BUSN 100 American Public University Entrepreneur and Social Media Discussion

In need of a 125 response/discussion to EACH of the following forum posts. There are (4) different Forum posts. Agreement/disagreement/and/or continuing the discussion. Original forums discussion/topic post is as follows: (Use/Cite references to support your ideas)

FORUM POST 1:

Hello Class,

Is a website the only web presence a company should have today? – I do not believe a business should only have a website. Entrepreneur.com states” the internet offers an opportunity to introduce yourself to the consumers”. Having a website is a start to that introduction but with social media being such a big part of people’s day to day lives, designing a simple social media account can lead people to find your website more effectively. Social media accounts allow people to follow your business and get the most up to date information that you put out. It allows you to link your webpage to it and allows people who follow your page to share it with their friends. Businesses do not only have to stop at social media accounts but can also create Blogs. Blogs “show that you know what you’re talking about. It helps you identify yourself as an expert or unique” (Americanexpress.com). A business can just create a website but they are limiting the exposure they could get by adding more things to complement it.

When having a web presence, what is the single most important objective? – Linking in with customers is probably the single most important objective. In our text book it talks about giving the consumer a positive experience and knowing your consumers. Having a web presence that is easy for a consumer to access and find the information they are looking for is important. If you do not promote your business or product well and your web presence is limited and hard to navigate it could potentially result in a loss of clientele.

What is the greatest risk? – The greatest risk is security of your web presence. According to computerworld.com some of the risk websites experience are the following: “fraud, loss of intellectual property, damaged customers and partner relationships, unforeseen cost, public relations debacles, and business disruptions”. Business not only advertise and provide information on their websites but provide the ability to purchase the product right then and there. If the consumer’s information follows into the wrong hands it can be damaging not only to the consumers but the business as well.

Gartenberg, M. (n.d.). E-commerce and web presence: The risks and threats. Retrieved from https://www.computerworld.com/article/2574339/e-co…

5 reasons to have a web presence now. (2008). Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/192174

4 elements of a successful business web presence. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/tre…

FORUM POST 2:

Professor and Class,

I have found that operating a business takes a lot more work than just building a website, throwing some information about the business and products. Just like this week’s video points out, you must find a way to connect with your audience. Anyone who owns a business in this digital age will need to find alternative ways to reach their specified market, which social media can help with. At a minimum, I believe that a business should have a website with well planned SEO (search engine optimization) and a presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Alignable. The point is maximum visibility within your target audience.

The most important objective with having a web presence is connectivity with the consumers. Instead of just talking about the products or services your business provides, interact with your audience on a deeper level. The content on your social media pages need to be engaging (Orfila. 2019). Posts that get the most engagement on social media are either educational or entertaining. Businesses need to focus on creating valuable content that is positive and/or helpful, useful enough to share or respond and make sure there are no grammatical errors.

When using these platforms, you need to be genuine and not post share content that may anger or offend potential clients. The client base will research you and your products or services to ensure honesty and integrity. Social media marketing is a very fine line that should not be taken lightly because a negative review or slow response times will affect you in a way that is hard to come back from.

Best Regards,

Citations:

Orfila, Anne (2019). How To Effectively Connect With Users On Social Media. Retrieved on March 17, 2020 from https://www.webmarketingtherapy.com/blog/how-to-effectively-connect-with-customers-on-social-media/

FORUM POST 3:

Good morning class,

Although a website is imperative for any company to have, it is not the only web presence that should be available to consumers. Businesses also need social media sites, an app, and to be active on business directories as well (Gazdecki, 2018). Social media is used as much, if not more than a company website, to find information on a business. It is also easier to post updates and new information than it would be on a website like promotions or new products. Also, being able to see reviews and what others who have used or bought products from that company in the past can definitely influence new potential customers.

Not only do businesses need these additional web presences, they need to do them well.The single most important objective for any business is to gain customers and be successful in doing so. To do this, a companies website should be clean/easy to navigate, showcase content that meets the needs of all who visit, and be updated regularly. These things will help give the customer a positive experience about the company overall and feel confident when choosing them (McCubbrey, 2009).

The biggest risk when having a web presence is fraud. Online there is no easy way to verify the person purchasing is who they say they are and are the actual owner of the credit card they are using. If the information was false or reported as fraud, a company can be out both the product and the money (Writing, n.d.). Another concern to be cautious of is bad reviews. A company can have 100 great reviews, but could be turned off by what someone said in one bad review.

References:

Gazdecki, A. (20 April 2018). How To Create A Big Online Presence For Your Small Business [online article]. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/04/20/how-to-create-a-big-online-presence-for-your-small-business/#5a1163db6c34

McCubbrey, D. (2009). Business Fundamentals, 211-212. Retrieved from http://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/McCubbrey_BusinessFundamentals.pdf

Writing, A. (n.d.). What Are a Business Owner’s Benefits & Risks of Doing Business on the Internet? [online article]. Retrieved from https://smallbusiness.chron.com/business-owners-benefits-risks-doing-business-internet-102.html

FORUM POST 4:

Hello Everyone,

Almost every teenager and adult carry around portable computers with them everywhere they go that enable them to be connected to any social network at the touch of a button. Businesses need to know what their customers want, and if they are online most of the time, then according to Godwin (n.d.), that is where they need to be, as well. However, a website is not the only web presence a company should have today. Businesses need to be easily found when consumers search for a product or service they provide. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is critical for a company’s website to pull up when someone uses a search engine, and they should be sure their SEO includes the most widely used databases. Godwin also stresses the importance of social media, which can help build devoted consumers. This was also mentioned in the video; that social media is a great way to build brand champion because customers feel more of a part of the company’s story (360i, 2013).

When having a web presence, the single most important objective is to reach customers to sell a product or service (McCubbrey, 2009). A business needs to know how to relate to their customers by researching what they want. McCubbrey explains that customers want a site that is user-friendly and current on world news to stay ahead of their competition.

The greatest risk of having a web presence is cyber threats and breach of information. Businesses need to ensure they have the information technology in place to prevent loss of employee or customer information to protect their identity and money. Encrypting personally identifiable information (PII) is one of the safest methods. With the right kind of encryption, users can control who is authorized to view information even when a database is hacked (“Data Breaches: Threats and Consequences”, 2017).

[360i]. (2013, March 20). The Change Agents: How Has Social Media Changed Your Business? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=13&v=Nl54bl8JBlI

Data Breaches: Threats and Consequences. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.cloudmask.com/blog/data-breaches-threats-and-consequences

Godwin, L. (n.d.). Creating a Strong Online Presence for Marketing Success. Retrieved from https://ducttapemarketing.com/online-presence/#

McCubbrey, D. J. (2009). Business Fundamentals. Retrieved from http://textbookequity.org/Textbooks/McCubbrey_BusinessFundamentals.pdf