The world is slowly but surely shifting all their focus into the digital space. If you had to think about it, almost everything you want, need or require to do, is at the tips of your fingers…literally. What do I mean you ask? Well it’s pretty simple mate.

We use our devices a lot; be it a cellphone or a computer/laptop, and you type with your fingers ofcourse. Now you see the end of your fingers? Yes, those tips! Those tips do a lot of clicking and swiping and scrolling to look and search for what you want online. 

You need directions to a place? There’s navigators on our phones, no more physical maps. I mean, who even uses those anymore? If you do, then hey no shade. There are people who still use paper maps, you’re not the only one. But we are not there. Want to acquire goods? Stores and shops offer their services online. Want to know about a place? The first thing you do is google about it, right?

The list goes on and on. The digital space is the future, hence why business owners, especially upcoming entrepreneurs; small business owners; got to invest in their online presence. 

What does the term Digital Era actually mean?

In simple terms, the digital era means a time where electronic devices are a mans’ best friend, you feel you can’t function in life properly without them. If you’re looking for a proper definition, it’s “the time period in which personal computers and other subsequent technologies were introduced, to provide users the ability to easily and rapidly transfer info” (igi.global)

As years go by it seems it is growing and keeps on evolving. Who would’ve thought 10 years ago that in the future you could buy a whole grocery, without even lifting and setting your feet inside the store and waiting in queues? Thank you Spar and the internet!

Why its important for businesses to have an online presence

It’s pretty clear that the internet plays a big role in our life. It’s said that consumers are always scrolling and browsing through content, shopping and learning. Businesses that don’t have an online presence are really in danger. If they are not present on the internet, they are losing a lot – viewers, clients and importantly, money. 

Not only that – I don’t know about you, but don’t you trust a company that is available online than the one who doesn’t? Has a website or some sort of platform they are presenting themselves on and all? That’s why you search for it from the beginning, am i right!? To look for ‘legitimacy’ and professionalism. Now that we have covered the why, lets go a little bit further and discuss how you can achieve that online presence. 

How can business owners slash entrepreneurs, present their business on the internet

Being an entrepreneur can be a little…actually scratch that, it can be a lot stressful, especially being a small business owner. You don’t have a lot of help, let alone capital. So you cant be paying a lot of people creating and designing things like logos, websites, social media posts, etc. for you. So here are a few tips that might help your entrepreneurial journey a little less stressful.

• Having online presence simply means being available online/ the internet, so be it having a website or having a social media page.
• With social media , you are asking yourself, how many times must I post? When? How? It’s best to post 3 times a day; Morning, noon, and evening – so you can get as much visibility. 
• Its a great  idea to have some kind of background and knowledge when managing your brand or business. That’s where companies like International Institute of Digital Marketing come into play. 
• Platforms like Canva and automation tools can help a lot when it comes to creating and scheduling posts.
• Blogs are also a great way to present and market your business to the world.

Conclusion

So to close it all off, upcoming business owners must take note – almost everything and everyone is digital based. Being a large business owner or small business owner, it doesn’t matter – online presence is important and it’s a great idea to invest your energy and time in it. With that, comes with informing yourself about it first because by doing that, you are then saving your time, energy and importantly money by not depending on other people too much,  who will probably charge you an arm and a leg.

About the author

Hey there, I am Sphephile Dlamini; a 20 year old with acquired skills and qualifications in Graphic Design and DTP – so far – with interest in the design, marketing and similar fields. Currently a Digital Marketing Analyst intern slash trainee at the International Institute of Digital Marketing.