15 Ways to Build a Spectacular Online Presence

How to build a solid online presence

Creating an effective online presence doesn’t require doing everything at once, but it does require being intentional about how your business shows up online. The following 15 strategies focus on practical improvements that help customers find you, understand what you offer and engage with your business more easily.

1. Provide a great user experience.

When designing your website, look at it from the standpoint of a user. Here are a few key elements to focus on to create a great customer experience that’s smooth and intuitive:

• Clear contact information: Your site should make it easy for visitors to find your contact information if they need to get in touch.
• Thoughtful visual design: The overall design should feel appealing and cohesive, with a stylish color scheme, readable fonts and engaging visuals.
• Fully functional elements: All forms, links and buttons should work properly so users don’t hit frustrating dead ends.
• Logical site structure: Your site structure should be straightforward and logical, with categories, subcategories and pages that connect clearly.

2. Think mobile-first.

Smartphones are now the primary way many people access the internet, and mobile usage cuts across every age group. According to Pew Research Center, 98 percent of U.S. adults ages 18 to 29 own a smartphone, along with 97 percent of those ages 30 to 49, 91 percent of those ages 50 to 64 and 79 percent of adults 65 and older. In other words, mobile access is no longer limited to younger audiences.

Those devices also play a central role in how people shop. As of 2025, Statista reports that smartphones account for 78 percent of global online retail traffic and 70 percent of online shopping orders. That means many customers first encounter your business (and decide whether to stick around) on a small screen. If your site is slow, cluttered or hard to navigate on mobile, you may lose their interest well before they’re ready to buy.

That’s why delivering product and service information in a mobile-optimized format is essential. Pages that load slowly, display poorly on smaller screens or require excessive zooming and scrolling can frustrate users and push them elsewhere. A mobile-friendly website makes it easier for visitors to browse, compare and take action, whether they’re learning about your business or ready to buy. As an added benefit, mobile-friendly content also supports stronger search rankings, helping more potential customers find you in the first place.

3. Make your website 100 percent secure.

If your website allows customers to pay online or share personal information, security is not optional: It’s a core part of earning trust. Visitors need to feel confident that their data is protected before they’re willing to complete a purchase or submit sensitive details.

Here are a few essential ways to signal that your site takes security seriously:

• Use reputable security services: Work with established security providers and payment processors that follow recognized industry standards for protecting customer data.
• Protect data with strong encryption: Reliable encryption helps protect sensitive business information, such as payment details and customer data, as it moves between your site and your customers.
• Display security indicators clearly: Prominently showing security badges, certificates and trust seals, especially on your homepage and checkout pages, reassures visitors that your site is safe to use.

A secure website helps build trust with e-commerce customers while protecting your business. When visitors trust your site, they’re more likely to complete transactions, return in the future and recommend your business to others.

4. Take advantage of social media and influencers.

Business social media tactics can help you connect with your target audience, but only if you focus on the platforms and strategies that make sense for your business. Here are some tips: 

• Choose the right platforms: Not every social media channel will deliver the same value for every business. While many platforms can help you reach customers, only a handful are likely to justify the time and investment required to maintain them. Focus on two or three platforms that offer the best chance of engagement, based on where your audience is most active and how well your content fits each channel. If you’re unsure where to start, creating a LinkedIn business profile and exploring Instagram and Facebook marketing strategies can be a great start.
• Stay visible and encourage engagement: Focus on posting consistently and frequently engaging followers so you become a “familiar face” in your customers’ social media feeds. Simple updates, quick polls and even direct questions can keep conversations going without overwhelming your followers, creating a steady presence that grows in recognition over time.
• Extend your reach with influencers: Content influencers can introduce your brand to audiences who already trust their recommendations, making them a great way to expand your reach when there’s a strong audience fit. This strategy can pay off: A survey by Tomoson found that some businesses report earning $6.50 in media value for every dollar spent on influencer marketing, although results vary by industry and campaign quality. Similarly, Influencer Marketing Hub reports that more than 80 percent of marketers consider influencer campaigns an effective part of their strategy.

