Starting an Online Business for Rookies
Bill Gates himself acknowledges the fact that if a business isn’t on the internet, then it’s likely to be buried within a few years. With the rise of smartphones, more savvy consumers are browsing the web for shopping options. Easy access and a wide customer range have lured businessmen to conquer the World Wide Web through an online business.
While it is easier to penetrate the virtual market, only 5% of those who start a “purely” online business actually succeed. Most owners think that getting a website made will automatically attract clients, not realising the amount of hard work and time that need to be dedicated. Loss of interest, bankruptcy and debt allowed the industry to be defined by entrepreneurs who come and go.
Establishing a long-term online business is easier if you have a plan. We have carefully outlined an overview of what you need to expect.
Building a Website
A knight is defined by his sword, a web owner by his website. This first critical step is enough to forecast your future ventures. Easy Internet provides you with the cheapest web services in UK, preparing a website that will take you a step ahead of your competitors. We aim to automate this process for clients, giving them more time to focus on business operations.
But if you feel like doing it yourself, then here are the things you need to understand:
Registering a Domain.
The term domain refers to your website name. Make sure to choose something unique. Once you have decided on a name, you can check its availability online. Just in case it’s already taken, prepare a list of alternatives.
Choosing a Web Hosting Company.
Now that you have a domain, the next thing to do is rent online space. Like traditional businesses, an owner needs to lease internet property. If you are looking for affordable packages, Free Virtual Servers have hosting plans as low as £4.99 a month with the benefit of a FREE domain.
Learning how to code.
The basics of web development include knowing web languages such as HTML and CSS. It will define the function and style of your website. Choose to learn for free at W3 Schools. If you don’t have the time, FVS plans include a built-in website builder that will let you design a site simply by dragging and dropping elements.
Customer Relationship Management
While finding customers is hard enough, keeping them is just as vital. Investing in a CRM system will let you actively communicate with clients. It will also help customers contact you in case they come across product defects. Proper support management leads to an increase in consumer trust and confidence. Get a business number instead of using your personal line. This will help you organize your contacts.
Staff
While managing a business can be cheaper, it can also be time-consuming. Once you have established your brand, the amount of tasks will increase. Certainly not something you can do alone.
Tapping your family members may be helpful but nothing beats hiring a professional team. You can either get in-house employees or choose to outsource virtual assistants. Establish job roles and write a detailed description of what needs to be done.
Analyse your revenues and how much you are willing to spend on salary. Develop a budget plan and stick to it. You should also think of ways to keep your employees motivated. It will keep your relationship strong and your business intact.
E-commerce
Do you have physical products to sell? If yes, then establishing an e-commerce platform is an important step. The following will make the buying process simpler.
Add a shopping cart feature. Your customer may have multiple orders. Through this add-on, people can easily pay for their items.
Set up a payment system. Decide how you want to get paid. Your customers can pay through credit card or through an online system such as Paypal and Bitcoin. Make use of popular e-commerce sites such as Amazon and eBay. It is a great way to introduce your product to a wide audience.
Start a blog
Many have made an attempt, but only a few have committed. Below are your goals in maintaining a blog:
Generating traffic.
After you have a website set up, the next thing you need to focus on is how to attract visitors. The trick to getting found in Google is to continuously create unique and valuable content. It doesn’t matter whether you do this daily, weekly or monthly, just as long as you are consistent.
SEO
This is the tedious process of tweaking your site to make it more search engine friendly. The solution? Hire someone else to do it. The web is full of companies that offer cheap SEO services such as 123Ranking.
Do you have any questions? Ask us now.
