Whether your business has been around for decades or just getting off the ground, it's tough to argue the importance of marketing for long-term sustainability. With all the new tools and trends online, though, it's easy to get into a situation where your marketing is working against you.

This post is intended as a checklist to make sure you're being taken seriously online. If you're not familiar with the nuances of Facebook or Twitter, you might fall victim to some of these points without even realizing it. Take a couple minutes to assess your web presence; it could mean the difference between getting a laugh or getting a lead.

10) Your website template looks like a website template.

With thousands of Wordpress themes and website templates in all formats, make sure you test and find the one that works best for your needs. If you can't afford a custom design or you want to get online right away, it will be worth a bit of extra research to avoid looking like a cookie-cutter operation. Too many "businesses" online are popping up overnight - set yourself apart from them by finding a template that matches your personality and professionalism.

9) Stock photos are taking over your content.

There are a lot of great photographs out there because it's easy to be a great photographer. Smart phones have higher resolution and more features than a traditional point-and-shoot digital camera, and they certainly produce better resolution than you'll ever need online. But if you absolutely MUST use a stock photo, please search long and hard for the right one. If your customers have seen it before, you're not providing anything worthwhile to them.

8) You have a Facebook profile instead of a Facebook page.

Don't know the difference between a Facebook profile and a Facebook page? Your customers probably do. And you don't want to come across as being 'social media illiterate' when you're trying to use the medium to build a reputation. The biggest difference is that profiles are for individuals and pages are for businesses, celebrities or politicians, and organizations. In fact, if you are using a personal profile to represent your business, you're in violation of the Facebook Terms of Service. Here's a great blog post from HubSpot on how to create a business page on Facebook.

7) You haven't Tweeted in months.

Perhaps, in a fit of motivation or blind determination, you finally set up a Twitter account. For a few days or even a full week, you were committed to Tweeting and following and listening and joining the conversation. But it didn't last long because you didn't have a real plan. So now, everyone who checks out your profile on Twitter can see that you didn't follow through; not a great reputation to have. But before you rush to post your next Tweet, jot down a plan of attack... or it might be better to just delete your profile.

6) No one can find your website.

Search engine optimization is an ongoing process that can take months or years for optimum results, but there are ways to show up in some searches without the long timeline. The easiest is to rank for local searches first; create a profile on Yelp, Google Places, and Yahoo Local Listings and you'll be well on your way.

5) Your "blog" is one post deep.

Similar to number 7; if you set up a blog, wrote one post, and left it for dead, you might risk the perception of lacking follow through. But unlike Twitter, blog posts can take a lot of time to plan and write. So rather than spending lots of hours or lots of money trying to populate it with more articles, a simpler option is to rename the blog page to reflect the one or two articles that are already there. Of course, it's always best to write more articles, but this could help you maintain your reputation in the meantime.

4) "Contact Us" is more like "Fill out this form."

Too many websites have a contact page without a simple way for the visitor to contact them. A form is a nice option to have, but don't forget to also list your phone number, business address, and email address. Simply asking for some contact information and adding a field for questions or comments is a good way to show you're not really interested in hearing from your visitors.

3) You ignore or delete negative comments.

If your customers are willing to take the time to provide feedback, consider yourself lucky. With any negative comment, no matter how public or outrageous, you have an opportunity to respond. Ignoring or deleting negative posts is only going to show other visitors that you don't care about customer service. Use the public forums online to show your dedication to quality; you can't please everyone, but you can show you're trying.

2) You're not aware of conversations about your brand.

You have hundreds or thousands of opportunities each day to join conversations about your industry. But how do you know what people are talking about? Take a few minutes to set up Google Alerts; you'll receive an email every time a specified word or phrase appears on a public web page. Use Alerts especially for monitoring conversations that include your name and your business name. You might be pleasantly surprised about what people are saying, but you can't use it unless you're aware of it!

1) Nothing about your business is original.

The online world is vast, but there's always a need for new content. Web pages become outdated and trends change; search results typically show websites that have recent updates first. There's never an excuse for copying someone else's work without crediting them, and there shouldn't be excuses for using online tools the way everyone else uses them. Be unique, show your personality, decorate your social media profiles, and tell people why they should spend money with you and not one of the thousands of other options they have online. If you had a building on a street with 100 other businesses, why would someone stop into yours?

The bottom line: your reputation takes maintenance, even on the Internet. Just like you wouldn't let dust and grime build up in your store, don't leave a bunch of dusty cobwebs laying around the net. Put in some elbow grease and you can step back and watch it shine.

Click to download this FREE whitepaper today from CreAgent Marketing and Marc Rubin Associates.

"Seven Statistics that Prove your Business Should be on Facebook."