How important is it for a Brand to have an Online Presence?

With the aggressive competition & advanced technology in today’s world it has become very important for Brands to create their online presence.  This isn’t just applicable for the biggies but also for the small well established brands. 

When a prospect meets you & you exchange Business Cards both scan through the Business Cards. The contents of most of the Business Cards these days are - Organization Name, Name of the Person, Designation, Contact no, E-mail Address & a link to their website. People who are highly active on Social Media also share their Twitter handles & links to various profiles.

How does this help? Well, when a prospect meets you he/she wants to see your past work, products, etc. Having a website helps your Brand in many ways. People can check your website anytime as it is available to everyone via Internet. Your website tells about your work – it is like an alter ego – people can go “WOW” or just drop the plan to do Business with you. If you have a website make sure you give it the best look – spend some money & get it made professionally – The quality of your website tells who you are. It doesn’t have to be a Flash website, a basic website which is neatly done can suffice. It will also help in Search Engine Optimization. 

A website is something which can be viewed from anywhere in the world. People abroad can view your website & get information about your Brand. You can not only get clients from your city but your country or another country. Therefore I think it is very important for a Brand to have an Online Presence – a Website is a must have.

Now comes the latter!

Does your Brand really need a Social Media Presence? 

Well Yes & No Both! Depends from Brand to Brand. A Brand which caters directly to the consumers should definitely have a Social Media presence, be it a store down the street or a home-made cup cake’s business.  A lot of people have realised this & are coming ahead & creating a Social Media Presence. However, Some people still think that having a Social Media Presence is not Important for their Brand. They still believe in the principle “Word of Mouth”, But does WOM really help? If your Brand is on Facebook it can grab more eyeballs, When you post something on your page & if someone likes it / shares it – it shows up on their wall, this is then seen by the people in that person’s list & so on.  People may not exactly know who you are but your 1 post can make them want to go to your page & check who you are, what you do, etc.

Social Media is best for the reputation of your Brand. Remember there are many people trying to kill your brand, direct interaction with consumers, catering to their problems, complaints etc can help your brand a lot & also manage its reputation.  

It is not really important for a company dealing into B2B products to have a Social Media Presence but yes having a website will sure help it grow its business.  For such companies LinkedIn is the best bet as it will not only help in Networking but also help in genuine inquiries from serious buyers.

To sum it up, It is important for every brand to have an online presence for higher brand recall.

The world is going the Digital way, Are you ?