5. Use email to reach prospects. 

Email newsletters may feel a bit old school, but they’re still a great way to communicate directly with prospects and customers. Most people check their email regularly, so it makes sense to use this channel to share updates, nurture relationships and drive traffic back to your website.

Some businesses hesitate to invest in email marketing because they worry their messages will land in spam folders or annoy recipients. That risk drops significantly when emails are relevant, well-timed and clearly focused on helping readers solve a problem or make a decision, not just promoting an offer.

Here are a few ways to make your email marketing campaigns more effective:

• Segment your audience: Organize subscribers into groups such as repeat customers, recent signups and former customers you haven’t engaged with in a while. Tailoring messages to each group helps your emails feel more personal and useful.
• Customize content and cadence: Adjust your messaging, tone and frequency based on each segment’s needs and behavior. Paying attention to timing helps ensure your emails get opened rather than ignored.
• Grow your list intentionally: Encourage email marketing list signups by adding opt-in forms to high-traffic pages on your website. Exit-intent email pop-ups can also capture visitors who are about to leave without converting.
• Maintain list quality: Clean up your subscriber list periodically by removing inactive recipients. This practice can improve your deliverability while helping you avoid running afoul of email laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and CAN-SPAM.

6. Start creating and distributing content.

Content gives your business a way to stay useful and visible long after someone leaves your website. A business blog, in particular, lets you answer common questions, explain how your products or services work and help potential customers solve problems before they’re ready to buy. This helpful content goes beyond driving traffic to help build credibility, position your business as knowledgeable and give customers a reason to come back. 

Here are a few ways to approach content creation strategically:

• Focus on customer-first topics: Your blog should reflect what your customers actually want to know. Educational posts, how-to guides, product usage tips and real-world examples all help answer questions and reduce uncertainty. This kind of content shows expertise without sounding promotional.
• Create content for different stages of the buying journey: Not every reader is ready to purchase right away, so your content should meet people where they are in the sales funnel. For example:
  • Top-of-funnel content introduces your brand and addresses broad questions or challenges. Beginner guides and problem-solving posts work well here.
  • Middle-of-funnel content helps readers compare options and understand outcomes. Case studies, deeper use-case explanations and practical comparisons are especially effective.
  • Bottom-of-funnel content supports purchase decisions with product tutorials, FAQs and content that addresses common concerns.
• Use content to guide, not push: Blog posts are an easy way to guide readers toward next steps without giving them a hard sell. For example, you can link to relevant landing pages or product resources while still keeping the content focused on helping rather than selling.
• Be consistent and realistic: You don’t need to publish every day to see results. Posting a few times a week with a variety of useful, high-quality content pieces can help you build momentum over time. Consistency matters more than volume; a simple content calendar can help you plan topics without feeling overwhelmed.
• Share your content where your audience already is: Promote new blog posts through your email newsletter and social media channels to extend their reach. A weekly email roundup and regular social sharing give readers more opportunities to discover your content and return to your site.

7. Optimize your site for search engines.

Promoting your content through email and social media helps keep existing audiences engaged, but it does little to reach people who don’t know about you yet. Search engine optimization (SEO) fills that gap by helping your website appear when potential customers are actively looking for information, products or services like yours.

At its core, a great SEO strategy is about making your site easier for both users and search engines to understand. A thoughtful approach focuses less on chasing algorithms and more on creating a website that’s clear, useful and technically sound.

Here are a few foundational elements that support strong search visibility:

• High-quality, authoritative content: Publishing helpful, well-written content signals credibility and gives search engines more reason to surface your pages.
• Relevant keywords and page details: Using accurate keywords in your content, titles and meta descriptions helps clarify what each page is about.
• Mobile responsiveness: Your content must look great and work properly on smaller screens, as so many visitors arrive via a mobile device.
• Fast loading times: Quick page-load speeds mean customers are less likely to become frustrated and abandon your content.
• Trusted backlinks: Links from reputable websites act as endorsements and can strengthen your site’s authority.

