These days it is easy to assume that everything is online, but a survey conducted by Small Business Trends found that only about 66% of businesses are advertising online. That means another third are missing out on one of the largest marketing opportunities across the globe. Don’t let your business fall into the latter group.
In the wake of the coronavirus epidemic, in order to survive most businesses are going to have to beef up their online image. As more and more consumers become housebound, the internet is becoming the only way to reach, sell, and deliver a brand promise to customers.
If you are a business that exists solely in the brick and mortar world this can be highly intimidating, but going digital doesn’t have to be. Successful businesses know they have to evolve to match current market trends, so jump online and ride the wave towards the future with the following tips. Moving into the digital age is a completely attainable task, so instead of filing for unemployment shift your focus to beefing up your online presence.
Buy a Website Domain
Before you can do anything, you need to buy a website domain and secure hosting services. Creating a website used to require a vast knowledge of coding, but now there are plenty of services and templates you can use to plug-and-create professional websites.
While building your website, make sure to convey a positive and consistent brand message. Your goal should be to share information about your company, products, and/or services. Ideally, your previous customers will come looking for you now that they can’t visit your shop or office, and new customers will pop up at your internet doorstep as well. When they arrive, you want to have content and answers waiting there for them.
From a technical standpoint, you may need to look into cloud storage or other similar solutions if you intend to have your employers work from a portal within your website. There are companies that can help with this challenge and make the idea of building an online workforce less intimidating like Wavestone US.
Get Social
Speaking of internet doorsteps, if your website had a front door it would look a lot like social media profiles. These days a large majority of consumers will search for a business on social media before hitting Google. Even if they head to Google first, usually the first couple search results are from verified social media outlets.
Social media platforms offer you access to millions of customers, but they also can restrict your access to millions of potential customers if you aren’t taking advantage of your profiles. If you are not on the major social media profiles yet (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) then it’s time to sign up.
If you have social media pages but haven’t been using them, then it’s time to amp up your marketing campaign. Social media is the best way to connect with potential clients and customers. The best accounts combine marketing with customer service and information. Offer your customers something of value in the form of informational articles, tips, advice, etc and they will follow you, which opens the door for future marketing posts to reach them.
Track Your Growth Via Metrics and Analytics
Creating a website and a social media presence is not a one-time job. A powerful presence in the online world requires constant maintenance. The most successful websites continue to offer new content to consumers, which encourages customers to check back on a regular basis. This new content should be equally shared across social media platforms to encourage more growth and customer engagement. Additionally, fresh daily content on a website or social media platform will help boost your visibility.
This all requires work, and you want to make sure that your work is not going to waste. Thus, you need to monitor and track the growth of your website and social media followers. Look at growth trends (or lack thereof), sales conversion rates, and overall browsing rates to determine what may or may not be working. The results of these metrics can help you identify if your digital strategy needs some more fine-tuning as you continue to scale your company.
Consult with Digital Experts
One of the trickiest aspects of shifting online is dealing with the complex nature of cloud storage, additional IT costs, and other similar enterprise-level costs. Moving an enterprise online or scaling a company in the midst of a crisis online can feel intimidating, but it’s not impossible if you consult with an IT consulting firm skilled at addressing these and similar concerns.
Wavestone US, for example, is an IT consulting firm that can not only help you beef up the technical side of your online business but also has compiled a Wavestone Emergency Kit to help businesses stay consistent in the face of crisis. They are a great example of a business that operates in the digital space and can aid with remote work infrastructure, crisis management, cloud solutions, and enhanced software that will support home productivity.
Finding a partner can help alleviate the stress of going digital and bring rich financial rewards in the long run. Taking a brick and mortar business online or scaling a startup is hard work, but it is entirely doable and worthwhile to tackle the challenge.
