Your small business needs a robust digital presence to thrive. We share actionable tips for boosting visibility, engaging customers, and building brand loyalty.
Are you a small business owner looking to reach a broader audience? Are you looking for tools to provide quick and efficient customer service or reduce the steps customers take to complete a sale?
An improved digital presence can positively impact each of these areas. A strong and well-curated digital footprint also allows you to build awareness and deepen your customers' trust in your brand.
You probably have limited bandwidth to take on a new project, so let us use our expertise to share some practical strategies for improving your digital presence.
What Does Digital Presence Mean?
Let’s start with the basics. What is ‘digital presence?’
Digital presence has two main parts: your online brand content and how visible that content is to audiences. It is measured in how your brand appears across various digital channels, including your website, social media platforms, online directories, and more. While publishing new content to these channels is core to growing your digital presence, it is not the sole factor you need to consider. Content quality, usefulness, and visibility all play a role.
Effective curation of your digital presence can get your brand in front of new audiences and effectively communicate your value to customers.
While a physical footprint is still crucial for most businesses, a digital footprint is becoming the primary way customers interact with brands. Here are a few places brands turn to interact with online audiences:
A website
Social channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn)
Email marketing platforms (Mailchimp, Gmail, Flodesk)
Content platforms (Spotify, Youtube, Pinterest)
E-commerce platforms (Amazon, Etsy, Shopify)
Review Sites (Google My Business, Bing Places, Yelp, Trip Advisor)
Building a Digital Presence Foundation
Chances are you already have some sort of digital presence for your business. Deciding what to do next can be daunting. We always recommend setting your digital foundation on these three fundamental ideas:
Have a professional-looking website.
Use search engine optimization (SEO) best practices to improve the visibility of your website.
Regularly create and publish customer-focused content.
These three priorities will help increase your small business’s digital visibility, allowing you to convert new audiences into loyal, engaged customers.
How Do These Boost Customer Engagement?
A website is your digital storefront. When your customers have questions, want to learn more, or wish to purchase, they look to your website first.
First impressions matter, so a welcoming, professional, and easy-to-navigate website goes a long way toward setting a good tone.
SEO tactics help search engines like Google understand the value of your website. When a customer does an internet search, there are three main hurdles they need to overcome to find you.
Are they using search terms that are relevant to your products or services?
Does the search engine know your site has the answers the user needs?
Is your content reliable?
You have complete control over your website content, but you have no control over the search terms the customer uses. SEO focuses on that middle step. By using standardized formatting and website structure, you can give search engines the best chance to connect your content to the right queries.
Customer-focused content is the fuel that drives reach. Your content is not limited to your website. Between social media posts, podcasts, YouTube videos, news articles, and guest blogging, your content has the potential for a considerable reach.
One of the core business decisions you’ll need to make for your digital presence strategy is selecting which platforms you want to focus on. Finding the platforms on which your potential customers hang out is an excellent way to get started. If your audience is older, you might consider creating high-quality content and ads for Facebook. If they’re on the younger side, consider brushing up on the current TikTok trends.
It is tempting to become overly focused on social media. The potential for quick responses can be very rewarding, and social media marketing is quite trendy at the moment. Do not overlook social media, but start with your website if you are looking for that first baby step. Building quality social media content is easier if you have good website content. Going the other direction is quite a bit more complicated.
Get your professional, mobile-friendly website up and running, then work on building out your other digital channels to support your central sales platform.
Digital Presence Health Check
If you have been in business for any time, you already have some kind of digital presence.
Before making any significant changes, a quick digital presence audit to evaluate your online performance and brand reputation may be called for.
You can run a basic audit of your online visibility on your own. If you want to consider a more comprehensive audit that uses website analytics tools and social media metrics dashboards, skip to the next section.
What a Health Check Can Teach You
An audit of your digital footprint is designed to help you answer the following questions:
Can my business be found through non-branded searches? Does your audience need to know your brand name to find your business online? A solid digital presence means potential customers can find your products and services using non-branded searches that use generic terms related to your industry and location. If you were a barbershop, do people need to search ‘Dave’s Barbershop’ to find you? Or could they find you by searching ‘Barber Shops near me’?
Is my business accurately listed on maps and navigation platforms? If your audience finds you on a map or navigation platform, will they see consistent and correct details (business name, address, hours of operation)?
Is customer feedback up-to-date and positive? For a quick check on your brand reputation, check out your reviews on Google, Yelp, and other review sites. A brand with a strong digital presence will have current, positive reviews. Are most reviews outdated or inaccurate? Are there only a few reviews or no reviews at all? These can indicate a poor digital presence or a negative brand reputation.
