Last week I found myself — as I do every year at the same time — sitting in a chair getting my flu shot. I get one every year because I know it’s the smart thing to do in order to reduce my risk of getting sick.
I got my flu shot at a local pharmacy, which makes it very convenient. There was a time when you had to go to a doctor or a scheduled clinic in order to get it, which made it a bit of a hassle and often discouraged people from getting it in the first place.
In fact, stats show that people who live in provinces that allow pharmacists to give flu shots are more likely to be vaccinated than those who do not live in those areas.
The key takeaway is that when you make it convenient for people to do something, they are more likely to go through with the activity. Promoting your products or services is the same. If you make it hard for people to do business with you, they’ll pass you by altogether.
The internet has made it easier than ever for people to find out information about you and get in touch with you. I’m a lot more likely to spend money with someone whose business has a prominent online presence, especially on Google Maps and Facebook. Not only does this make it more convenient for me to get operating hours and read reviews, it also shows me the owner of the business is engaged with the online world and keeping up with technology.
If you’ve been putting off building an online presence for your business due to time constraints or the fact you have a small staff, know that you can start small. Building a simple Facebook page is easy and requires minimal maintenance. And once you do it, you might find that you enjoy it enough to keep building it and make it into something bigger.
Having a strong online presence is important. Just as people are more likely to get a flu shot if it’s made convenient for them, they’re more likely to view you as someone worth doing business with if they can see you’ve put some thought into building your online image.