In the day and age that we are living in, so much of business is done online. It could be a retail store, a tutoring service, or an accounting firm; a lot of work can be done online. It can mean lower costs, the chance for remote or flexible working, and can be the way that many small businesses can get started with their online business. Even if you have a business that works for local people or you have a brick and mortar store, you can still gain a lot from having an online presence. But simply social media isn’t really enough; you need to have a website for your small business. You can see a lot of good things come from a website, but it isn’t all just about sales. Your brand can become more known, or you can be found as an expert in your field through your website’s blog.
If this is all quite new to you, or you have a site but haven’t really been optimizing it, then now is the time to make a change, so that come the new year, your website will be ready for action and ready to take your business to the next level. Here are some of the things that you can do, to make sure that your website is worth its weight in gold, and does help your business to get bigger and bigger.
Website Design
When it comes to shopping online or researching things online, we are lead in a very visual way. For some people, the thought of shopping online is still a pretty daunting one. And if your website looks a little unprofessional or haphazard, then it can have an impact on your sales, as people can just click off. They are going to be reluctant to spend on a site that looks a little dodgy. You don’t want your website to just be a list of what you offer and just keep it all dull and blank. You need to keep customer interest, and build their trust with your website.
The same goes for a slow loading site or one with unprofessional pictures or layout. So taking some time to make sure that you have a stellar website in the first place can be an easy win. If you’re new to all of this kind of thing, and don’t really have the time to learn, then you could simply outsource someone to design it all for you.
Creating Readable Content
One thing is for sure, Google pretty much runs the internet. And Google loves new content. But the content needs to be of a good quality and actually content that people want to read. Take this post, for example. It talks about ways to market your business online, and creating readable content is one of them. But you have to remember to have an authentic voice that is relevant for your business. A clothing brand aimed at young adults isn’t going to do well with essay-style content that reads like a history book. Content for that audience would need to be fun, engaging, relevant, and not too long. After all, the content that you create is how people will find you online, as well as what potential customers will look to when they want to find out more about you.
You should also think about the things that people search for online that are relevant for your business. A clothing company, for instance, could create content around seasonal dressing or what to pack for a New York break in winter. This is the kind of thing that people will search for online, and it can help you to showcase your products and what you sell. So keep content relevant to what your business is all about, and then you can get found online, but it still keeps it all in tune with what you and your business are all about.
Engage with Customers
A website is one of the first things that a potential customer may have with your business. So it is important to make sure that it is something that is interactive. A pop up with a newsletter subscription and discount code allows you to build an email marketing database, as well as gives something back to the customer. If the business is big enough, then an online help or chat could work on your site too, depending on what your business is, of course. You should also get on social media to be able to interact with your customers. They will head straight there for any questions or complaints, so it can be part of your customer service plan. Being on social media also helps them to have a behind the scenes look at your business and what you do, as you can get interactive with stories and live video.
It is important to note that there is no need to be on every channel. Pick the ones that are most relevant to your audience, and then you can go from there.
Use Video
The world of online video has risen and risen; you can see how much it has grown with the likes of YouTubers and how they have made it into a career. So you can mix up the content that you have on your site by using video too. It doesn’t have to just be adverts for new products, though. You could video production, the office, or create a reveal video around a new product launch, for instance. It just gives your business website a different angle that your customers will want to see. It can also help to get your business name out there, especially when things are shared on video sites like YouTube.
Don’t fall behind when it comes to your online presence and your business. Make some changes today and you can get up to date with all that you need to do; it really can help your business to grow, as long as it is done in the right way.
