My answer is “No”, you don't need to have all online presence from the start.
Depending on your strategy and circumstances, you can chose which online presence you are going to use at first. I meet so many people who give up because it is a huge amount of work. Now, I can tell you different ways in which people approach the online presence as a marketing tool.
First, check the lists of online presence and then decide what you want to get from it.
- Website, Mobile Website, Blog
- Email Campaigns
- SEO, Google Ads
- Social Media like Facebook, Instagram, Linked-in, Pinterest, Twitter
- Forums
- Video like Youtube, Vimeo and others
- Online directories like Google map, Google business, Google reviews
Case Study 1
A client who started selling her cupcakes in the local market decided to take her business into an online store so she could capture a larger market. Her first strategy was to sell hercupcakes online in the local area. She needed a website, maybe Google maps to let people find her in the market. She also created a Youtube channel to teach people how to make a cupcake. All you have to do is Google “how to make a rainbow layer cupcake?” and her videos are first in the search results. The more her subscriber’s watch her videos, the more money she earns from Google. She doesn’t sell any of her cupcakes through her website any more. She doesn’t need a Google map for people to find her. Her ongoing work is uploading her videos on Youtube and letting people know whenever she has a new video. Has her first strategy worked? What is her marketing strategy now?
Case Study 2
A client who had a website for her online store did not make enough sales. After several years, she decided to renew her website with a responsive website which mobile users could use to buy her products. After we assisted her to redesign the mobile-friendly website, she made more sales in one week when compared to the sales that she made from her previous website in one month. It did not take long to see the results. She also used an email campaign to promote her sales with special offers. The sales increased 200% after she started sending emails to her customers who already knew that her products were good. What did she have to do next to continue to grow her business? She needed to promote her business on Facebook, Google Ads or use other marketing tools so she could attract more new customers. Most Promotions often match the homepage of her website with company’s social posts and email marketing. It’s very important that whatever online presense you use, it leads your customers to your website and you gather the customer’s information.
Case Study 3
A client who is a mechanic did not believe that he needed a website to promote his business. We suggested that he needed to have a Google business map which is absolutely FREE. As a mechanic, it is important for customers to find the location of his garage. In addition, people leave some good reviews which are the new word of mouth referral for you. If you cannot afford several ways to advertise your business, find what will work best for you and give it a go.
Remember! Rome was not built in a day! Don’t be overwhelmed by the work involved. Plan your strategy and stick to it.
After reading the case studies, do you still think you need more than one online presence? If you are not sure, please contact us.
P.S. I haven’t talked about the benefits of each online presence. It will come later so be sure to visit my website again.