Do You Google Yourself? – The Importance Of Having An Online Presence

This funny excerpt from the hit US comedy series 30 Rock makes a joke out of ‘googling yourself’. The point of this article is to highlight the importance of having an online presence.

There is nothing funny about googling yourself, it is not rude or sinister, or a vanity exercise. It is simply a means of reviewing your online presence and finding out what information, be that good or bad, is available about you, your brand, or your business to the world at large.

If you are a small business owner or you run a business from home then the importance of having an online presence should not be overlooked. There are many ways to establish an online presence, the benefit being that Google and other search engine platforms can find you and advertise your business to your potential customer base.

Give me an example of the importance of having an online presence.

• You own an events planning company in Idaho. Somebody new comes to the neighbourhood and wants to arrange a house warming party. How do they find you? Unless you have a relationship with every realtor in the state and they let you know of every single person moving to the area and you take the time to introduce yourself to everyone then that person will not find you.
• You are a niche fashion designer, and you’ve been trying for months to get the attention of a leading retailer. One day by chance you get chatting to a woman who purchases stock for a retail company -you don’t have a business card to give her, so she googles you when she gets back to the office, and ….. nothing, she can’t find you. The opportunity is lost.
• 3 months after a networking event you attended, somebody you were speaking to remembered something interesting you were talking about that would fit with a new product or service that they were launching. In the 3 months they lost your business card but remembered your name…..so they put it into a search engine and ……..nothing. A possible joint venture opportunity gone.

OK, so these examples maybe extreme but who is to say that they could not happen or that they do not happen on a daily basis? The importance of having an internet presence cannot be scoffed at. In fact you could say that a well maintained and updated internet presence is as valuable as having an extra salesman.

What does Google say about you?

Google yourself now, just enter your name or the name of your business in the search box. What comes up in the search results? Chances are you are no Bill Gates, you don’t have an instantly recognisable brand that has been built up over half a century so there won’t be pages and pages of valuable information. If you are a small home business owner and entrepreneur looking to establish yourself in your marketplace, you may see a website from when you first started that has not been updated for a while, or you may find some pictures of you from “that night”at college. Is that the image you want to portray for you and your business?

So what should Google say?

This all depends on your brand and what message you are trying to convey. As a minimum, if somebody takes time out of their day to search for you or your business they should be rewarded for their trouble. Remember if somebody is searching for you there is a reason, it could be that they want to know more about you, it could be that they are interested in your product or service or that they want to suggest a partnership. Above all, make sure they find relevant and valuable information about you and your business. Make sure you can give them more than one way to contact you and definitely give them a place where they can leave their details so you can contact them.

How can I establish an internet presence quickly?

The quickest way to establish an internet presence is to set up a personal account with one of the social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. These tools are free and very simple to use. Start by uploading a photograph and a short biography about yourself, or even a video, so that the next time somebody is searching for you they are greeted with a beaming smile and an introduction to you and your business.

The importance of having an online presence is not to be underestimated and in my opinion it’s crucial for the success of any business moving forward, particularly a small home based business. The Internet can potentially be a 24 hour a day extra member of staff, your business card, messaging and advertising service and more.

If you like this post then you can follow this blog by entering your name and email address in the blue box below where it says RSS feed so you will be alerted when there is a new post. Leave a comment or share this with your friends, let me know how many times You Google yourself a day, using any of the social media links. After all, the importance of having an online presence is really all about staying updated and keeping in touch.

About

James Debono is a small business owner and Internet entrepreneur. James dedicates his time to helping other small business owners leverage the power of the Internet to drive business growth and positive change. Click here Join James Debono on Google+

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