In these tough times, it is more important than ever to look internally at your operation and make sure that you are doing these 10 essential things online for your business. These are the 10 essential things that all legitimate businesses must take care of in order to be taken seriously online. Most of these items are easy and very affordable to execute and Counterflow can help with them all, including the tougher ones.
1. Have a Valid Website
In today’s business world the majority of your future customers will go to search engines to find what they are looking for. Because of this, it is absolutely essential that you have a website. Don’t have a website yet? If you are a Ceramic Pro Certified Installer, we have teamed up with Ceramic Pro to build their installers a website free of charge. All you pay is hosting. For everyone else, we have created a very affordable solution for you to get a website up as soon as possible. Ask us how!
2. Have a Valid Email With Your Domain
Have a valid email set up with your domain name, not yahoo or Gmail. Customers simply do not take your business seriously having an email that is not tied to your website. Need help to set up an email with your domain? We can set this up for you.
3. Set Up and Verified Google Maps
Set up on Google Maps with your location verified to get a pin. If you are mobile, you still need a location to use, however, Google may be changing this soon. Because Google is so important, you NEED to take advantage of every tool Google offers. The map is the single most important thing you can implement for your business on Google as your business appears in the vicinity of searching customers.
4. Have a Privacy Page
As of 2020, it is technically against Facebook and Instagram’s terms and conditions do not have a public privacy policy on your website if you are running ads. We can get this set up for you for $50-$75.
5. A valid SSL on Your Website
You need to have the lock in the top left corner of your website. All websites without the lock now say “Not Secure” on Google chrome. Don’t create doubt with customers by not having your website secure. Also a website with an SSL ranks better as of 2020 with Google’s new search algorithm. This is a service that we provide. You also need to make sure you have a reliable hosting company for your website as the SSL must be installed on the host. Counterflow can migrate your website to a more reliable hosting platform along with backing up your site on a daily basis. Ask us how to get started.
6. Phone Number Call to Action On The Top Of Your Website
A phone number on the top of your website with a call to action – More than ever people want immediate gratification on having the answers that they are looking for. You need to have a place readily available for someone to get a hold of you. A live chat feature is a plus, and we also have solutions for that!
7. Facebook Page, Instagram Page, Yelp Page
You must have profiles on these three accounts if you are to be taken seriously. Counterflow is agency partners with all of these entities and can help set these up if you have not done so already or have any questions.
8. A Database to Manage Incoming Inquiries and Leads
Have software to house and to manage databases for all inquiries and leads. You must have a place at the very MINIMUM where all of your web inquiries automatically enter when submitted. A bonus is having a CRM that can allow you to manage the status of these customers. We have a few different tools to use in order to manage your customers.
9. Software for Mass Emailing
Have software that you can mass email your database from – Right now email marketing is as important as ever, especially with your past clients for retention. We provide a service for you that will manage and create your mass emailing strategy. We also have the tools to allow you to see the customers that engage with you the most.
10. A Proper SEO Setup On Your Site
Proper SEO setup is a must in order for your business to get found on Google. Let our team set up your SEO to increase your search visibility and increase business opportunities.