The Ultimate Business Blog Citygirlbusinessclub.com
Anyone who expects to keep their business growing should eventually take their services online. It’s the key to opening your business up to more customers than ever and building a profile like never seen before. However, as with every major decision in business, it’s fraught with dangers. A misstep could result in not only a disastrous online launch, but all the effort and money detracting from the business you had already built. As with all things, preparation is the key. The following tips can give you stronger chances than ever of succeeding in taking your business online.
Your domain
The first thing that you need to do is set up your domain name and find a web host for your website. As far as the domain name goes, it can be difficult finding a unique name. Try keep it as succinct and memorable as possible using domain name checkers on the hosting service’s sites. Some domain names are even cheaper than others. Usually, certain names are more expensive for good reasons, but see if a cheaper option might be just as good.
http://www.wikihow.com/Register-a-Domain-Name
The website
Depending on how your online business takes form, the emphasis on your website changes. A lot of businesses use their website as a storefront for online business. Others use it simply for information. Whatever it is, you need to make sure your website is designed from top to bottom so that every page has a use to the visitor. There’s nothing that will turn customers away quite like a website with lots of pages that offer them nothing. From the front page, sell your services and provide links to more in-depth information.
http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/web-design-tips
Networking
Communication is key when it comes to using the internet. It gives us more ways to communicate with our customers. Just as importantly, it gives us ways to build relationships with businesses we might not have otherwise encountered. From cross-promotion to sharing resources like leads in a piggybacking fashion. The networking potential of the internet is huge. Foster a community of not only consumers but partners. It can help you diversify your business opportunities, so be sure to network wherever you see the possibility of mutual benefit.
Security
Taking your business online opens you up to all kinds of new opportunities. It also opens you up to all kinds of risks. Hackers and fraudsters will look for chances to exploit vulnerable consumers and companies alike. This can mean using your website to get consumer bank details or even trying to crack your own. Reliability and safety is one thing that consumers on the internet are taught to prioritise before anything else. Using a IT company to create security measures for your network, internally and externally, can let you sleep easy over this one.
http://atb-tech.com/it-security/
Taking your products digital
If you’re opening an online shop, the chances are that you already have plenty of products to offer. But the internet and online business gives you a whole new opportunity. Use your expertise or existing products to expand your business. This means launching digital exclusive products. Sometimes it can be expert information and advice that your business experience has taught you. It could be a service package that comes along with whatever you already sell. The exact product depends on you.
https://www.semrush.com/blog/why-2016-is-the-best-time-to-launch-your-first-digital-product/
Optimisation
Having a fantastic website with fantastic services on offer in a more accessible way than ever is great. Unless, of course, no-one knows about it. If you’re taking your business online, marketing is an important point, but we’ll cover that later. Search engine optimisation has taken the front seat whenever it comes to designing a website. This means making sure your services are clearly communicated so your webpage has a higher ranking in search engine lists. It also means that your website’s links and information is reliable.
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/55-quick-seo-tips-even-your-mother-would-love/6760/
Picture
Marketing
Making your website visible is just one step in grabbing more attention. The main thrust of these efforts usually come in the form of social media. Social media’s a fantastic tool for businesses, with the viral potential being a goldmine for any online service. Find your key demographic and build a consistent, reliable social media presence. There are few better ways to establish your brand. It also allows you to communicate directly and offer instant customer support. More than that, you can use it to offer quick, highly lucrative deals to keep customers coming back to check it.
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-tips-pros/
Support
Taking your business online usually means a lot more use of computers and lot more equipment like servers (or services like the Cloud). If your business was previously entirely physical, this can be a massive, even scary change for anyone making the leap. That’s why it’s important that you ensure you have the right support to get things going any time they slow down. More and more businesses are outsourcing their ICT needs. Still, hiring your own specialists could be more economic if you’re focusing more and more on the digital side of the business.
http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5360-online-tech-support.html
Service
For online businesses, customer service is just as important as the actual services offered. This means building a strong reputation for quick replies and support through social media. Another way to offer service you’ll be remembered for is by having it direct on your site. Most customers don’t want to read through a bunch of guides, so having an on-site chat platform could be a great step. It will allow you to chat instantly with any of your sites visitors and solve their queries in no time.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/chat-directly-with-people-visiting-website/
Content is king
Starting a Blog with OnBlastBlog alongside your site or online store could be a tremendous benefit. Creating lots of content relevant to the services you offer is great for search engine optimisation. It can also be a way of establishing yourself as an authority in your field with insightful articles. This reputation only feeds back into your business and strengthens your brand.
http://www.theminimalists.com/blog/