If you are based online you have an immediate disadvantage. You don’t have the physical premises so don’t have the natural marketing that having a branded building brings you, nor do you have the random passing foot trade. When running an online business you need to be more careful and ensure it succeeds through sheer force of will, because you won’t have the natural pull in factor that a physical business, which means at first you need to do all you can to get people interested. Here are some ideas that can help you out. You may already do a few of them, but try the others and see if they help you.
Ensure People Can See You
A website can’t be seen unless by people who know it exists. You need to ensure people can see it and so have the option to click through to it. You could use a monthly seo package to ensure repeat returns. If you can’t afford this then consider completing your own search engine optimisation. You can ensure there are great keywords on your website and use Google analytics to keep track of where people are coming in from, so you know what advertising streams are working. Advertising needs to be tracked so you know what is working and what is not. Find the best advertising streams and stick with them.
Focus On Your Website
Many people focus on getting people to the website without properly focusing on it. It is your virtual storefront, a place people see as a representation of your business which is why it is so important, especially if you have not got a physical premises. You need to do your best to ensure it is a great website with lots to offer. Get a professional in to develop it if you don’t have the skills to do it yourself. Be relentless. Check it time and time again for glitches or broken links. Also make sure it is easy to navigate. If it isn’t easy to navigate people will leave it for your competitors. Ask a few people you trust to take a look at it and see what they think. The feedback can help you drive forwards and iron out the kinks.
Social Media
If you harness the power of social media you can send thousands of hits through to your site. You need to create a business page and post quality links in content. The content needs to be relevant to today’s world and aim for your target market. Don’t make it similar to clickbait or people will fast lose respect for your page and business. Make it great reading content that speaks well of your business. People will click through these links and end up on your website. The more hits it gets in terms of traffic the better chance of sales you have. Social media can be a killer way to ensure your online business gets the hits it needs to stay successful and can really help.