SEO is also an ongoing process, which is where measurement comes in. Tools like Google Analytics help you understand how visitors interact with your site by tracking metrics such as page views, time on page and conversions. That data can reveal which content resonates most and which pages may need refinement.

8. Target local searchers.

If your business serves specific cities or regions, local search is an excellent local marketing strategy. Local SEO works best when search engines can confidently connect your business to a physical location. That connection comes from consistent listings, accurate details and a strong local presence across trusted platforms.

Here are a few ways to strengthen your local visibility:

• Claim and optimize your business listings: Creating profiles on well-known directories helps establish credibility and improves your chances of appearing in local search results. 
• Use Google Business Profile to manage local visibility: A Google Business Profile allows you to control how your business appears in Google Search and Maps. Claiming your profile and filling it out completely — including hours, services, photos and updates — helps Google understand your business and show it to the right local audiences.
• Keep your business information consistent: Make sure your business name, address and phone number (NAP) are identical across every directory and listing. This uniformity builds trust with search engines and prevents confusion for potential customers.
• Create listings for each location you serve: If you have multiple business locations, create a separate listing for each and link those listings to location-specific pages on your website. This approach helps reinforce your relevance in each market and supports stronger local search performance.

9. Get more customer reviews.

Positive customer reviews play an important role in how people discover and evaluate local businesses. A steady stream of recent, great feedback helps build credibility with potential customers and can also influence how your business appears in local search results.

Reviews on platforms such as Google Business Profile, Yelp and Trustpilot all contribute to your online reputation. Google, in particular, factors review activity into local rankings, which means customer feedback affects both visibility and trust. Here are some tips:

• Make it easy for customers to leave reviews: Many review platforms allow you to link directly to your review page from emails or follow-up messages. Removing friction makes it more likely that satisfied customers will share their experiences while the interaction is still fresh.
• Respond thoughtfully to all reviews: Taking the time to respond to all online reviews  — especially to negative feedback — shows that you’re paying attention and willing to address concerns. While critical reviews are never fun to read, they give you an opportunity to demonstrate professionalism, accountability and a genuine commitment to customer satisfaction.
• Monitor patterns, not just individual comments: Keeping an eye on reviews over time can surface valuable insights. If the same issue appears repeatedly, it may point to an area of your business that needs improvement. Addressing those patterns can strengthen both your operations and your reputation.

Managing customer reviews isn’t just about protecting your image. Done well, it helps you understand your customers better, improve their experience and build trust with future prospects.

10. Participate in online forums and communities.

Online forums and communities can support your online presence in two important ways:

• Expanded business presence: First, they offer another place for your business to appear, especially when listings are consistent with your business name, address and phone number across the web. Some forums also offer paid listings or sponsorships, which can be worthwhile when the audience closely matches your target market. A smaller, highly relevant community is often more valuable than a massive one with little connection to what you sell.
• Show your authority: Second, forums give you an opportunity to demonstrate expertise and build credibility. Look for discussion boards or social groups where your audience already asks questions and shares advice. Contributing thoughtfully (without being overly promotional) helps establish trust over time. Even if people don’t need your products or services right away, consistent participation makes it more likely they’ll remember your business when the need arises.

11. Have a live chatbot and knowledge base on your site.

Live AI chatbots give customers a way to get answers quickly, even outside business hours. When connected to your website or customer systems, a chatbot can handle common questions, share order details or guide visitors to the right information without requiring immediate staff involvement. That kind of responsiveness improves the customer experience and can also help capture leads early in the buying process.

A knowledge base supports the same goal by letting customers help themselves. Housing FAQs, troubleshooting steps and product guidance in one place reduces repeat support requests and saves time for your customer service team. It also adds useful, searchable content to your site, which can support long-term visibility in search results.

