You’ve likely heard a lot of talk about online businesses lately. It feels like every time you blink; a new business is popping up online. The fact is, they’re so easy to start, and can cost very little to get off the ground. If you’re new to business, then it might be the best idea for you.
If you’re new to business then there is something you need to understand. Building a successful online business doesn’t happen overnight. There are certain things you need to consider, and some steps to follow. In this article, I’ll give any beginner’s a helping hand by listing five things an online business must have.
It’s impossible to build an online company without a website. There’s no way around it, and it has to be a proper one. By proper, I mean it has to include many pages that all connect with one another. You can’t get away with one page that has your business name and services listed.
Think of your website as the central hub for your online business. It’s the place that everyone will visit, and the epicentre of your brand. Your website will help you build a reputation and secure a good first impressions online.
An example of a bad looking website compared to a good looking one.
It allows someone to find your business using search engines. It also makes your company look more professional. First impressions always count! When someone will visit your website and it looks professional, they’ll know they’re dealing with an authentic business. Building a simple website can be very straightforward. There are plenty of platforms and tools out there to help beginners get started.
There’s no rule that says a certain platform is better than another. It comes down to your personal preference. Popular choices are Joomla, Wordpress and Drupal. Choose one you’re comfortable using, and create as many pages as you see fit. Most web hosting providers now provide one click installs for most popular platforms.
If you’re new to business, then you might not know the importance of branding. Building a brand is essential, as it helps people form an opinion of your business. There are some online companies that are perceived in a more positive light than others. Why is this? It’s because of the brand they’ve built.
To start with your brand, you need a logo. Now, you can’t save money and get a simple design from clipart; that won’t work. Your logo has to look professional and catch people’s eye. Pick some colours and fonts that you think fit your business the best. It’s important you get this right, as these colours will be synonymous with your brand. You should get a designer on board to ensure your brand logo is as good as possible.
Once you’ve got the logo created, you have to focus on your website. It’s thought that you have around eight seconds to impress someone when they land on your site. Fail to do so, and they’ll be gone. So, you have to make sure everything looks perfect and aligns itself with your brand. People will form an impression based on the way your website looks. The colours need to be perfect, as does the imagery and any text on the page. It should all come together to give off a great impression of your brand.
It’s all well and good having a professional website, but, how are people going to find it? Sure, you’ll get some traffic from search engines, but it’s not enough. Instead, you need to think about marketing your online business. There are many ways to do this, and social media is one of the best.
In the past decade, social media has revolutionised the online world. It’s given online business owners a chance to market their company without breaking the bank. There are so many social media sites out there; you’re wondering which is the best one to use, right? The answer to that question is simple. Create social media accounts where your consumers are more likely to hang out.
At the end of the day, there are millions of people on social media at one time. One tube ride in London shows that everyone is on their phones using social media. All your customers are using it, and all your rivals are using it too. The simple fact is, if you’re not on social media, your online business will never be successful. Don’t let your competitors have free reign taking all your potential customers. Get in there, shout about your business, and lead people to your website.
Blogs are a fantastic tool for online businesses. How many times have you searched for something, found a blog, and ended up on someone’s website? It happens all the time and is a very effective way of growing an online company.
You can have a blog on your website, and write engaging content for people to read. They’ll come to your site to read the post, and hang around for a bit. Think of a blog as a little invitation to customers. Come and read this piece, and check out some of the other cool stuff while you’re at it.
It’s a proven way of getting customers, and every online business needs a blog.
In the age of social media and other marketing techniques, people forget about email. And yet, it still provides the best value of any digital marketing tactic. You will earn most of your money thanks to a good email list.
It provides you with customer-related data, and you have a direct line to people. You can build a large mailing list, and get lots of people to your site. If someone signs up to an email list, it tends to mean they’re interested in the business. So, it doesn’t take much to tempt them back to your website, and get them spending money.
To conclude, these five things will help you build a successful online business. But, there is one main thing we’re overlooking here. I’m assuming you have a good business idea and quality products. Your company will never be a success if you haven’t got quality things to sell.