Is my business information on social media platforms accurate? Do your Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages have consistent and correct contact information?
Am I active and engaging on social media platforms? Are your profiles current, and are you engaging with your audience through posts, comments, and messages? Is your content providing value? Do customers click through to your website?
How does my business compare to my competitors online? When I search for services or products that my business offers, how does my business rank compared to my competitors? Are their profiles more complete or better reviewed? What can I learn from their digital presence and apply to my own?
How to Run a Simple Digital Presence Audit
Are you ready to audit your digital presence? Here is an easy and cost-free digital footprint assessment you can run now. This step-by-step guide is designed to help you see your digital presence from your audiences’ perspective.
Step 1: Google Search
Perform a Branded Search: Start by opening an Incognito window in your browser. Search your brand name in a Google search bar. Take note of the following:
Does your business appear at the top of the search results, or do you have to scroll or click to a new page to find it?
Does the search result provide you with a link to your website?
Is the information displayed in the right-hand Knowledge Panel (business hours, phone number, website) accurate?
Check if Google shows recent updates or posts from your Google Business Profile.
Perform a Non-Branded Search: Using the same Incognito window, search for key terms or phrases relevant to your business without using your brand name (e.g., "best pizza in [city]" or "affordable hair salon in [neighborhood]").
Does your business appear on the first page of results?
If not, note which competitors rank higher and what they do differently on their websites to earn their higher ranking.
What kind of pages does Google offer when you do these searches? Do they lead you to competitor home pages? Do they open blogs, service pages, or web stores?
(Optional) Repeat these searches on other search engines
Repeat the branded and non-branded searches on Bing, Yahoo, or DuckDuckGo.
Step 2: Google Maps
Search for Your Business on Google Maps: Look up your business using branded and non-branded searches on the Google Maps app. If you limit the search to map results, you can also do the search on a desktop browser.
Is there a business profile?
Do you own/have control of your business profile?
Is the business pin location accurate?
Are all the essential details—business hours, website, and phone number—correct?
Review the photos shown. Are they recent and accurately portraying your business?
Check Reviews and Ratings
Look at your star rating and recent reviews.
Are there any negative reviews that haven’t been addressed? Respond to these if possible.
Take note of competitor businesses in your area, particularly those with higher ratings or more reviews.
Step 3: Apple Maps
Search for Your Business on Apple Maps: Like Google Maps, search for your business using branded and non-branded terms.
Is the business listed?
Do you own/have control of your business profile?
Is the information correct (e.g., address, hours)? Does it match the information in Google Maps?
Is your business easy to find, or are competitors ranking higher in search results?
Check the photos and reviews (if applicable) for accuracy.
Step 4: Yelp, TripAdvisor, or Other Review Platforms
Search for Your Business
Ensure your business is listed on Yelp, TripAdvisor, or any relevant niche platforms. If it's not, create the listing.
Do you own/have control of your business listing? If not, claim it.
Is the information correct (e.g., address, hours)? Does it match the information in Google Maps, Apple Maps, and the other review platforms?
Check reviews—are they recent and relevant to your business today?
Competitive Analysis
Search for your competitors to understand how they are being reviewed.
Do they have more or higher-quality reviews?
Do they have a more detailed, up-to-date profile?
Step 5: Social Media Platforms
Search for Your Business
Check if your page populates when you search your business name. Keep in mind that you don’t need a profile on every platform. Most businesses don’t need a Pinterest profile, so be selective.
If there is a profile for your business or brand, do you own or have control of the listing?
Finally, review the basic details: Is your contact information, hours, and business description current?
Check Profile Details
Review your bio, link (Instagram allows up to 5 now!), and contact details. Are they clear and accurate?
Browse your recent posts, mentions, and hashtags to ensure they’re high-quality and align with your brand’s image. Try to view these through the lens of a potential customer.
Evaluate Content and Engagement
Are you posting regularly on channels you want to be active on? Does the content reflect your brand and engage with your audience?
Does your business/brand respond to messages and comments? Social platforms track this, and it’s visible to users.
Compare your posts with competitors' pages. Are they getting more engagement, shares, or likes? If so, analyze what might be driving that.
Does your content clearly state who you are, what you do, and who you do it for? Would a new audience be confused?
Are you participating in trending conversations or events related to your business?
Are You Ready for a More Advanced Audit?
If you’ve been working on your digital presence for some time, you might be ready to dig deeper. Unless you have an internal marketing team, you would likely benefit from contacting a marketing expert for this step.
