What do people find when they Google you?

The internet. What did we do before the internet? Lets all think back to a time when you wanted to find out some piece of information and there was no where to Google it. Maybe you had to get out a reference book, use the yellow pages or call a few people to find out. Maybe you had to (GASP!) just not know the answer.

We are in an age now where the internet provides instant gratification. Want to know who sang the song you danced to at your senior prom in 1972? BAM! Google it. Trying to research a company you are going to meet with? BAM! LinkedIn. Want to go see a movie? BAM! There's an app for that. You can find out literally almost anything with a quick type in a search bar and get more information than you ever wanted. 

So what are people finding when they google you or your company? Do you have a Website? A Facebook? A LinkedIn page? 

I am in the midst of planning my wedding in November and was recently perusing the web for dessert vendors.  I was COMPLETELY shocked at the low number of bakeries that actually had Web sites or even Facebook pages. How are these people getting business? When a business doesn't have a Web site or Facebook I immediately think something shady is going on.  I contacted several companies (some I had to actually call!) and discussed their services. I found myself judging the ones without an online presence much more harshly than the ones with a simple Web site or Facebook page. They must not actually be a bakery if they don't have a Web site. They must do enough business to afford hiring a Web designer. Are they even professional enough to trust to come through for my wedding?!

Chances are these are unfair judgements. Their baked goods and professionalism may even be greater than the bakeries that have an online presence. They may be older and more experienced bakers who just don't think of the Web the same way I do.

But these are the times we are living in. If you don't have a Web site or Facebook page for your business, how do you expect people to find you? The internet has taught us that we have full access to any information we want 24/7. All we have to do is type it into the search engine. 

Make it easy for your potential clients to find you. Have an easy to navigate Web site that lists all of your contact information. Create a Facebook page and keep it updated with pictures, content and interesting posts that people care about. The time and money invested will be well worth it.

Kristin