Atlanta is the biggest city in the state of Georgia and is known for being the home to a diverse array of industries. You can find the headquarters of several fortune 500 companies like Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, and Home Depot in this bustling city.
However, all is not well. Crime rates here are high and have wreaked havoc on a number of business owners who find themselves at the mercy of criminals. Late last year, Johnny Mims, a man who had recently bought a Mcdonald’s franchise, had to shut it down because “the crime is just so bad.”
Until a proper solution to the high crime is found, many businesses are finding that selling online and developing their online presence can be a great way to tide over things. Let’s explore what the potential of this can be.
An Online Profile Unlocks a New Customer Base
One of the biggest advantages of investing in an online profile in the form of a website, social media handles, and other digital marketing methods is the increased reach that instantly becomes available to potential customers.
Granted, some businesses are more likely to benefit from an online presence, but in an age where people are increasingly online than offline, you can’t really go wrong with developing your online presence.
By allowing customers to order online, they no longer have to visit your store in person if they are worried about their safety. Similarly, with well-maintained social media handles, you can effectively communicate with your clientele and provide safety alerts (if things are particularly dangerous).
Also, since your store is now open to the online market, you are no longer limited to your immediate neighborhood. Instead, you might find yourself getting orders from all over your city, state, and sometimes, different parts of the country if the products you sell are particularly niche.
You should be aware though the ROI can be amazing, developing an online profile can be a little tricky if you aren’t familiar with the process yourself. For this reason, it is a good idea to get in touch with an Atlanta SEO company that is able to craft optimized content for your website and across your other online profiles.
SEO refers to search engine optimization and is a vital part of online digital marketing. It ensures that your presence is amplified and easily visible to potential customers.
Webociti is a great option if you aren’t sure where to start. Their SEO process is known to be comprehensive and takes you through competitor analysis, auditing your website, content creation, and much more.
Each of these steps is crucial in order to ensure greater sales. They also offer Digital marketing programs, marketing services, and consulting services, which can be worth checking out.
An Online Store Allows You to Relax While Still Selling Products
Crime on the scale that can be seen in cities like Atlanta is a difficult thing to eradicate fully. There are several factors that can help reduce crime, and options such as education and improving the family structure are long-term solutions whose effectiveness is still a point of contention for many.
On the other hand, harsh police action is not going to go down well in Atlanta, with its primarily black demographic. This leaves the innocent residents in a state of crime limbo.
Just like how Johnny Mims had to shut down his Mcdonald’s franchise, a situation might arise where it no longer makes sense for you to continue operating your store.
In such situations, an online store backed by a strong online presence can be a lifesaver. Many e-commerce stores don’t even have a brick-and-mortar outlet and simply make and receive sales through their online portal.
When a customer purchases something from the website, the product is packed and sent from a warehouse or storage facility.
When things get better, you can reopen your actual store, but until such a time, this option makes it so that you aren’t completely left in the lurch.
Conclusion
Developing an online presence for your Atlanta-based business is something that every proprietor in the city should consider.
The high crime rates have forced businesses to shut down, and when things get too bad, they shut down for good. It’s not even a question of how big your business is. Just look at Walmart. They recently shut down their two stores in Portland after being unable to handle the high theft rate.
No harm has ever come from preparing well, and an online presence is something that is going to serve you well for years to come. In this day and age, you don’t even need to be tech savvy to achieve this as so many services exist that you can contract the responsibility to.