Creating an online image for your company is fairly easy although a bit tedious. You want to begin by creating a Website, as most online resources will expect to link to a Website. Although a professional Web design for your company site is recommended it is not necessary. Many small business owners especially have used stock templates to create their first Websites. What is most important is to create a Website that tells people who you are, what you do, where to find you, and how to contact you. Additional information is certainly helpful.

Now, once you have created your Website you will want to list it in popular directories. This is important for a variety of reasons. For example, suppose you buy TV, radio, or print advertising. People may look up your company in an online telephone directory, so you’ll want them to find a link to your Website. But you only need to cover a few telephone directories like SmartPages, YellowPages, AllBusiness, and maybe Switchboard. Feel free to look at other telephone directory sites as well but don’t spend a lot of time and money in that directory sector.

Next, think about the social media sites that list business information. Sites like LinkedIn, Indeed, Spoke, and Facebook welcome business profiles, especially if they link them to employee profiles. Many people will look for your company in popular social media resources if they know your company’s name. For example, you will find a company like Penguin Windows in Spoke. There is also a Penguin Windows page on Indeed, which is a news aggregator.

Some news sites also create business directory listings. Our friends at Penguin Windows found a local news site that provides local businesses with information pages. On today’s Internet it is important for businesses to reach out with their marketing to online communities. By taking control over your online listings, you help shape the image people see about your company.