Digital Footprint
The Digital Footprint Recipe
Welcome to ‘The Digital Footprint Recipe’—a simple, step-by-step guide crafted for small business owners who want to establish a strong online presence without getting overwhelmed or overspending. Whether you’re new to the online world, frustrated by ineffective marketing strategies, or working with a tight budget, this guide is for you.
The Ingredients
– 1 x Domain name.
– 1 x Email address.
– 1x Super website.
– Google Business Profile.
– Facebook Business Page.
– Facebook Group Posts.
Creating a strong online presence is like baking a cake—it takes the right ingredients
and careful attention to detail. After ten years and thousands of hours online,
Riaan has developed “The Digital Footprint Recipe,” a strategy with no shortcuts.
Each step is crucial, just like every ingredient in a recipe.
The Instructions
Step One. Buy Your Domain Name from Xneelo
A domain name should ideally have both the type of service you provide and the name of your business for example starplumbing.com. After ten years, I am still impressed with Xneelo and highly recommend you buy your domain name from them. Refrain from acronyms, for example bgdn.com. A longer descriptive domain name is better than one with just letters. It’s very important to get a domain name that has your business name and service and you can learn more about domain names here.
Step Two. Create a Business Email Address
An email associated with your domain name looks professional. For example, my email is riaan@thewebsiteguy.co.za, and my domain is www.thewebsiteguy.co.za. Every time you send an email, you’re marketing your business name, provided your domain name includes both your business name and the service you offer. Every invoice you issue should correspond to an email address that you add to your contact list. Some businesses have decades of customers but no email addresses, which is a major missed opportunity. You could use email to remind past clients about new offerings, specials, or completed projects on a monthly basis.
Step Three. Get a Single Page Super Website
Most people visit websites from their phones, so a mobile-focused website is essential. A well-designed, psychologically oriented homepage is key. Ideally, structure your content in this sequence: What, Problems, Solutions, Where, Who, How, and Reviews. A great featured image can be a powerful tool for Facebook Groups. Your website should include H1 to H3 headings for SEO, local business schema, and clear “Calls to Action” (CTA), which are prompts encouraging visitors to take specific actions, such as ‘Call Us’ or ‘Get a Quote.’ The footer menu is also crucial for mobile users, who often scroll through websites. You can read more about the website special here.
Step Four. Claim Your Google Business Profile
Google Maps gives small businesses the opportunity to be found locally—provided you create a Google Business Profile. This free tool is essential for local competition. If you’re not using it, you’re missing out on potential revenue. Regularly posting images of your work, collecting Google Reviews, and keeping your profile updated signals to Google that you care about your customers. For more details on how to create and leverage your Google Business Profile to attract more clients, you can read more here.
Step Five. Create a Snazzy Facebook Business Page
A Facebook Business page serves as a powerful showcase for your completed projects. Regularly sharing updates on recent work demonstrates ongoing business activity, reassuring potential clients of your continued operations. To maximize its impact, ensure your page’s profile and cover photos accurately reflect your brand. Additionally, consider strategically boosting relevant posts to increase visibility and engagement. I recommend a minimum of R200 per month for boosts and a maximum of R500.
Step Six. Join Facebook Groups & Post Your Website
When you post your website link to Facebook Groups, your “Featured Image” will automatically be generated. This is an ideal opportunity to professionally showcase artwork that represents either your business or a specific special or service. Posting on Facebook Groups is a very popular and easy way to get your business more exposure. However, instead of doing what everybody else does, you can stand out by posting your website with it’s featured image. The featured image is like a billboard and when people tap anywhere on the image, they go to your website, which is brilliant. Learn more about posting your website with it’s featured image to Facebook Groups here.
Examples of Websites Posted to Facebook
What is a Digital Footprint?
Imagine your digital footprint as the trail you leave behind on the internet, much like footprints in the sand. Every time you create a website, post on social media, or even send an email, you’re leaving a mark that others can see. Your digital footprint is the sum of all these online activities, and it represents your business to the world. Just like you want to make a good impression in person, you want your digital footprint to present your business in the best possible light online. For new business owners, having a clear and positive digital footprint helps potential customers find you, trust you, and choose your services over others.
Why This Recipe Works
Its the simplest and cheapest way to claim territory online. It is also the bare minimum you should be doing as a small business owner. This marketing keeps the costs as low as humanly possible. However, you have to be committed and consistent. There is no shortcut. A reasonable addition to The Digital Footprint Recipe is to “Boost” your Facebook posts. For hyper local advertising you can create a small measure of brand awareness with approximately R200 per month (paid directly to Facebook) and a maximum of R1000 per month (also paid directly to Facebook). Spending more than that on Facebook advertising might not be the best use of your money. Riaan Wessels (aka The Website Guy) can assist you with every step.
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