How to Build an Online Presence for Small Businesses

Starting a small business is not an easy task. The difficulty of getting your name out into the world can stunt a business’ growth. The internet is the most accessible way for small businesses to reach out to potential customers—but that can be difficult to accomplish.

While it may take time, it is possible to build an online presence for a small business. Keep reading to learn seven ways to develop an online presence. 

What Is an Online Presence?

An online presence is the digital representation of your business and its reputation. Before the internet became as accessible, businesses built their presence through physical ads, word of mouth, and networking. Similar tactics are used to create an online presence, but they’re done through social media, reviews, emails, and even search engines. 

The quality of your online presence is determined by how easy it is for someone to find you and whether they feel you’re a trustworthy source. 

Why Businesses and Professionals Need an Online Presence

As of January 2024, there are 5.35 billion internet users—that sheer number of opportunities is why all entrepreneurs need a professional online presence. 

The benefits of an online presence for business include:

Having as many eyes as possible on your business

Providing a way to show your product or service to unlimited customers

Providing a way to connect with your customers

Providing a professional image

Making your business easily accessible to more people

Helping with marketing strategies 

6 Ways to Establish Your Online Presence for a Small Business

There are many ways to build an online presence as a small business. 

1. Build a Great Website

You can’t exist online without a website, but at the same time, a bad website can negatively affect your business before it starts. The top reasons people leave a website include:

Slow loading (88.5%)

Non-responsiveness (73.1%)

Bad navigation (61.5%)

Outdated design (38.5%)

Poor content structure (34.6%)

Obtrusive use of audio/video (3.8%)

A broken or poorly designed website can turn people away from your business before they even see what you're selling. 

Once you have a website, you can use it as a central hub for all places you can be found online, including social media, an email address, and a blog. 

2. Use a Virtual Address

A virtual address offers entrepreneurs an invisible helping hand by providing legitimacy through location. A virtual address can place your business anywhere in the world—despite its actual physical home.

A business in the city appears more legitimate than one in a residential area. In certain industries, you get a reputation boost by maintaining an address on a buzzworthy street or district.

3. Optimize Social Media Profiles

It’s probably obvious that social media plays a large role in establishing an online presence. Using it to promote your business efficiently involves more than creating profiles and posting occasionally—you need to optimize your social media profiles. This means:

Having a consistent posting schedule 

Displaying clear images of products/services

Posting at the right time

Engaging with your audience

Using multiple social media platforms

Doing this not only strengthens your online presence as a small business but works as free marketing. And it can make a significant difference. During a sample three-month period in 2023, 41% of consumers discovered a product on social media. 

4. Utilize SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) uses specific techniques to ensure your website appears higher on search engine results. SEO isn’t easy—it requires a lot of work and time—but when you show up higher on search engine pages, it’s worth it. The first organic spot on a result page is 10 times more likely to get a click than the 10th spot. 

The better your SEO, the more often you’ll appear when people search for certain keywords or phrases related to your business. 

Even having a Google Business Profile can improve your SEO. SEO can be split into two categories: general and local. Local involves highlighting the geographic area where you operate, so the audience is smaller in contrast to the entire internet. 

5. Create and Share Meaningful and Helpful Content

An easy way to improve SEO and grow your audience on social media is by creating and sharing helpful content. What does your audience find interesting? What makes them engage with content? You can create content around your products exclusively, but it won’t give you the same results as offering a variety of topics.

Look at the article you’re currently reading, for example. We offer virtual offices and temporary office space, so our audience includes entrepreneurs and small business owners. By covering resources related to building or running a business, our online presence speaks to the needs of our target audience, even when we’re not explicitly promoting our services. 

Looking at our audience’s needs allows us to create helpful content like what you’re reading right now. 

6. Invest in Online Advertising

You can invest in online advertising if you want to get your name out there quickly. Online advertising can take many forms, such as:

Search engine ads

Social media ads

Website ads

Most of the time, these ads are pay-per-click (PPC), meaning you pay a fee each time someone clicks your ad link. The goal is to increase conversions by getting your business in front of more eyes. 

Get a Virtual Business Address with Davinci

Start building your online presence with a solid foundation through a virtual address. Place your business in the perfect hub for your industry and start building from there using these tips. 

Start the process today and get a virtual address within two business days. 

About Coco Quillen

Coco is the Chief Operating Officer at Davinci Virtual Office Solutions. She manages the strategic development and operational implementation of services for Davinci. She works closely with all teams to ensure customers are well taken care of.