So, you’ve hired someone to ‘boost’ your website, to hopefully make your website rank higher in search engines and allow people ‘searching’ to find you.
Well, it’s not as simple as that. How many websites will rank from 1 to 10 on the Google web results page? Well, 10.
How many businesses like yours, are operating? Inserting Meta Tags, working on your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is only part of the equation. I’ve dealt with clients who complained because they weren’t getting enough ‘hits’ online from their website.
Your website is, again, only part of the equation.
If you have a weak Brand, or your website isn’t maintained / kept updated with the latest trends, contact information etc, what would be the point of having that presence in the first instance?
For example, if you operate a restaurant, you would ‘want’ to be constantly updating your menu, social media and perhaps provide a functional booking system that allows people to make bookings online. There’s nothing worse than driving for an hour (or more) to a destination, only to find out that you are either closed, or booked out. How many times have you called a restaurant and the phone was engaged – or not even connected? Give people a choice.
There are cases where your online presence could either make or break your business, especially if you neglect your website and don’t update contact details, for example.
At the end of the day, you need to balance your website ranking, with your Brand. If people know your business, and visit your website organically, the search engines will naturally boost your page, because they can see you have a good Brand, and a good reputation with clients – based on the fact that they already know you.
When you start a business, and want to build your Brand, make sure that you can get all the Social Media Usernames that are the same. These usernames don’t necessarily need to be the same as your business name, but try and incorporate the usernames (call it a ‘pet-name’ for your business) into your business. That way, you are building your Brand Awareness.
Done right, your website can boost your business. Just don’t rely on search rankings to boost your business.
Now, go and build your Brand Awareness!! And don’t forget those social media usernames!