Advanced Digital Presence Audit Tools
Advanced audits use free and paid platforms to deliver more information. Usually, requesting an audit from experts who already use these tools is more cost-effective than purchasing access to them yourself.
Let’s look at some of these tools that expert marketers use to audit your digital assets and analyze the digital presence of close competitors to identify content gaps and opportunities for improvement.
SEO Audit Tools Like SEMrush and Ahrefs
SEMrush and Ahrefs are great third-party, paid tools that provide in-depth SEO analysis. They help marketers track keyword rankings, monitor backlinks, and conduct competitor research.
SEO Audit tools are excellent for understanding your website's performance on search engines and identifying opportunities to improve your SEO strategy. While SEMrush and Ahrefs offer similar functionalities, each has its strengths.
Key benefits of using SEO Audit tools in an advanced audit:
Keyword Tracking: Monitor the keywords your website ranks for and identify new keywords to target for improved visibility in search engines.
Competitor Analysis: Discover which keywords and content drive traffic to your competitors and find gaps in your strategy that you can capitalize on.
Backlink Audit: Analyze your site’s backlink profile to check the quality and quantity of links pointing to your site and identify new link-building opportunities to boost domain authority (an SEO metric).
Site Audits: Use the tools to comprehensively audit your website’s health to find any potential issues like broken links, slow-loading pages, or missing meta tags that could hurt your rankings.
Social Media Audit Tools Like Hootsuite and Sprout Social
For auditing social media presence and performance, paid tools like Hootsuite and Sprout Social provide in-depth metrics and insights to help businesses understand and optimize their social media strategy. Both platforms are designed for robust social media management, including scheduling posts, competitor analysis, engagement tracking, and performance analysis across various social platforms.
Key benefits of using Hootsuite and Sprout Social in an advanced social media audit:
Engagement Analytics: Track and analyze likes, comments, shares, and overall engagement to gauge audience interest and interaction.
Audience Demographics: Gain insights into your audience’s age, gender, location, and interests to refine your content and targeting strategies.
Content Performance: Identify which posts generate the most engagement or reach, allowing for a more targeted content strategy.
Sentiment and Brand Monitoring: Monitor social media mentions to understand brand sentiment and respond to real-time audience feedback.
Scheduling Insights: Use data on engagement trends to schedule posts for optimal reach, boosting the visibility of your content.
Social media audit tools can better understand how your brand is perceived across social platforms, identify strengths, and develop a more effective strategy.
Google’s Native Tools
Google offers two powerful and free-to-use tools—Google Search Console (GSC) and Google Analytics (GA)—to help you monitor, analyze, and improve your digital presence. Together, these tools provide a comprehensive view of your website’s performance in search results, user behavior, and engagement metrics. Here’s how each tool supports an advanced audit:
Google Search Console: Google Search Console (GSC) is an essential SEO tool for gaining insights into your website's performance in Google search results. GSC provides data on keyword rankings, click-through rates, and search queries driving traffic to your site. It also highlights technical issues, such as indexing errors or mobile usability problems, which can impact visibility.
Key benefits of using Google Search Console:
Search Query Insights: See which keywords and phrases users enter to find your website and your ranking for these terms.
Indexing and Crawl Errors: Get notifications of any issues preventing Google from crawling or indexing your site.
Performance Metrics: Track impressions, clicks, and click-through rates (CTR) to assess content effectiveness.
Mobile Usability: Given Google’s focus on mobile-first indexing, GSC allows you to monitor and optimize your site’s mobile performance.
Google Analytics: Google Analytics (GA) provides invaluable insights into visitor behavior on your website. Although it can be complex to set up, GA allows you to track key metrics such as page views, session duration, bounce rates, and traffic sources. GA is a cornerstone for understanding user journeys, identifying top-performing content, and tracking conversions to refine marketing strategies.
Key benefits of using Google Analytics:
Audience Insights: Understand audience demographics, behavior, and interests to optimize your content and marketing efforts.
Traffic Sources: Discover where your traffic originates—organic search, social media, direct traffic, or referrals—and measure each channel’s performance.
Behavior Flow: Visualize how users navigate your site to identify bottlenecks or areas to improve the user experience.
Goal Tracking: Set up goals like form submissions or purchases to gauge your site’s success in driving conversions.
By leveraging these native Google tools, businesses can gain a complete picture of their visibility in search and users' behavior once they arrive on the site, making it easier to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth.
