Most business owners spend a lot of time thinking about how to get people to find them online.
“I need to show up first on Google’.
Less time is spent thinking about what happens after that, because finding your business is only the first step.
What people see next often plays a much bigger role in whether they decide to contact you or move on to the next potential business.
Think about the last time you were considering working with a business….
Chances are you didn't just visit one website and immediately make a decision.
You probably did a little investigating first.
You looked at their website.
Their social media.
Their Google reviews.
Their LinkedIn profile.
Maybe even a few blog posts.
You probably didn’t spend a heap of time on it. Just enough to get a feel for who they are and whether they seem like the right fit.
Your potential clients do exactly the same thing.
Your online presence is often your first impression
Before someone books a call, sends an enquiry, or buys from you, they're often looking for clues.
They're asking themselves:
Does this business look active?
Do they seem professional?
Can I understand what they do?
Have they helped people like me before?
Do they appear trustworthy?
Most people won't consciously sit down with a checklist, but they'll form an impression quicker than you might think.
If your website hasn't been updated in years, your last social media post was six months ago, and your services aren't clearly explained, people start filling in the gaps themselves.
Unfortunately, they don't always fill them in positively.
It's not about being everywhere
One of the biggest misconceptions about online presence is that you need to be on every platform.
You don't.
Most businesses don't need to be active on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube and five other platforms at the same time. (we are, but that’s the nature of our business)
What matters more is that the places people do find are working together.
A professional website.
A consistent social media presence.
A Google Business Profile that's up to date.
Clear messaging.
Recent activity.
Those things create confidence.
Consistency builds familiarity
This is one of the reasons social media still matters, even when it doesn't immediately generate leads.
People often encounter your business multiple times before they enquire.
They might:
find your website through Google
see a LinkedIn post
check out your Instagram
read a blog
see your business mentioned elsewhere
Each interaction helps build familiarity.
The more consistent those touchpoints are, the easier it becomes for people to understand what you do and remember your business later.
What about Pinterest?
Pinterest fits into this differently.
Unlike social media, Pinterest is built around search and discovery.
It gives businesses another way to be found by people actively looking for ideas, services, and solutions.
For businesses creating blogs, educational content, or resources, Pinterest can help extend the reach of that content well beyond the day it was published.
It's not a replacement for social media or your website.
It's another piece of the puzzle.
Take five minutes and search for your business name on Google.
Look at what appears on page one.
Ask yourself:
Is the information accurate?
Are the links working?
Does everything feel current?
Would a stranger understand what you do?
Would you trust this business if you knew nothing about it?
You might be surprised by what you find.
You also could try asking someone who would be your ideal client to look you up. Do they understand what you do, quickly and easily?
Getting found online is important.
But what people discover once they find you matters just as much.
Your online presence is often working long before someone becomes a lead.
Every website visit, social media profile, blog post, review, and search result helps shape the impression people have of your business.
The goal isn't to be everywhere.
It's to make sure the places people do find tell the right story.
Need someone to take care of that for you? Take a look at our services and then reach out to have a chat about it.
Nikki