A new survey reveals that most small businesses are planning for growth in 2015, and more than a third of them believe that online branding is going to help them succeed. In fact, 35% of small businesses surveyed by Rocket Lawyer, an online legal services company, said growing an online presence is their top priority in 2015. The survey pointed out that a strong online brand is vital for business success today, with 29% of small-business owners indicating this factor as their biggest concern.

“The main piece of advice we provide our small-business customers when engaging in social media is to put together guidelines in advance,” Charley Moore, CEO and founder of Rocket Lawyer, said. “They can do this in their employee handbook or in a separate social media policy. This way, all employees will understand the proper behavior when engaging with followers before they interact with the company’s social channels.”

While the survey showed that 61% of small businesses grew revenues in 2014 and 80% said they’re expecting to do the same in 2015, it also revealed these companies’ growing reliance on mobile technology to run their businesses. Sixty percent of small businesses surveyed said they would consider adopting mobile payments in 2015 as a way to offer their customers a more seamless and simple payment experience.

“When deciding whether to adopt a mobile payment strategy, it’s important for [a company] to determine if it makes sense for their business by considering the benefits and risks,” Moore said. “For example, will it give them more of a competitive edge? Will it encourage one-time customers to become recurring customers due to its ease of use?”

Rocket Lawyer’s survey included responses from nearly 500 U.S. small-business owners and was conducted in early January. – CR