How to stand out online

Your online presence can be greatly improved by driving traffic to your website, resulting in greater brand recognition and higher lead conversions. It's difficult to sustain though when you're competing for visibility with other businesses and individuals within the same field. Make sure then, that your content and marketing strategies are unique and simple.

Traffic, conversions, and brand recognition all benefit from a strong online presence. Customers are spending more time digitally interacting with companies. Making the most of online channels has many advantages.

But beware...

"Only 50 percent of businesses make it past the first five years, and one-third make it past the 10-year mark. Although there are plenty of reasons why businesses fail, lack of differentiation is one that often tops the list". - flybluekite.

"The survey states that 39% of the customers worldwide state that they will move to other businesses after only a single bad experience with the company". - logocreative

"86 percent of consumers say authenticity is important when deciding what brands they like and support". - stackla

"More than half (57 percent) of consumers think that less than half of brands create content that resonates as authentic". - stackla

Here are a few ways to help you stand out online.

● Making it simple

Regardless of the product and services you are providing, the client's online journey needs to be aesthetic and effortless. This allows the customer to explore the website. Remember, 55% of your clients spend 15 seconds or less to decide if they will take your product/services so the message on the website should be clear.

● Identify the target audience

It's essential to identify the target audience in order to create a message that will make the right impression. Matching your ideal customer profile with your target market will help in successfully identifying a great audience.

● Be unique

Ask questions like, “what does my brand say about me?” or, “how does my business compare to other businesses in the industry?”. Creating a strong brand identity is a great way to stand out from the competition: it's rewarding to be memorable, establishes trust, and builds customer loyalty.

● Building a strong, common voice

Keeping your image the same across all the media channels is vital for customer recall. Stick with a particular font, a clear and concise logo, and develop a unique “tone” for the brand. That way your business will stay in front of mind for people when looking for a service or product.

● Be Consistent

Building a brand isn't a “one-time set and forget” project. It takes development and refinement, research, and testing. Brands evolve. Settling on a specific look without the ability to adapt will limit a brands’ potential. Branding requires consistency and commitment with a particular set of tools. Brands aren't built overnight, turning the business and brand into something recognisable will take time and effort. Be prepared to put in the hard yards, and to polish your creation while adapting over time to meet the market.

● Conduct a competitive analysis.

Analysing the market to see who the competitors are will help you position your business for success. Take time to research your top 3-5 competitors, identify the similarities and differences with the business, their branding, product, and pricing, and use what you find to help express your own take on the market.

● Remember - new brands are born every day.

It’s a competitive and saturated market. Turning your business into a success requires more than just a great idea. It has to cut through the online clutter to engage with your customers. Having a long-term brand strategy in place is essential.

Online platforms are used by billions of people every day. They have the potential to help the business grow rapidly if leveraged. Content will always play a key role in standing out online. However, it's essential to leverage it by making it interactive and aesthetically pleasing.

With consistent effort and communication, your online presence can truly boost your business success. Using the strategies mentioned above is a great start, getting professional brand management early on however will give your journey online a real boost.

Companies like YESpbm will focus on key components of that journey for you. Such as, in YESpbm’s case, the Personal Brand Management of key stakeholders, such as the founder or entrepreneur behind a startup, or key hires along the way.