Social Media Native Tools
Native social media tools are analytics and management features built directly into social media platforms. They provide users with insights and data specific to each platform, including engagement metrics, audience demographics, content performance, and scheduling options. Native tools are generally free to access and offer direct insights into each platform’s unique metrics, making them valuable resources for businesses looking to understand their digital presence without requiring additional subscriptions.
Key benefits of using native social media tools in an advanced audit:
Platform-Specific Insights: Native tools provide metrics tailored to each platform's features and audience, offering data that may be more accurate or relevant than third-party tools.
Real-Time Data: Native tools update metrics frequently, allowing real-time adjustments and insights.
Audience Understanding: Native tools offer demographic and behavioral data to help brands understand their audience’s preferences and habits on each platform.
Some popular social media native tools include:
Meta Business Suite: A comprehensive dashboard for managing Facebook and Instagram content.
X Analytics: Formerly Twitter Analytics, this tool allows you to monitor post performance, including impressions, engagement rates, and follower growth.
LinkedIn Analytics & Tools: Insights focused on a professional audience, providing data on post performance, audience demographics, and engagement metrics.
TikTok Analytics: This dashboard allows users to track video performance, audience demographics, and follower activity trends.
YouTube Analytics: This tool offers metrics on viewer retention, engagement (likes, dislikes, comments), and channel growth.
By leveraging these native social media tools, brands can monitor their performance, understand their audiences, and tailor their strategies to each platform's unique strengths. Using platform-specific insights allows for more precise targeting and a more effective social media presence across multiple channels.
Start Building Your Digital Footprint
As we’ve emphasized throughout this article, the key to building an incredible digital footprint that tells your brand’s story and connects with your target audience is to start small.
Your digital presence is an ongoing project that takes years to curate, but starting with the proper foundation and solid small-business branding will allow it to blossom over time.
Step one is to examine your website, write content, and share that content.
Here are some practical steps you can take to do just that.
Align Your Website with the Customer Journey
Dedicate time each week or month to exploring your website with fresh eyes. Consider how well your site supports your customer journey.
Walk through your site as if you were a new visitor or a customer with a question. Look for opportunities to simplify navigation, clarify messaging, and remove any barriers that would prevent customers from making a purchase or contacting your team.
Make small adjustments. You’ll find problems faster than you’ll implement solutions. Don’t stress about keeping up. Every little change is progress.
This month, work on improving page load times. Next month, reconsider your calls to action. Next quarter, spend some effort to simplify checkout options. These refinements will add up over time and ensure your website reflects your business’s professionalism and brand value.
Write Content
One of the best ways to enhance your digital presence is by regularly sharing valuable, relevant content about your business.
Each month, set aside time to write one or two pages of content related to your business, brand, or industry. You can explain what your company does, answer common customer questions, or discuss the value of your products or services.
If you don’t know what to write, consider defining industry terms, discussing trends, or showcasing fun or unique aspects of your business. This kind of content builds trust, positions you as an authority in your field, and gives potential customers a reason to engage with your brand.
Share Your Content
Once you’ve created valuable content, make it a habit to share it. Start with your website. Add what you have written to existing pages, or make new pages to house your content. Then, consider making a version for an email newsletter. Or find pull quotes from your work to share on your primary social media platform.
Break longer pieces into short posts, create simple visuals to highlight key points, or share snippets of your content in comments and replies to related posts from others. This repetition keeps your brand active across channels. It allows more people to discover your business through multiple touchpoints, whether they find you on social media, search engines, or your website.
There is so much more to building a digital presence that you can learn, but focusing on these three areas gives you a solid foundation to build momentum over time. With consistent effort, these small steps can help attract customers, build credibility, expand your reach, and allow you to start learning more about growing your digital presence.
Are You Looking for a Digital Presence Partner?
Building a solid foundation for your digital presence offers several long-term benefits, including earning brand loyalty, maintaining strong customer retention, increasing your online visibility, and, ultimately, helping you reach the business growth goals you’ve set for yourself.
We know first-hand how much work goes into building and maintaining your digital presence. We know it can feel overwhelming, and as a busy business owner, the last thing you need is to add something more to your already overflowing plate.
At Forth & Sons, we aim to break this process down into bite-sized steps and help you implement each step as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Our processes are designed to give you a competitive edge and future-proof your marketing for years. From one small business to another, we know what it takes to see small businesses succeed through digital transformation.
If you’d like to learn more about how partnering with Forth & Sons can help you optimize your digital presence, check out our website audit services. This is the first step we take with small businesses to understand what efforts they’ve already implemented and how we can help point them in the right direction on their path to digitalization. Our team is looking forward to guiding you through the same process!
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