Whether a person is looking for a good dry cleaner, a tree removal service, or a used car, they are far more likely to turn on their computer than open a phonebook. Quick online searches can provide local options, customer reviews, product descriptions, and a lot more. An increasing number of customers begin even their in-store purchases with online research. In order to reach this client base, businesses and organizations must develop an effective online presence.

By ensuring that they can be found on the web, small business owners can turn site visitors into customers. After first covering the bases of registering for free online business listings such as Google Places and Yahoo Local, you need a website to inform customers about your business, products or services, and where to find you. An effective website can be thought of as a more elaborate and informative version of a business card. It is available for people to look over at their leisure to find out information on what the business offers, get their questions answered, and learn how to contact them.

In addition to website development, the Strom Center also develops platforms for social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, which offer a tremendous amount of opportunity to reach out to an online audience and start a dialogue. By adding social media to the mix, small businesses and organizations can also begin engaging their customer base in conversation. The ability to pose direct questions to customers and receive honest, real-time feedback is extremely beneficial to any business owner. If the company website is thought of as a business card, social media is the conversation had when handing it out.

The Strom Center also offers its clients assistance in the area of search engine optimization (SEO). Proper SEO allows a website to be found more easily and more frequently through sites such as Google and Bing, and can make a big difference in whether or not a target audience is reached. A successful SEO strategy is a combination of creating great content and organizing it in a way that is highly visible to search engines. SEO needs to be considered during each step of the web design process.

The Strom Center’s web and social media services have been utilized by an increasing number of clients looking to establish an effective online presence. Some examples of recent client work can be seen at www.FaithExpressionsChristian.com, www.APIDickinson.org, and NDSubstanceAbuse.com. Those interested in learning more about the benefits of being online, or would like details on Strom Center services, can visit our Services page.

By Clayton Kraby