12. Get involved in digital PR.

Digital PR helps expand your reach by putting your business in front of new audiences through credible third-party coverage. The key is to give journalists a story that’s genuinely relevant to their readers, not a generic promotional pitch. Local news outlets, trade publications and industry blogs are often good places to start when you have something timely or noteworthy to share.

Focus on building relationships with journalists whose audiences overlap with your own. When coverage does happen, track brand mentions using tools like Mention, then share those features through your blog and social media channels. Highlighting earned media reinforces credibility and helps extend the life of each placement.

13. Launch paid advertising campaigns.

Paid advertising can help your business gain visibility quickly by placing your content at the top of search results or directly into social media feeds. Platforms such as Google, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn allow you to reach specific audiences based on factors like search intent, demographics and interests.

Most paid campaigns operate on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, where you’re charged only when someone interacts with your ad. Costs and results can look very different depending on the platform, industry and targeting, which is why many businesses start with a modest test budget. Early performance data can help shape future campaigns before you invest more heavily.

14. Run retargeting campaigns.

Most visitors won’t convert the first time they land on your website. Retargeting campaigns help you reconnect with people who have already shown interest by visiting a product page, browsing your services or engaging with your content.

Ads from retargeting campaigns show up after someone has already interacted with your site, often on platforms like Google and Facebook. Because the audience has seen your business before, those ads tend to feel less intrusive and more familiar than first-touch advertising.

Retargeting is often most useful when it reflects what someone actually looked at, such as a specific product or service. Staying visible in this way can keep your business in mind while people continue comparing options, rather than depending on a single visit to do all the work.

15. Produce engaging video content.

Video has become a regular part of how people discover and engage with brands online. According to Statista, U.S. social media users spend an average of 52 minutes a day watching video content, a figure that continues to climb. That level of attention makes video a practical — not optional — format for reaching and holding audience interest.

A video content marketing strategy works especially well because it combines visuals, storytelling and personality in ways text alone often can’t. Platforms such as YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok all offer opportunities to connect with customers in a more direct, human way.

Here are a few video formats that tend to resonate with audiences:

• Customer testimonials: Real customers sharing their experiences can build trust and credibility more effectively than promotional messaging.
• Behind-the-scenes content: Showing what happens inside your business, whether in an office, workshop or storefront, helps humanize your brand.
• Before-and-after videos: For visually driven industries such as fitness, beauty or home improvement, transformation-focused videos clearly demonstrate value.
• How-to guides: Tutorials help customers get more from your products or services and position your business as helpful and knowledgeable. More advanced guides can also highlight lesser-known use cases.

As with written content, consistency matters. Posting videos on a regular schedule helps keep your audience engaged and gives people a reason to return as they become familiar with your brand.

The importance of a strong online presence

A strong online presence supports your business in four key ways, all of which work together to attract customers and support long-term growth.

• It creates community: An active online presence makes it easier to stay visible, share useful information and engage customers in ongoing conversations. Asking and answering questions, gathering feedback and responding thoughtfully helps sustain and grow customer relationships and keeps your business connected to its audience.
• It increases visibility: When customers search for the products or services you offer, a strong online presence improves your chances of appearing where they’re looking. Showing up consistently across your website and other channels makes it easier for potential customers to find you and choose you over competitors.
• It builds trust: Customers are more likely to trust businesses that appear established, responsive and transparent online. A visible, well-maintained presence signals that you care about your brand reputation, value feedback and take customer concerns seriously.
• It supports growth: Over time, the effort you invest in building your online presence can lead to stronger customer loyalty, increased brand recognition and steady business growth. Maintaining that presence across multiple platforms requires ongoing attention, but it pays off by driving engagement, traffic and meaningful connections and boosting online awareness.

Building a strong online presence takes time and consistency. By understanding how each channel works and refining your approach as you go, you can create an online image that reflects your brand and supports your business goals.

 Sergey Grybniak and Jennifer Post contributed to this article.