Whether you have a well-established business or you’re just building one, there are a few “must-haves” you need in your arsenal. You have to have a sound business plan and you have to have a website to anchor your online presence. In today’s business world, if you haven’t built an online presence, you’re already languishing in the dust left by competitors as they leave you behind.

Your online profile

To build a solid online presence, you’ll need to develop your informational page on the usual sites, such as Facebook and LinkedIn. These sites can get you going but if you really want to deliver a punch to your business, you’ll need to build your Crunchbase profile.

Not sure what a Crunchbase profile should look like? Take a look at some examples on the site, such as Cary Kochman’s profile.

Branding your business online

All your business listings on social media like Facebook and LinkedIn have to contain the basics about who you are and what your business is offering. A site like Crunchbase gives you the opportunity to build a business or professional profile that contains specific details about your company and your specific expertise. You can do this in a style that is simple to understand and grabs the attention of those browsing the site.

Simple tricks like using the same logo across all your social media platforms can boost your online advertising presence. This gives your business a familiarity that is vital in today’s global business markets.

Complete profiles are the best

If you start building your online profile, then lose interest and never complete it or update it, you’re sending the signal that your business is not so good when it comes to completing projects. This is not the online reputation you want to encourage.

Leave the selfies or pictures from your last vacation on your phone. For your Crunchbase profile, you’ll want a professional, high-quality photo. Facebook is great for vacation shots but what you’re building on Crunchbase is a portrait of your professional skills, talents and abilities. You’ll want it to look like you’re serious about doing business.

Check your infographics

The term “infographics” sounds involved but it is really fairly simple. Information graphics – infographics – use graphics to visually represent information, data or knowledge. It is used as a quick way to clearly disseminate your message. We are a population of visual learners, to the tune of 65 percent.

Infographics tend to be heavy in numbers and figures, but very few notice because the graphics mask the minutiae of the mass of numbers. Graphics make the information easy to understand, and the images and videos you embed in your Crunchbase profile make your listing one that cannot be ignored.

Update, then update again

Your Crunchbase profile will draw attention if you’re constantly adding to the information you’re making available to your adoring public. You start with basic get-to-know your company information but don’t stop there. Add images of your current team. Brag about the amazing advisors and board members guiding your company’s growth.

Is funding what you need? Add funding information to draw in investors. Utilize the news section to keep people coming back to your site for more. Add links to your customer sites when you update. The services offered for free at Crunchbase offer your business benefits that can boost your company up to the next level.

By Eddy Z

Eddy is the editorial columnist in Business Fundas, and oversees partner relationships. He posts articles of partners on various topics related to strategy, marketing, supply chain, technology management, social media, e-business, finance, economics and operations management. The articles posted are copyrighted under a Creative Commons unported license 4.0. To contact him, please direct your emails to [email protected].