Photo: Contributed

Who are you? Who, who!  Who, who!

Like the rockers, “The Who”, you need to ask yourself; who are you?  Who are you on the web?  What is your Google footprint? 

When was the last time you did a Google search on you or your company?

Everybody does a search for information, and especially for relevant information about you and your services.

I publish volumes on the web, and I check to see if my name comes up readily in a Google search; and it does.  I also want to see if my information is relevant and if it’s been re-purposed (copied) on someone else’s site.

As business owners we should always be checking to see what people are saying about us or our business.

The web is a great place for businesses to expand their presence, but it a can also be a dark area for people to rant, rave and target businesses and individuals without any retribution. No different than the bully in school, the unsuspecting can be torn apart in forums with no way to add their own comments or defend themselves.

I have worked with a few clients who have been attacked on blogs and forums by people who hide behind the anonymity of bogus names. It’s been upsetting to my clients and the negativity can affect their business.

I recommend to my clients that they raise their profile on the web by being an active user of blogs and social media with a targeted message about their business or themselves. 

Positive information on the web can be a real bonus.  If someone does take an unkindly swipe at you or your business, at least you’ll have information on the web that speaks and reflects well of your business and what you do.

This is where testimonials on a web site can pay major dividends. When you have lots of people stating how much they love your products and service, and one person on a forum putting you down, who are people most likely to believe?

I believe that in our instant-access world, you really need to think out your Internet marketing strategy and decide how to build up a wealth of positive information about you and your business.  

Used effectively and skillfully, the web is a great marketing tool and a great way to ‘Build Your Business’.

Donald Robichaud is the President of FloodLight Consulting and can be reached at  250-768-9415