We live in an age that is growing vastly more digital with each year. Anyone can see that. Or so you would think. There are still a lot of businesses making the mistake of not realizing just what a proper online presence can give them. It’s not just about having a website or getting on digital marketing. It’s about exploiting every advantage the net has to offer your business.
Knowledge
If you’re really serious about your business, you want to learn everything you can about it. You want to follow blogs and make connections with people who can share their experiences. You want to learn more about the market you’re getting into. Most importantly, you want to learn whether your idea is really viable or not. Use the internet as a scouting tool to help you do just that. Look at pre-published stats and reports on your industry. Look for trade associations who might be able to offer you some keen advice. Research, research and do some more research.
Visibility
The most well-known advantage of having a proper internet presence is the sheer number of people that it can connect you to. Yet a lot of business owners operate under the false assumption that if they build their presence, the people will come to it. That just isn’t true in most cases. You’re but one among many, you’re going to have to put some more effort into it. We’re talking about using tools like search engine optimization. This also includes all the technicalities like making your website load fast by optimizing the content & setting your website online with a reliable hosting provider. Learn more about using the right keywords and your location. That way, your business is much more likely to appear before the people looking for the exact kind of services you provide.
Home
The website itself is important, of course. Yet someone who’s a novice at the internet is in danger of making a lot of mistakes with the site. The first place to start with web design is the very front page. Are they likely to stay after seeing what you have there or move on? The key to getting the former answer is by providing only the exact information they need to know. They don’t need to know your origin story. They need to know what you offer and how you’ll improve their lives. Anything else on the front page is just filler.
Targeting
Naturally, you want the right people coming to see you online. SEO is only one part of the strategy you use to target your customers online. If you’re a business that works off sales leads, there are a lot of opportunities to generate leads with the net, as well. Drive traffic with targeted ads that lead to landing pages. Know your audience and write content specifically for them. Start a newsletter using industry expert knowledge and use it to keep people abreast of offers as well as top notch advice.
Context
We mentioned content there. Content marketing has now become one of the strongest forms of both bringing in customers and building a brand. For one, if you create content that’s helpful, correct and unique it will help you build a reputation as a real expert. You can also use the content as a way to bring people to your site who might not normally go there. They may initially simply want the answers your content provides. When they’re on your site, however, you can capitalize on their potential custom. Using calls-to-action in your content or elsewhere on the pages of your blog can do just that.
Interactivity
It’s not all about how you bring customers in, either. It’s also about how you help them be your customers. A lot of business owners make the mistake of believing that apps are simply for ecommerce businesses. But the right software can deliver all kinds of value to both your business and your customers. For instance, designers like Adworkz display their work in helping restaurants. They do this with apps that help customers book their places and check the menu in a much more convenient manner. Look at your business. Could the ability to remotely access your services on electronic devices do the same for you?
Service
Whether you provide it through an app or not, service is a hugely important part of being online as a business. Often, customers will use the internet as a means of getting their questions answered. If you’re not offering them the means to do that, that will reflect very poorly on the business. Think of the most effective ways you can provide support online. Are you able to man an on-site chat tool? Or could you build a FAQ that helps them answer their own questions?
Community
You can also provide great service by answering questions directly through social media. Not only will that help your customers out, but it also makes something of a display of it. Being great with customers is a good way of starting to build your business an online community. That community is what can help you turn customers into long-term supporters. Be sure to keep fostering it. Ask them questions as much as you answer them. Get them involved in things like giveaways that involve sharing the news of your business. Treat your customers like resources to use as well as income opportunities.
Organization
It doesn’t all have to be about the customer, after all. Instead, it can be about organizing your business and reducing the amount of time you have to spend on admin work. Tools like Justworks can help you not only reduce the time but automate it entirely. HR, payroll, invoices and the like can all be made much easier. Meaning you have more time to focus on the tasks that actually help you make some money.
The internet can bring in customers, build your prestige and even change how you do business. Evolving to match the consumer’s reliance on the online is going to the key to a business’s survival in the future.
Question: What’s your thoughts on the subject? How would your better launch or organize your online business? Please, share your thoughts, here!