It’s 2:00 in the morning and someone just had the realization that they absolutely need the precise services you offer right away. But they don’t know who to call. What do they do? They Google it! The existence, quality and quantity of your online presence will determine whether they contact you or not. Simple as that.

Digital Footprint: “One’s overall impact, impression, or effect as manifested on the Internet; online presence or visibility, as of a person or company.” (Dictionary.com)

A strong digital footprint is no longer something you can wish you had or get to when you have time. It’s a crucial part of your current marketing strategy right now and has been for several years. A good online presence will help your business, but just as surely, a poor, inaccurate, out-of-date or incomplete one WILL hurt. If yours isn’t pulling its weight, you have no idea how much business you’ve been missing out on.

Nowadays, googling information is a part of virtually every buying decision. When someone finds your business through an online search, what do they find? And how do you compare with your competitors? Websites, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, LinkedIn profiles, Yelp reviews – everything comes up. If yours don’t compare well or aren’t there at all – no call, no conversation, no new customer. If yours is strong, easy to use, and offers useful information, you’ve already started the conversation and the sales process.

Does your digital footprint

• Include a website that’s easy to use on desktops and mobile devices of all sizes?
• Have accurate, up-to date information?
• Highlight your best and latest work?
• Help people find you by sharing useful information, tips and ideas on topics related to what you offer that they’re interested in and searching for anyway?
• Give a good impression of who you are, how you work, what you think and care about? (Seems irrelevant as far as marketing or just presenting your business, but people really will choose to work with the person they can relate to and like.)
• Help build your standing as a go-to person and your familiarity in the minds of info seekers? Studies have shown that it takes about seven good impressions (seeing your name, reading about you, having you pop up in their favorite social media feed) for the average person to reach out to you. By then, they are comfortable with you, feel that you know your stuff AND actually have a need for your services. The right impressions put you on their short list of people to contact.

A digital footprint audit is critical if never done before and should be maintained regularly
New updates you can share, new reviews you need to share on your website or address and resolve – every bit and byte can help or hurt you. A thorough initial audit and regular maintenance audits keep you putting your best digital foot forward and translate into more business.

Tips on improving your digital footprint

• Set up or improve your website
  These days all websites must be responsive, or look good on any sized mobile device or desktop screen to be taken seriously at all. During a search, Google indicates if a site is “mobile friendly” and lowers or eliminates results for those that aren’t.
• Track your website statistics
  The depth and quality of the online impression you make is directly related to the number of people that visit your site, what pages they look at, how long they stay, and if they contact you.
• Help people find you where they are, not just where you are
  More and more, people will research what you offer while they’re already on their favorite social site or online directory. Be there and look good – your competitors are and do.
• Improve the lives of others and they’ll want to improve yours
  Write articles or develop charts, pictures and other “infographics” that share useful information people are already looking for and post them to your website’s blog, guest-post them on related blogs in your industry, and share them through your social media channels and email newsletters.

Contact me for more information on improving your digital footprint.