THE WAY YOU PRESENT YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE IS CRITICAL IN TODAY ’ S DIGITAL WORLD . HERE ’ S HOW YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR DIGI- TAL FOOTPRINT AND REACH MORE CLIENTS .
WORDS / ELISA PARHAD
Ten years ago , simply having a business website was a necessity — and likely a static affair . But you probably didn ’ t have a podcast listed , and social media was just starting to heat up . If you were on Facebook , Instagram or Snapchat , you might not have yet considered them to be essential tools for your business .
Today , the media landscape is far more complex , nuanced and exciting , offering many ways to boost your brand . However , if used incorrectly — or not at all — you may be turning potential clients away and even damaging your business ’ credibility with current clients .
EVALUATING YOUR EFFORTS Stephanie Lee , the founder of HostAgencyReviews . com , an independent website connecting travel advisors to industry resources , suggests that advisors evaluate their own digital presence in the same way they view other businesses ’ pages .
“ I think we ’ ve all gone to a company site just to kind of look at what ’ s going on or get to know the company a little bit before you buy something from them ,” Lee says . “ And there ’ s always a hesitation - for me at least - if I see that someone hasn ’ t posted in a few months . I ’ m thinking , what happened ? Where are they ? Are they still in business ? Do they not have staff anymore ?”
Needless to say , this is not the impression any business wants their customers to have during their first interaction with the brand . Lee reminds advisors to be thoughtful with how they view a business with a lackluster presence : “ Most likely , that ’ s what people are going to think when they go to your site if it doesn ’ t look reputable as well .”
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