We live on the World Wide Web as much as we do in real life. Every individual with access to a computer and Internet is likely to spend a considerable amount of time on it, either in pursuit of a hobby, reading, researching or simply in search of entertainment.

The power of the Internet can no longer be ignored or taken for granted. The web is here to stay. And when you are in business, an entrepreneur or otherwise, you cannot afford to ignore your presence on the web any longer.





Promote a business
Whenever we need to find information or simply contact someone, most of us turn to the web. A web search is the easiest and the most accessible. While not everyone wants to ensure a domain under his or her name, making sure you have a positive web presence is an advantage you should make the best use of.
Even if you may not want a personalized website, which usually is registered as a domain under your own name, you must cultivate a web presence in social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Google and LinkedIn. These social media sites are not only for those with endless time on their hands to post updates but are also fabulous instruments to promote a business and build awareness.

Experts believe that in the future, resumes for a job opening will be replaced with references on social media sites. Also, companies find it easier to track and vet the background of someone on the web. If you have been up to no good, beware that it could all be there, somewhere on the web.
There have been reports of Facebook pages of employees being searched for verification – there was one instance when an employee who had taken time off to recuperate was found on holiday when the holiday photos were up on her Facebook page. Of course there are the negatives of cultivating an online presence but the minuses fade into oblivion when compared to the plusses.





Updating is key
Social media is not just for chatting and sharing pictures - social media sites such as LinkedIn exclusively cater to those in careers, who want to network and share information. It is an ideal site for referrals and can be used by prospective employers hunting for talent. Networking can be a vital strategy to develop business opportunities as well as attract and source better employment opportunities.

Linked In can be used to draft an outstanding resume as well, whether it is for a job or merely introducing yourself to a company you want to tie up with. A web presence is everything when it comes to making your presence felt.

Building a strong online presence heightens your visibility as an entrepreneur and will allow newer opportunities to come your way. It also helps to connect your different social media portfolios together to enhance your messages, your posts, your connections to the world out there.
There used to be a time when having a web presence was a passive act – everyone had a website or a Facebook page that was not getting much traffic or was not very active. Updating is key to building a strong presence online. Update your website, update your Facebook – check on Tweets you can follow.
On LinkedIn and other social media sites, you can follow companies or individuals you want to emulate or learn from. The web is still primarily a tool for learning and understanding the complexities that make up the field of business and technology. It is never too late to learn – or gain fresh new insights into a world changing fast and almost beyond comprehension.





World – your market place
An online presence will also present many opportunities. Those opportunities can come from anywhere in the world. Today, the world is your market place, whether you are marketing yourself, your career, your business or your products.

Maintaining an active web presence encourages and fosters those opportunities, enabling anyone and everyone who maybe your next target market to find you. It is simply amazing how the web works when it comes to opportunities. Every day, thousands of business connections are being made and markets sourced on the power of the World Wide Web.

You need to be creative and to think out of the box when it comes to ensuring a strong, enhanced web presence. Even the simplest idea can turn into a smart tool that can be effectively used to get attention. If you study the business models of some of the web’s most powerful companies, you would notice that they are simple and easy to think of yet profound enough to change the world.

So, think of the web as your next biggest opportunity. It is where you can harness your strengths, build a strong presence, find an audience and source opportunities you did know existed. Whether you are an artiste, a businessperson, an entrepreneur or simply someone looking to develop a personal dimension, the web is the place to be at. Because no matter where you are, you haven’t seen anything unless and until you’ve been seen online.

(Nayomini Weerasooriya, a senior journalist, writer and a PR professional, can be contacted at [email protected])