The new year is right around the corner, which means its a crazy time for business owners! Its been a little hectic juggling everything that comes with the holidays, on top of keeping business going during a pandemic. So congratulations to everyone who survived and made it to the end of 2020!

That being said, it’s important to make sure your online presence is strong and steady this coming year. It’s still unclear how long this pandemic will last, so the more visible and accessible your brand, products and services are online, the better.

To make things simple, here’s a quick checklist you can follow to make sure you have the basics ready to go this coming year!

1 – Update Your Website

This is probably the most important item on this list. If your customers need to know your business hours, updates on COVID procedures, or need to purchase products and services online, then your website needs to be updated on a regular basis. Your website is the first place customers will go, even before calling.

Make sure you post the most important announcements on the front page, and that all other changes are easy to find on your website.

Now is also a good time to update your images! Photos of team members, products, or inside your store should all be updated to reflect how they look currently.

2 – Post on Social Media Regularly

Your audience needs to be able to interact with your brand online, and not just through your website. Social media platforms give you the ability to build and audience and then drive that traffic to your website, where conversions ideally should happen.

If you’re not posting on a regular basis, potential customers could incorrectly assume your business is not operational anymore, or that you’re not available at the moment to take their business.

So make sure you’re posting at a frequency that makes sense for your company! Some businesses are just fine posting once a week, while others need to post multiple times a day. Other businesses post more in stories than in their feeds. But it all depends on your audience and where they interact with you the most.

3 – Refresh Your Email Marketing Campaigns

Do you have an old sequence that needs some refreshing? Automating makes it easy to set campaigns up and let them run by themselves, but don’t forget to check in and make sure that all the info is still correct!

You can also take a look at your current campaign strategy and change it up. Do you only send a newsletter every quarter? Think about other kinds of campaigns you could implement this year to help your business grow and retain your current customer base.

4 – Get an Online Marketing Strategy

This is the second most important item on this list, because you can have a really pretty website, and great looking social media feeds and emails, but if there is no overall strategy, then nothing will be effective.

What is your overall goal online? “Making more money” doesn’t count. Be specific! Are you looking to create brand awareness? Do you want to focus on conversions? What about increasing sales on specific products? Start with one main goal and then create a strategy around it. Doing this will help you create an effective funnel that works for your business and customers.

5 – Get More Testimonials

Testimonials often get overlooked, but are so vital to creating social proof that your business is the best! The easiest way to collect testimonials is through Google Reviews, but you can also ask your customers directly via email or social media to collect their feedback as well.

It’s important to establish your business as the best in your industry, and posting all the positive feedback you get from your customers is the best way to do that. Testimonials build trust in your brand, and could help convince skeptical would-be clients that they should do business with you, or buy your products.

And that’s the short list!

If you need help with any of the items listed above in 2021, I’m here to help! Click here to schedule a free consultation with me, and let’s discuss how to get your online presence on track in the new year. Happy New Year everyone!