So You’ve Just Started a Business: Here Are the First Steps to Build Your Web Presence and Attract Customers Online

Starting a business is an exciting journey, but with so much to juggle, building a strong online presence can feel like a low priority. However, in today’s world, having a digital footprint is essential for attracting customers, even if your business primarily operates in the physical world. The good news? Establishing your online presence doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.

This article walks through the key initial areas you should prioritize first when starting to build an online presence that attracts customers to your business. We’ll also explore how AI tools can make these tasks easier and more manageable, even if you’re new to the digital world.

1. Website Basics

Your website is the foundation of your online presence, but it doesn’t need to be overly complex with hundreds of webpages and features. Start simple. An easy-to-navigate website that provides potential customers with all the necessary information they need about your business is a great place to begin. You can always build on it as you grow.

Here are the first five pages your website should have:

• Homepage
• Services or products page
• Contact us page
• Location page (if applicable)

These pages give your customers the basic information they need to learn about your business, contact you, and understand where you’re located.

Why is this important?

Imagine Google’s ranking algorithm as a person who’s tasked with finding the best businesses to recommend when someone searches for something online. To feel confident recommending your business, they need to see a well-organized website that clearly explains what you do, where you’re located, and how people can get in touch with you. If your site is missing key information or is hard to navigate, it’s like giving that person an incomplete picture of your business—making it harder for them to recommend you over others.

Top Website Builder Tools for Beginners

Here are some of the top website builder tools known to be super user-friendly and great for beginners:

• Squarespace: Considered the easiest website builder for beginners. It offers an intuitive interface, affordable plans, and excellent design functions. Squarespace is particularly good for creative websites and businesses focusing on visuals.
• Wix: Known for its excellent suite of AI features that allow you to build a site quickly. It’s a great all-around website builder with a large template library and visual drag-and-drop editor.
• GoDaddy: Offers one of the most streamlined routes to getting online. It’s very simple and intuitive, making it a good choice if speed is a priority for setting up your site.
• Hostinger: One of the cheapest options for building a website. It provides an easy-to-use interface and powerful AI features to help with design and content creation.
• Webador: Considered one of the most straightforward dashboards for managing a small e-commerce shop or blog. It’s very affordable and excellent for creating simple, good-looking websites on a budget.

2. Google Business Profile & Online Listings

If your website is the foundation of your online presence, your Google Business Profile (GBP) is your digital storefront. When potential customers search for businesses like yours, your GBP is often the first thing they see—so it’s crucial to make sure it’s accurate, up-to-date, and fully optimized.

Be detailed and accurate

Your profile should include as much relevant information as possible, such as your business hours, contact information, website link, photos, and reviews. Don’t underestimate the power of reviews—responding to them (both positive and negative) shows that you care about your customers and can build trust with potential clients.

Cover all the bases

In addition to GBP, listing your business on other online directories like Yelp and Bing Places helps boost your visibility and improves your chances of appearing higher in search results. The more places your business information is listed, the easier it is for customers to find you.

Why is this important?

Search engines, like Google, rely on consistent and accurate business information to rank you higher. If your profile is incomplete or outdated, it can hurt your chances of showing up in local searches. Think of your GBP as Google’s way of confirming your business is legit—accurate, up-to-date information gives Google the confidence to recommend you to searchers.

How AI Tools Can Help

AI tools like Birdeye make managing your listings easy. You can update your business information across 50+ directories at once, send automated review requests to help drive more reviews, and use AI to respond to reviews with a personable tone. Recently, Birdeye announced a new update called Competitors AI, which allows you to track your competitors’ reviews and see their strengths and weaknesses from their customers’ perspectives.

3. Social Media Presence

Social media is an essential tool for connecting with your audience, but you don’t need to be on every platform. The key is to understand where your customers spend their time and focus your efforts there. For example, a local landscaping business might find Facebook more useful than Twitter, since Facebook has a strong local presence and offers features like business pages, reviews, and local group postings.

Create authentic content and engage consistently

Focus on creating content that reflects your brand’s personality. Whether you’re sharing customer stories, behind-the-scenes moments, or showcasing your work, keep your content authentic. Engage regularly through posts and interactions to build trust and stay top of mind with your audience.

When planning your content, ask yourself: What value does this bring to my followers? or Why would I follow this page? Whether your content provides entertainment, thought leadership, trends, or visual appeal, always ensure it offers something of value.

How AI can help

AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude can help you brainstorm ideas, generate captions, and create posts, making it easier to maintain an active presence without spending hours on content creation. To learn a great prompting technique for getting the best responses from AI, check out this article: Universal Prompt Format: Training Your AI Intern for Better Responses.

4. Tracking & Analytics

Understanding how your website and online presence are performing is key to making informed business decisions. Tracking tools like Google Analytics allow you to see who’s visiting your site, what they’re doing while they’re there, and how they found you. This data helps you identify what’s working and where you might need to make adjustments.

Use insights to make data-driven decisions

By tracking website traffic and customer behavior, you can gain valuable insights into your audience. For example, you can see which pages or products are the most popular, how long visitors are staying on your site, and where they’re dropping off. This data can guide decisions like improving your website content, refining your marketing efforts, or identifying opportunities for new services or products.

Key metrics to monitor

To measure your online presence effectively, keep an eye on these important metrics:

• Website traffic: Track the number of visitors and unique users to gauge the overall reach of your site.
• Bounce rate: This measures the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing just one page. A high bounce rate might indicate a need for better content or more engaging calls-to-action.
• Average session duration: The average time visitors spend on your site can help assess content quality and user experience.
• Conversion rate: Monitor the percentage of visitors who complete desired actions, such as filling out a form or making a purchase.
• Customer reviews and ratings: Regularly check feedback on platforms like Google and Yelp to get a sense of customer satisfaction and areas for improvement.

How AI can help

AI tools can simplify the data analysis process. Tools like Google Analytics’ AI features can automatically highlight important trends or anomalies in your data, making it easier to spot opportunities or issues. AI can also help interpret large sets of customer data, offering actionable recommendations on how to improve your marketing strategies or website performance.

Building a strong online presence doesn’t have to be overwhelming or expensive. By starting with the basics—creating a simple website, optimizing your Google Business Profile, engaging on social media, and tracking your performance—you can establish a solid foundation for attracting customers and growing your business. Remember, the goal isn’t to do everything at once but to make steady progress in the right direction.

Using AI tools can make these tasks easier and more manageable, even if you’re new to the digital world. Whether it’s automating review responses, generating social media content, or analyzing website data, AI can help you work smarter, not harder. Start by taking one or two steps today, and you’ll be well on your way to building a web presence that drives real results.