop you arranging meetings with such companies and pitching your product. If your online sales are booming, they’re sure to at least offer you a trial period.

Of course, nothing is free in the business world. You will have to pay a percentage of your earnings. But, this is usually small enough that you still stand to see a significant return. Not to mention that getting your brand noticed in shops could lead to online customers who will be all yours.

Attend events

It’s also worth getting out and attending events. These are a fantastic way to get your name known. Trade shows would be an excellent way to appeal to other companies. Public events could also bring you an influx of customers. It’s just yet another way to get your name out there. It also gives you a chance to put a face to your product, which is crucial. Even better, this is sure to be cheaper than an ongoing space. You’ll only be paying for one-off occasions, after all. Plus, you can keep things cheap with something like these shell scheme stands. These may be simple from the outset, but companies like Rocket Print Promotions can help you turn them into eye-catching spectacles.

What about employee space?

When you start employing, it’s also worth looking into a space for your employees. This doesn’t have to be anything significant. Just having a physical workspace will make all the difference to your team. Remote working may be okay as a temporary measure, but if you want to build good working relationships, you need to work side by side.