Struggling to Get Your First Customers? Here’s Why You Need an Online Presence
Without an online presence, you’re starving your business the awareness it needs to survive.
Did you know: 81% of shoppers research the company they buy from online before even making a purchase? (That’s a scary statistic for someone with no website lol.) Worry not, because we’ve got you covered.
By the end of this blog post, you’ll know exactly why your business isn’t attracting customers and how to overcome this stage in business!
Your Customers Expect You To Have An Online Presence.
We have all had that one time we heard about a restaurant we really want to try and then Boom, they have no website. No contact-info, No menu online, and even if they do have a website it’s usually old and outdated with no menu anywhere! (Makes me shake my head every time.)
Some people will still choose to load up their car, get on google maps, and head to that food place, but some will decide to shop around for a better presentation of a well put-together business.
Either way, this restaurant in question has lost a potential customer before that customer even walks in the door.
Today, consumers have reviews, online images, and social reels to browse what places are best to do business with. A business that isn’t in this competitive arena is bound to be overlooked and even dismissed as unprofessional.
Buyers are skeptical nowadays, because they have so much information at their fingertips. They want the whole picture before they buy it, they want to see other people enjoying the product, and they want to see it from the comfort of their mobile or desktop devices. A business that doesn’t have a presence online cannot be trusted in the mind of a potential customer.
Action Step: Start Your Online Presence Today: Create a website, Create a social media page, Create a youtube channel. Just start somewhere. (Your business is begging you to.)
Your Business Needs To Work Longer Hours Than You Do.
You started a business to gain freedom, security, and success without an online presence you’re limited to word-of-mouth, advertising, cold-calling, or even worse.. knocking on doors (Yikes!) This isn’t part of the freedom you envisioned while creating this business.
When you have an online presence it takes care of the hard tasks as long as you keep adding to it. An online presence sells for you 24/7, an online presence markets for you 24/7, and it can even fulfill its own self if it is a digital product!
Leveraging the internet has made many entrepreneurs wealthy and free to do more important things in their lives. While they sleep, the business is wide awake accepting more customers to generate income, nurture leads, and fulfill orders.
This is called inbound marketing and it is (in my opinion) the secret 15th wonder of the world. (Yes, there are 15 and all of them are places.) Inbound marketing can truly take your business to the next level if done efficiently and consistently.
This is where passive income begins and you start to see the return on your investment of time in your business. The hardest part is to get the wheel rolling, but once that wheel is rolling the momentum can truly make a change in your life.
Blog posts, social media reels, youtube videos, case studies are all assets. You create them once and they serve you for a lifetime. Quality in, Cash out. Start creating assets that will serve you even while you are sleeping.
Action Step: Create your first piece of content. Post it somewhere, anywhere that your ideal customer likes to spend their time.
Compete (or Get Left Behind.)
Business is a more competitive sport than rugby, hockey, and football combined (It even has the same kind of contact if things get ugly.) Your competitors are online, and they are killing it in their online space. Why not get your own slice of the customer market in your own business?
The fact that you have ideal customers means that your product is just as valuable as theirs! You just have to create that value for your target audience in exchange for their interest.
Don’t be scared to compete! Competition is what drives innovation in business. If fear of not standing out online is your crutch, then you have little faith in your product or your operations (which totally can be fixed.)
You are just as worthy as anyone else to succeed both online and offline with your business.
We have already discussed the importance of having a presence online, please do not let fear stop you from making your business profitable. Business favors the courageous who are willing to take an action even when they are frozen in fear.
Your product or offer doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to resonate with the person you’re trying to help. Even small businesses can overtake global giants in the online arena. All it takes is dedication.
For example: If I search for a coffee shop in my local town, 3 of my favorite local coffee houses populate before Starbucks is even mentioned.
This can be the same for your business in your local area. You can be the big fish in the pond that is your local vicinity. All it takes is courage.
Also remember that just because you are competing doesn’t mean you have to bring other business owners down. You can often collaborate with other creators to benefit from the market share from a similar audience.
Don’t get left behind, stand your ground physically and online. The world wants to hear from you and your business. Don’t let fear stop you from helping your ideal customer.
Action Step: Make a list of your top competitors in your local area. Can they provide you with insight on where, how and when people are buying? Research what they are doing right and take inspiration.
Digital Marketing = More Customers, Less Cost.
Why get a billboard, or a TV ad when most of your customers might not drive or watch TV. Why put posters up or put out business cards when people don’t pay attention to their surroundings.
Let’s face it - social media, youtube, and on-demand platforms have taken over humanity. Even virtual reality is starting to take over people coming out of their homes for social interaction. (Here comes that dystopian future.)
If you’re still relying on traditional advertising, you might be burning cash without even realizing it. A single billboard in a major city can cost $10,000 to $50,000 per month, while a national TV ad can easily hit six figures—and that’s before you even factor in production costs.
Compare that to digital marketing, where you can run highly targeted Facebook or Google ads for as little as $5 a day, reaching the exact audience you want. Even better? SEO and content marketing can bring in free organic traffic over time, making it one of the most cost-effective ways to grow your business. (and get your first customer!)
Traditional ads are like shouting into a crowded room and hoping the right person hears you, while digital marketing is like having a direct conversation with your ideal customer. So, why spend thousands on an outdated approach when you can spend a fraction and get better results online?
The direct conversations you have with your ideal customer nurtures a relationship that is sometimes so unbreakable your competitors couldn’t dream of having with that same person. These are the types of relationships that having an online presence will give you. It feels relatable, down-to-earth, and directed rather than disconnected.
Action Step: Search how much it is to make a youtube post vs a TV advertisement. Research the amount of exposure each can give a successful piece of content. Which one is a better investment for your business? (The answer is probably obvious.)
The future is digital, future-proof your business.
According to nerdwallet, between 2001 - 2023, online sales grew by 300% and department store sales dropped by 50%. This trend has only continued in the current age, because of the advent of Artificial Intelligence and personalized shopping carts.
Every industry is getting personalized by algorithms that track the users current search and browse history. Brick-and-mortar businesses that don’t have an online presence are digging their own graves at an alarming rate.
The best time to start your online presence was 10 years ago during the advent of online shopping, but the next best time is right now. The playing field is set, the players are taking their spot and the rewards are endless at this point.
What is stopping you from joining this great new game of the digital economy?
All you need is consistency, analysis, and the discipline to do the work. You could easily make the same kind of profits as your competitors who are already online. You just have to start.
Action Step: Create a plan for where you will host your business online. Whether that be on a website, on social media, or on a streaming platform (i.e. Youtube)
Alright Let’s Wrap It Up,
People are expecting you to be online, your online presence can be a passive income beast, competing can help you earn more, it is less expensive than traditional advertising and it future-proofs your business.
Do you want your business to grow or disappear in the digital age?
We don’t want your business to disappear! We want you to get more than just one customer.
If you don’t have an online presence and you need help getting started, we put together a small masterclass just to get your started!