Is Your Online Presence Dressed For Success?
Just like dressing for success can help you make a great first impression in the real world, presenting yourself well online will have a major impact on how others perceive you.
Whether in the real world or online, first impressions are critically important for establishing the tone of your business relationships. After all, you never get a second chance to make a great first impression.
So then how can you ensure that your online presence is dressed for success?
Think of your online presence as a virtual you that takes over when the physical you isn’t available. Then consider what parts of the physical you can be incorporated into your online presence to create an authentic online representation of you that will make the same fabulous first impression as your physical self.
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Projecting a Professional Presence
Your online presence is a virtual representation of you and your personal brand. Just as you would dress and act professionally when meeting prospects and customers, your website and social channels should do the same.
Studies show that people will decide whether they like you or not within seconds of meeting you, and it’s hard to change their initial impression. So it stands to reason that they will also form a lasting initial impression of you and your business based on the appearance of your website and social channels.
Therefore, it’s important that your online presence position you and your brand in the most favorable light possible and showcase your skills, expertise and values.
Questions to ask yourself:
Do I have a consistent profile image across all my social channels, and is it appropriate for my business and the audience I want to attract?
Are my bios consistent across all channels, and do they accurately reflect what I want to be known for?
Is my visual branding consistent across all my social channels and my website?
Does my website look clean, modern and professional, and is it mobile-friendly?
Is my website content up to date, and does it address the needs of my target audience?
Putting Your Visitors at Ease
A good salesperson usually begins any live meeting or sales call with friendly small talk that puts their prospect at ease and builds rapport so they will be more open to the sales pitch. Good salespeople will also project warmth and openness through their body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
Your online presence should do the same. It should make your visitors feel welcome and put them at ease by quickly letting them know they are in the right place. Your content should be about topics that are relevant to your audience, written in conversational language that speaks to them as an individual rather than someone who’s part of a generic group.
Questions to ask yourself:
Is my messaging consistent across my website and all social channels so that regardless of which platform someone visits, they’ll know who I am, what my business is about and whether or not I can help them?
Are my language and tone appropriate for the audience I want to attract and serve?
Is my content providing enough value to my target audience that they want to return and consume more of it?
Is my content sufficient to convince my target audience that I know how to help them better than anyone else?
Is my website content up to date, and does it address the needs of my target audience?
Answering Questions
When interacting with prospects one-on-one, you can respond to their questions and concerns in real-time to put their mind at ease and get them excited to buy.
When you’re not available, your website and social channels need to do this for you. Most people prefer to do the bulk of their research online and evaluate options before reaching out to make a purchase inquiry. They expect that sellers will provide all the necessary information online.
Therefore, if your online presence doesn’t include the information needed for their evaluation, they will likely move on to a competitor’s website. And then the odds are good that you’ve just lost an opportunity to make a sale.
Questions to ask yourself:
Is my website easy to navigate so prospects can quickly find the information they need?
Does my website fully explain the value of my product or service so that prospects will be excited to buy?
Does my website address the most common questions and objections I get during sales calls?
If I require prospects to contact me for additional information, such as pricing, have I made it easy for them to contact me, and have I given them a clear and compelling enough reason to do so?
Are there posts I can pin to my social profiles that will address common questions and objections?
Do my social profiles include a link to my website?
Driving Next Steps
During live sales calls, you can guide the conversation towards a specific CTA (call to action) that lets your prospect know what they need to do to move the relationship forward. Without that guidance, your prospect would leave the meeting or Zoom call or hang up the phone feeling confused about what’s supposed to happen next. It’s very likely that without your guidance, they would end up doing nothing.
When you’re not there to deliver a specific CTA to your prospect, your online presence needs to do it for you. You won’t want to miss out on opportunities to connect with people interested in your product or service, so leverage your website and social channels to establish and build relationships.
Questions to ask yourself:
What do I want prospects to do after visiting my website – make an online purchase? Book a discovery call? Provide their contact information by downloading a lead magnet? Sign up for an eNewsletter?
Is my CTA clear, as well as clearly visible?
How can I make my CTA irresistible to my target audience?
The Bottom Line
Just as dressing for success can help you stand out in a crowd, presenting yourself well online will help you stand out in a sea of virtual competition.
You are your business’s greatest asset and the most important factor for its continued success. Your online presence should therefore represent you as authentically as possible and give your audience a virtual introduction to you and your business as if you were speaking to them in person.
