Improve your online presence with this handy checklist

Today’s buyers go online to find the products and services they need. For a business, that means a strong online presence is essential. If you want to know how to increase your online presence, though, there are things you can do to ensure you’re reaching the right audiences. The first step is to set up a comprehensive online presence, but you’ll also need to build and maintain a consistent message across all channels. To improve your online presence, check and update your listings across all channels using this handy checklist.

• Google My Business—This is a good time to review your Google My Business listing and make sure it’s optimized for local reach, as well as having up-to-date information. I spoke to my accountant yesterday and he said he welcomed 15 new clients in February thanks to an updated Google My Business listing!

• Facebook—If you’re striving to improve your online presence, Facebook is an important part of it. There are a few things you can do to maximize your reach, starting with regularly posting interesting content. If you’re not camera shy, turn on Facebook live and answer a few questions that you were recently asked by clients! Engage in meaningful conversation with your audience to build a loyal client base.

• LinkedIn—You may have put a great deal of energy into your personal LinkedIn profile, but make sure your business page on the site is updated and informative, as well. Add a few hashtags to your posts to be discovered by likeminded professionals. LinkedIn isn’t just a gold mine of potential clients; it’s a gold mine of networking opportunities and a database of the best in every industry. It’s about building relationships!

• Professional organizations—If you belong to any professional organizations, check out your bio on those sites and make sure it’s accurate as you seek to improve your online presence. Also, if you are a member of the Chamber of Commerce, make sure your published listing is accurate and includes a link to your website. (Pro tip: This will improve your SEO ranking!)

• Professional Online Databases—If there is a website people can go to in order to find a professional service, ensure your listing is updated and accurate. If you’re an attorney, building a useful profile on AVVO is a must. Tax accountants looking for ways to improve your online presence should check into TaxBuzz. Do a quick google search for your business to see where you pop up and check those listings.

• Seek speaking opportunities—You can get a big boost to your online presence by showing up at conferences throughout the year. Find some annual conferences that would be interested in someone with your expertise and sign up for their newsletters to be notified when there are speaking opportunities.

• Optins and welcome messages—If you’re wondering how to increase your online presence, take a look at your own website. Make sure you’re collecting client information through an intake form, optin or some other email capture method. The welcome message those who sign up receive should also be updated to point them to your social media channels and other ways they can engage with you.

• Contact Me page—When was the last time you checked the contact information on your page? Ensure it’s accurate and makes it easy for clients to reach you.

If you want to know how to increase your online presence, take a step back and evaluate how clients see you when they search for your brand. Take notes as you browse search results and look at your various profiles. Better yet: Ask each new client how they found you! Conduct your own market research to replicate the process and grow your business.

You’ll likely identify small things you can update that will make a big difference in winning new clients.