Ever considered this question or one like it?
When people look at your online presence—your website, social media, emails, Google reviews, and any other digital platform you exist on—what do you think they see?
Do you look like a go-to expert in your field, or do you come across as a business no one trusts with their money?
It doesn’t matter if you want to have an online presence or not, simply having a business means you have an online reputation.
Whether that reputation is perceived as positive or negative is up to you.
The reality is that people will attribute the value of your product or service to your online presence. Whether they realize it or not, this is a subconscious judgment that happens within seconds.
You are building an online reputation simply by existing as a business.
It can be good, it can be bad, or it can be somewhere in between. But regardless, you are cultivating some sort of online reputation.
Think about the last time you searched for a business online. Maybe you were looking for a restaurant, a consultant, or a product. You likely made judgments based on their website, social media, and online reviews. If the website looked old, the last social media post was from two years ago, and the reviews were outdated or nonexistent, you probably moved on to another option.
Your potential customers are doing the exact same thing when they search for your business.
We like to call this idea your Quality of Impression. It includes those kinds of surface-level pieces like how your website looks, when your socials have been updated, what your blog looks like, etc. Even if you provide the best service in your industry, if your online presence doesn’t reflect that, you’re losing potential clients before they even reach out.
Your online presence is your digital storefront. If it looks unkempt, inconsistent, or neglected, people will assume that’s how you run your business, too.
We like to think about your online presence as a garden. Is it well-tended or are weeds growing everywhere? Is it set up to grow and thrive or wither away?
An online presence that is well-tended and poised to grow includes
All of these things work in tandem to create a business that can thrive.
If you think about a garden, it’s the quality that is important. Anybody can have a garden, but if you haven’t tended it consistently it will get overgrown, and eventually, anything that was viable will die off.
Your garden won’t thrive if you’re not tending to it consistently and neither will your business.
Ask yourself…
“Are we tending to our online reputation and setting it up for growth?”
Your online presence isn’t just about looks. It directly affects your ability to attract and convert clients. Many business owners believe that because they rely on referrals, they don’t need to worry about their digital presence. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Referral-based businesses should absolutely care about their online reputation.
If someone gets a referral, they’re likely going to get referred to more than one business with relatively the same pricing and services.
When this happens, that potential lead is almost guaranteed to look up all of those options online.
If you have a bad online presence — clunky website, lack of social media presence, no recent reviews, etc…it will be tough to compete with a competitor who…
These aren’t just valuable tactics for getting found, but for being chosen over the competition. Don’t ignore them just because you’re referral-based.
You’ve poured time, energy, and resources into building your business. You’ve likely made significant investments in your skills, services, and products. But if your online presence isn’t aligned with the quality of what you offer, you are leaving money on the table.
Don’t you want it to be known for being the best? Don’t you want to give an incredible first impression of your business so that you have the highest chance of getting those customers?
A powerful online reputation ensures you get found and chosen.
Make sure that you’re creating the kind of reputation you want your brand to be known for.
If your online presence isn’t where it should be, don’t worry. You don’t need a complete makeover overnight. Small, consistent improvements can make a big difference.
Your website is often the first place people go when they are researching your business. If it’s hard to navigate, doesn’t clearly explain what your business does, or looks outdated, it’s working against you. A clean, modern, and easy-to-use website tells potential clients that your business is professional and credible. If you haven’t updated your website in years, it may be time to refresh the design, rewrite outdated content, and make sure it’s mobile-friendly.
Social media doesn’t need to be overwhelming, but it does need to be consistent. Even posting once a week with valuable insights, industry news, or client testimonials can keep your business top-of-mind. An active social media presence shows that you are engaged, accessible, and staying current in your field. Plus, it’s the other main place people go when trying to figure out what your business is and how it might help them.
If your business has a blog, keeping it updated is crucial. A blog that hasn’t been touched in years can make it seem like your business is inactive. Regular blog updates show expertise, help with search engine rankings, and provide potential clients with valuable information. If you don’t have time to write content yourself, consider outsourcing or repurposing content from other areas of your business. And if you don’t have a blog, now’s a great time to start one.
Reviews are one of the most powerful tools for building trust. If you haven’t received any new reviews in a while, start reaching out to clients and ask them to leave a review. Make the process simple by providing them with a direct link or an easy process. When people are considering your business, past customers’ reviews are one of the main parts of their final decision-making.
Your branding should be consistent across all platforms. This includes your website, social media, emails, and marketing materials. Consistency in fonts, colors, messaging, and visuals helps create a professional and cohesive brand identity. Keep the branding consistent and your reputation will immediately get an aesthetic boost.
Your online presence is shaping your reputation, whether you want it to or not. Potential clients are going to form opinions about your business based on what they see online. If your online presence is outdated, inconsistent, or inactive, you are losing opportunities.
Take a hard and honest look at where you stand today. If your website needs an update, if your social media is inactive, or if your reviews are lacking, start making small, intentional improvements. Your business deserves to be seen as a trusted professional.
If you want your business to be the first choice for potential clients, your online presence needs to reflect the quality and professionalism you bring to your work. It’s time to make sure your business is positioned as a trusted pro—not a hard no.
Helping businesses build their online reputation is kind of our whole thing. So if you need help with content, strategy, websites, videos, etc., we’re your team. Learn how we can help transform your online presence here.
We know that carving out the time, resources, and energy to create ongoing content for your brand or business is a full-time job. That’s why we created Breezy – your instant content marketing team.
You don’t need to hire multiple full-time employees to handle all of the strategy, planning, writing, designing, and publishing of content. You also don’t have time to wrangle tons of different freelancers to get this all completed. You need one expert team that can help get all of the amazing thought-leadership and subject matter expertise out of your head and into formalized, engaging content that keeps you top of mind with your audience.
We’re that team!
See how we can help your small business, startup, or agency with a free consultation.
