In the past decade, the world of digital commerce has experienced exponential growth. These days, it is not only advantageous for business owners to have an online presence for mere marketing and visibility purposes, it is almost obligatory that part of their sales take place online.
While this might seem like a massive shift in your business plan, moving part of your company online is not only easy, it’s beneficial in many ways. It can reduce occupational and industrial safety problems, increase brand recognition and open up new revenue streams. It’s all happening online!
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Gain a Social Media Following
Social media is a no-brainer. On its most basic levels, it is completely free and requires only a few posts per week to maintain. When setting up social media profiles for your business, be mindful of the image you want to portray to potential customers. Your content should always be short, sweet and not too pushy. You want people to be interested in your project by giving them bite-sized pieces of information that will encourage them to interact with your posts and share your content.
Start a Blog
Once your social media pages are gaining a following, now is the time to start a blog. Blogging is free and can allow interested customers to take a deep dive into what your company is really about. Take this opportunity to write articles that range from 300 to 700 words. They should explain how your business came to be, who works there and where you plan to take it in the future. If you post a new blog article every week, you will soon have enough fresh content to turn your readers into customers.
Build a Website
So, your blog has a fair amount of articles and your social media pages have more and more followers every month. Now is the time to create your own website! To do so, you can hire a professional or you can do it yourself with paid software. When getting your site online, have realistic expectations. You won’t need to have hundreds of different pages all at once. Start small with a splashy home page, a basic info page, a marketplace with online payment and perhaps a photo gallery.
Most blogging websites have free “widgets” that allow you to connect your blog directly to your website. This innovative functionality will allow your previous blog readers to discover your new site. Don’t forget to link your social media pages to your site and make sure your contact information is in an obvious, noticeable spot.
Once you’ve carried out these three steps, you can now count yourself as part of an online community of business owners who have the tools and resources to open up multiple revenue streams through traditional and online sales!
