Your Web Presence Is Your First Impression

Your web presence is likely your first impression. If it’s not, it’s probably your second impression. You need to be thoughtful about what people see when they Google your name.

If you have a site, you need to spend time and money on design.

If you are going to build a personal brand on your site, you need it to present you well. If you are using WordPress or Tumblr, you need to pay for a professional design. You need professional images. And most of all you need content that speaks to the people who you serve.

A cheap design makes it look like you aren’t successful, even if you are. A lack of content gives the impression that you have nothing to offer in the way of value. Spend time and money developing something that presents you and your story in a way that gives your audience confidence that you can create value for them.

If LinkedIn is home base, you need to build it up to tell your story.

There are still too many LinkedIn profiles that are something less than a resume. There is too little information about who the person in the profile really is or what they do.

There are also too many LinkedIn profiles that are nothing but a resume. And that might be okay if it isn’t a useful social tool for you, or if it isn’t your home base.

But if you are in sales and using LinkedIn as your home base, you need to do the work to build out a profile that tells the story of who you are, how you create value and all the things you’ve done that brought you to this point.

What you tweet on Twitter, post on Facebook, and share on other sites can show up in search engines.

This section could have just as easily been titled: Don’t be stupid. What you post lives on the Internet forever. Even if you delete something stupid, someone can always capture a screen shot of your mistake to use in the future.

Do you want to argue about politics? Do you want to argue about touchy social issues? You think that you have to keep it that real? As long as you are willing to live with the consequences of your actions, have at it. But remember that you are leaving a trail behind you, and anyone can pick up that trail.

Do you want to be known as divisive? Do you want to be know as argumentative? If that is what your brand is, and if it brings you success, then it is okay for you to play here. But if you want people to know you as a smart, positive, energetic, value creator, negative content won’t give people that impression.

Make sure your web presence represents you in a way that makes the first impression you want.

What does your web presence tell people about you?

Does your LinkedIn profile represent the real value you create?

What do your social sites say about you? What impression do they leave?