The First 5 Things to Do After Getting Your Business Online

Whether it was a Facebook page or a website, you’ve finally done it! Your business is online and searchable to millions of potential customers and partners. You’re proud but a little uneasy about the next steps. You’re not alone. For many small businesses, the steps you take once your business is online can make or break your plan for success.

Here are 5 key items you shouldn’t overlook.

1. Establish your brand

Whether you have a domain name that you redirect to a social media page or one or more domain names pointing to your website, your web address is your online brand. Make sure it’s integrated into everything: business cards, ads, signs, email signature and other elements.

Some small businesses overlook using their domain name as a professional, branded email address but it’s an easy and cost-effective way to appear more credible while building your brand. In fact, 90 per cent of consumers are more comfortable becoming a customer of a small business that uses a branded email than one that doesn’t. The service you purchased your domain name from can help you set it up.

Lastly, make sure any offline activities are visually connected to your online brand.

2. Content, content, content

You’ve now got a platform for communicating with customers. Use it. Without compelling, high-quality content that reinforces your brand and differentiation, you could risk blending in with your competitors.

There is plenty of advice out there about content marketing, but a few of the more useful ones follow.

• Stick to what you know

  You are bound to be more compelling to your readers if you stick to topics for which you have a passion.
  
  

• Keep it simple

  A blog is a good and simple way to start getting content onto your website without breaking the bank or taking up a lot of time. Stick to 2-3 paragraphs each and have someone else proof your writing before posting.
  
  

• Measure up

  Both social media and websites can be configured to provide regular metrics, such as clicks, views, etc. Use this data to consider your efforts, see what is working, and most importantly, what isn’t.

3. Start finding customers

91 per cent of consumers look for local goods or services online. But with millions of businesses, websites and social pages, you can’t expect customers to come running to you. You have to get out there and actively find them.

Here are 3 effective ways to help find new customers.

1. Email marketing

   One of the most effective ways to market your target audience is to start e-mail campaigns. Learn more about leveraging your email marketing.
   
   

2. Social media marketing

   Many social media platforms have paid promotional programs, specifically for small business owners that are easy to manage. Learn how to advertise through social media.
   
   

3. Search engine marketing (SEM)

   Also called paid search, it relies on keywords that activate your business listing into the paid advertising section of search engine results pages. Learn how to get more exposure with paid search.

4. Market and monetise

If you plan to sell directly online, you’ll need to enable some commercial capabilities that allow you to take orders, process payments and communicate for support.

Even if you don’t plan to sell products online through standard e-commerce functionality, you should still enable lead capturing and processing with your website or social page.

Websites can be embedded with links and forms meant to capture prospect information for further sales follow-up. Most social sites are developing ways to do the same.

5. Prepare for the next step

Regardless of where you came from, by the time you reach this step, you should be prepared to take the next big challenge. Whether it is making the jump from a social page to a full-functioning website or growing the capabilities of your website to include mobile optimisation or e-commerce, you’ll need to develop a more nuanced plan for your specific business goals to stay ahead of the competition and the market.

SOURCE: Verisign