By Tina Hilton of Clerical Advantage

Building a web presence for your business has at least one similarity to building your home, you have to have a solid foundation to build on. The foundation for your web presence is your website. It’s the one item you must have. And as I’ve mentioned before, it can’t be a simple page sitting on the web with your business name and contact information.  Once upon a time on the Internet that would have made visitors happy, but not anymore. Today’s web surfers are looking for an interactive experience.  By interactive I mean that your web visitors want to be able to interact with your business in several ways.
First, they want to be able to contact you from your website. This can mean offering them an e-mail address or a contact form of some sort that allows them to connect with you while still visiting your website.
They also want information. Details. You should share information about your business, yourself and even your employee’s if you have them. The more information you share, the more familiar your visitors are going to feel with your company. Familiarity means that the next time they are looking for what you’re offering, chances are better that they’ll think of you.
Keep it fresh. Your goal should be to keep your visitors coming back, the more often they return, the better chance you’re going to get their business or they’ll refer your business to someone they know.  If you’re not adding something new to your website on a frequent basis, they’ll have no reason to return. A blog, pictures of your business taking part in community activities, a newsletter posted to the site, links to other relevant information, these are all excellent ways of keeping it fresh.
Give them something of value.  Think about your visitors. What are they looking for? Can you give them information that can help them make a decision? Is there a certain age group that are more likely to be drawn to your site?  Aging baby boomers might appreciate links to information on getting ready for retirement, whereas if your visitors are college aged consumers the top ten Spring Break destinations might be a better fit. Whomever they are, giving them the information they are looking for makes your site valuable to them.
Are you thinking this sounds like a huge undertaking?  It’s not as bad as it sounds. One of the trends in websites is to actually have what is called a blogsite.  A blogsite combines an easy to update blog with elements of a traditional website. If you’re not someone who can do it yourself, companies like G2Web Media are building amazing, professional blogsites.  You can also outsource much of the updating aspect of your site, hiring a virtual assistant to add pictures and newsletters, a ghostwriter or shadowblogger to keep your blog fresh keeps it from tying up your valuable time.
Whatever it takes, it’s worth the time, effort and cost to have a great website that keeps your visitors coming back for more. It’ll be a strong foundation upon which to build your web presence.

Next Week: Pt. II- Blogging for Business

If you have questions concerning virtual assistance or have an interest in working with a virtual assistant you can contact Tina Hilton or visit her business website for Clerical Advantage.