The internet can be a difficult thing to master. The problem is that once you think you’ve learned something, it’s mostly likely changed or been updated. It’s especially hard for someone in the funeral profession, where hours are unpredictable and the work is seemingly endless.

So as a funeral director, where do you turn? We’ve got you covered. Below are some of the basic ins-and-outs of mastering the web to make sure you get the most out of it. If used properly, the internet can be a great place to enhance your families’ experience with your funeral home.

Make Sure You’re Not Invisible

One of the most important things to do is make sure people can find you. More than 85% of people will turn to searching online when they need a product or service.

To get started, make sure you claim your Google+ Local page. By doing so, you can make sure you show up in searches and maps when people search for funeral homes in your area. Don’t stop there either; to optimize the listing, make sure you provide a full list of details, including your address, phone number, normal business hours, website, and any other info that will be helpful to families.

Think Before You Post

Here’s the thing about living in the digital age — you never know who is going to see what you post. One silly mistake or regrettable share and you can find yourself in the middle of a controversy. As a funeral home with an important image in the community, it’s extra important for you to avoid any slip-ups.

Things on the internet have a tendency to stick around, so limit what you say and share. Keep them about your services and funeral home’s brand story. Leave the other stuff to your personal social media profiles.

Staying Secure

One important precaution is to make sure your funeral home is secure online. The internet can be a dangerous place at times. Fortunately, there are several ways to protect yourself:

• Create an official rulebook on internet policy for employees. Even if you are caught up on the best practices, your employees might not be. Craft some guidelines to make sure they aren’t compromising your funeral home.
• Similar to the above, outline best practices for social media policy. Your employees might post or say something that could reflect poorly on your funeral home.
• Back up everything and do it often. Use cloud resources or an offsite storage system.
• Make sure your Wi-Fi network is secure. For some tips on how to hide and encrypt your network, click here.
• Install protective software. There are plenty of programs out there. A good security software can help ensure safe browsing, and avoid things like malware and viruses.

Keep an Eye on Your Competition

In general, this is a good practice. It’s also important to see what a rival funeral home is doing online, though. Check out their website and how it compares to yours. People tend to judge, and an outdated or poorly functional site can actually hurt people’s opinion of your funeral home.

It’s also important because you can get an idea of what they are offering to families. Some things to consider:

• Are families able to find obituaries easily? Can they share and post pictures right on the obituary page?
• Does your competition have a blog that posts helpful and engaging content to families?
• What are they doing on Facebook and other social media sites? How are they engaging with their families?

It’s important to eye the competition so you aren’t getting left in the dust. The above are just a few features families are looking for. It’s a good idea to constantly evaluate ways you can offer the latest helpful tools for families, including online.

Always Be Learning

Like we mentioned in the beginning, the hardest part about honing your web-savvy skills is that the web is constantly changing. There always will be something to learn, something to update. On the upside, the internet is a great resource when it comes to continuing to learn the best practices.