In order to keep up with the growing demands of digital accessibility and convenience, many businesses decide to partially or completely move their business online. This can help with extending customer reach beyond the geographical boundaries of a physical business, offering customers easy access to your products or services, scaling and growth, and reducing costs on rent, staff, and marketing. Here are some steps to get started on building the digital side of your business:
Plan:
Shifting from a physical business to an online one can be stressful and often puts you in an awkward transition period where you and your customers are unsure of how to go about the usual business while everyone is adjusting to the change. Having a strategic plan of how you're going to go about the change will encourage a smooth transition and help you avoid any unexpected issues and complications that can slow down business processes and annoy customers.
Set up a website:
The first thing you should do is create a fully functional website. Register a domain name that is original and represents your brand, as this will be part of your online identity. Your potential clients will often be getting their first impression of your business from your website, so it is important that you have an effectively executed layout, user interface and design. On top of your products or services, make sure your website includes key information about your business, such as an about page, contact details, FAQs, social media links, or call to action prompt. Make sure your website is continually updated to provide fresh, relevant contact and correct information.
Build a social media presence:
If you're not already on social media platforms, or if your social media presence is weak, focus on creating engaging and relevant social media content for your audience. This can help you build a stronger relationship with your clients, share content they would find interesting and useful, and establish a brand image.
Keep customers updated:
Clients can get frustrated and feel uncared for if they are not told about important changes to your business that will affect them. Whether you're moving partially or completely online, it is important that you keep your clients updated. This can be done through a simple email, having a sign in-store, and verbally telling them when you interact with them.
