There are a lot of SEO companies offering many different ways to boost your website’s visibility online, but very few of them even bother to tell you why. They just assume that you know why. So just in case you aren’t aware of the importance of online presence, here are some facts you should consider:

1. You can use the Internet to reach out to A LOT of people. There are approximately 2.4 billion people who use the Internet worldwide. That’s 37.3% of the world’s population. And about 1.68 billion people use the Internet every day. It would even be higher if only poverty and the lack of access to Internet resources aren’t a problem. In North America, 78.6% of the population uses the Internet. And the number of users just keeps on growing. In fact, the number of Internet users has increased by 566% since the year 2000, and every second there are 8 new users who start to use the Internet.

2. You can remind people about your company name and brand. Why do businesses put up billboards and place ads on newspapers, magazines, and TV shows? They do this even though they are not pushing a particular product or service. But the point is that they want people to know that their company exists. And when people have something they need from a particular niche or industry, they think of that brand first. Name recall is important for a business, and being online means having your “billboard” seen by millions of people.

3. You can inform others about your products and services. Unlike billboards, prints ads, and TV spots, there are no real limitations on how much you can say about what you have to offer to potential customers. You can tell them just about everything there is to know about what you offer, including giving out the manual for them to read. Potential customers can then be made aware of all the benefits and other details of your products and services.

4. You can engage your potential customers. Unlike traditional advertising, being online means having the opportunity to have a two-way relationship with your potential customers. You can hear from them directly, and you can have them answer surveys to help you determine what they want. You can even study their behavior on your website to find out which of your products and services are the most popular with them.

5. You can sell DIRECTLY to your customers. By being visible online, you aren’t limited to advertising and marketing. You can actually sell to your customers directly. Online sales are now very popular, and they are no longer considered a novelty. In fact, about 58% of users use the Internet for shopping purposes.

All these reasons just beg the question of how you can be visible online. There is a marked difference between being visible online and just merely having an online presence. It’s like having a store in the busiest part of town and having one on a untraveled road. You need to be visible online and that’s where local SEO comes in. Remember, billions of people use the Internet and if you’re not using it to your advantage, it’s about time you do so.

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