Opening and running your own small business is an impressive feat, but sometimes the outcome isn’t quite what you envisioned. It can be extremely difficult to gain traction and grow your business while competing with huge corporations. That’s why many small business owners are beginning to enlist the help of the Internet to improve their profits and build success.
If you feel like your business could be much larger and more successful than it currently is, it may be time to take advantage of the great tools that can be found online. Today navigating the internet is easier than ever and it can help you reach people all over the world. Whether you’re an internet veteran or tech-averse, adding a digital element to your business can help it thrive.
Put Yourself On The Map
Marketing is of course an essential part of running any business as it’s how you attract the interest of potential customers. With the internet, advertising can not only be much easier but it’s practically guaranteed to reach a wider audience than you can reach in person.
You may have heard the term SEO or search engine optimization before, and there’s a good reason for that. SEO is crucial to the marketing of your business as it determines how easily people can find you when browsing online. There are countless ways to improve your SEO, like being active on your business’s social media page or writing blogs and articles mentioning it. You can even hire a consultant to help optimize your search engine visibility.
One of the most effective ways to market your business is by having advertisements on different social media sites. Consider purchasing ads on frequently used websites like Facebook and Instagram so a large number of people will come across them while scrolling through their normal feeds. You could even make a TikTok account to promote your business if you feel like really getting creative.
Another option is to sponsor content creators or social media influencers online. Look on Youtube or TikTok to see if there are any popular creators whose content would be relevant to you or would attract the same audience and see if they’d be a good fit to promote your business.
Building Your Website
No matter what kind of business you have or what products or services you’re selling, a good website is an absolute must-have for gaining customers and success. Even if your store is strictly in-person, a website will allow people to see what you’re all about and decide if they want to come in.
It’s very important to choose a reliable and good quality host for your website. Whatever content you put on your business website, you want consumers to be able to access it anytime and do so securely. You’ll need to research different web hosting companies and compare their services and costs to determine which will work best for you. Make sure that whatever company you choose to work with has good support so you know you can rely on them should any technical issues arise in the future.
Once you have a reliable host, you can focus on actually designing your website. Decide what you want to be featured on your website. Things like a general description of your business and its values, what products or services you offer, prices, location, contact information, and customer support. Pick a layout and design that’s aesthetically pleasing while also being easy to read and navigate. The look of your website should match the theme or style of your business as a whole, so get creative with it. Just make sure to keep it professional as well.
You’ll also need to make sure your website functions properly. While a web host gives you the proper digital real estate and the tool you need to keep it running smoothly, it doesn’t actually help much in terms of building the actual code of the site. That’s where a website builder can be incredibly useful. If you have experience with coding websites yourself, you can absolutely do it on your own, but if not, paying a website-building company to take care of the technical stuff for you might be a good decision. You want to make sure everything is set up properly from the start, so having a professional code everything just the way you want can be a huge help.
A New (Digital) Location
If you’re selling products through your business, you should consider setting up an online store in addition to your in-person location can be a great way to expand. From the internet, you can reach a much wider audience who otherwise might not be able to purchase from you due to location.
Decide how you want to set the store up on your website so you can properly showcase all of your products. Make sure to get eye-catching photos and write intriguing descriptions of everything so customers know what to expect from their purchases. Sort your merchandise by different categories and make it easy for people to find exactly what they want to buy. You can even offer online-exclusive discounts to encourage people to visit and buy from the store.
With a digital store, you’ll probably have to take care of shipping yourself, unless your products are made by a third-party company. Look up different shipping methods and companies to decide what’s best for what you’ll be sending out. Invest in high-quality packaging to prevent any damages and ensure your customers have a great experience so they’ll consider buying from you again.
Running a small business can be difficult sometimes, but luckily we have the internet to make things a bit easier. Expand your reach, grow your profits, and watch your business thrive in the digital age.
