Becoming an entrepreneur means building a business from the ground up. Although starting a business from thin air is rather impossible, it seems as though new companies are launching every day. How do entrepreneurs establish their business before it even exists physically? The answer is by creating an online presence. Creating an online profile for your company establishes your brand in the minds of your potential market before they have a physical encounter with your store. Keep reading to find out why your online presence is important and how to build it.

Why your online presence is crucial

Research suggests that seven seconds is all it takes for someone to develop a first impression. Which means that your consumers will decide how they view your business within the first seven seconds of their first encounter. By creating an online presence through social media or a company website you can control what your market sees for their first impression. This is called controlled media. Controlled media is what you tailor to reflect your brand exactly as you want it presented. For example, your personal social media reflects only the best parts of your life. Your vacations, your best work, your funny moments or even your proudest are all things you feature on your social media. This concept is the same for your business. Creating an online presence gives potential customers a snapshot of your business’s highlights (aka how you want your brand to look).

Without an online presence, your market’s first impression is developed the first time they meet your business in person. This is considered an uncontrolled environment. There are factors such as wait time, other customers, the personality of your employees, your logo, or even the weather that you cannot control which may influence their impressions. To put it simply, you cannot control every variable. However, if you establish an online presence, and your market knows your brand before reaching your store, their reactions may be skewed in your favor. Essentially, if they have seen you online and they show up in person, it is because they like what they saw! They already like your brand and they want your business to be a positive experience! They are rooting for you! Develop your online presence to avoid a market full of skeptics.

How to establish an online presence

Build a website for your company

Giving your company a website gives people a place to meet your business and find important information. Your website should include visuals. Tests have shown that people can remember 2,500 images with at least 90 percent accuracy. In fact, when we read, we don’t see the words. Our brains actually visualize what we read as images. Including visuals will help to leave a lasting impression. Be sure to link your social media to through your website.

Build social media accounts for your business

The average age of an entrepreneur is 42 years old. However, the most common age group of media consumers is 25 to 34 years old. Be sure that when launching your business you know how to appeal to a variety of ages and are able to target customers through their most accessible platforms. If you are looking to expand on the visual aspect of your business, social media is an excellent place to start. Additionally, social media allows you to gain activity surrounding your business. Posting promotional content creates an opportunity to gain followers, likes, and reposts to help your business grow. It is essentially free advertising.

As an entrepreneur, you really must pour a lot of energy into your vision to build a business. Utilizing different online platforms is one of the best ways to build your brand! Use these tips to help you get started, and visit our reviews page to find a great web designer.