Are you presenting your business correctly online?

When individuals approach us and want to know what the market value of their business is, we not only preform a comprehensive business valuation, we also consult them on how to add value to their business where they can.

One major area that many businesses lack in, especially brick and mortar establishments, is creating a meaningful web presence. From basic marketing aesthetics (like a decent logo), to leveraging an email list, there are many things that are not so difficult to implement but will drive sales, garner a positive customer experience and increase a business valuation.

Here are some tips on how to improve your business’ web presence to maximize its value.

Have a professional looking website

These days, you need a quality website if you are looking to communicate what your company stands for, even if you deliver services that could be provided without ever having a single byte of information on the Internet. When assessing companies to decide which one to go with, customers will Google your name and those of your competitors. What they see when your landing page pops up constitutes the critical first impression that they get of you. As a result of this, having a sharp logo, clean design, and compelling and effective copy will vault you in front of your peers that may have paid less attention to the finer points of web marketing.

Bonus tip: Make sure you claim your Business’ Google Maps/Business listing so you can fill out the complete profile, input your correct address, phone number, website, etc. This is extremely important. Also make sure to include that same information (exactly how it looks on Google) somewhere on the homepage of your website. This helps Google verify you are who you say you are.

Leverage a mailing list to build authority and trust in the eyes of buyers

In the not so distant past, business owners often only used direct mail to build a list of customers that they could keep updated based on field events, as well as offer new products that could solve problems as they arose in the world at large.

In the modern age, this engagement tool hasn’t changed … it has merely evolved into being logged and delivered via e-mail in addition to the postal service. Using this digital medium to deliver massive value in your area of expertise is a way to build not just an engaged customer base, but can also establish your brand as an authority in your niche. Both of these benefits are huge when you get a business valuation done, as a passionate e-mail list is priceless to an entrepreneur that wants to plug into a pre-constructed infrastructure and begin making money as quickly as possible.

Publish a blog that is updated consistently

Another way to establish authority in your market is to start a blog, and to update it on a regular basis. Not only will you be able to go into depth about how knowledgeable you are in your area of business, but you’ll also keep your site fresh in the eyes of Google, which is vitally important when you are competing against other local businesses in the area of hyper-local searches. You’ll also get a chance to pull in customers on the e-commerce side of your business via the methodical use of linked keywords, whose revenues will only add to the overall value of your enterprise. The boost that blogging gives to your overall performance can only help you when the time comes to put up your business for sale; as little as one post a month has the potential to make a difference, so be sure to block off an hour to sit down, put your thoughts to paper (well keyboard) and give it a try.