The development of the internet has made it easier than ever to try out new business ideas. Such a high proportion of commerce is now carried out online, opening up a huge window of opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs.
You may have a solid business idea and plan, but what are the first steps you need to take to give your online business the maximum chance of success? We’ve outlined the very basics of getting your new business off the ground.
Launch an impressive site
Firstly, and very obviously, you need to build a website. You have a number of options available at this point depending on your requirements and budget. Startups with higher budgets can usually afford to get a brand new and unique website custom built by an experience web designer. This allows you the creative freedom to design the site to your exact requirements. If, on the other hand, you do not have much capital to throw around during the early stages of your business’ growth, there are more affordable options available. Modern WordPress themes are particularly impressive, and the more expensive ones come at around $65.
Build a social presence
You will not doubt have already heard about the importance of social media. Whatever market you are in, this is where you customers will be hanging out. However, not all social networks will be suitable for your business. First, analyse your target market and decide which social platforms you will utilise. Then, create new social profiles and complete them thoroughly, using every possible space for information.
Once you have set up your profile, start to post content. The aim of the game here is to provide your audience with content that they will be likely to engage with, whether that means ‘liking’ it, giving it a +1 or retweeting. Sharing content that your followers interact with is by far the most effective method of building your audience.
Search Engine Optimisation
If there’s one thing that you need to make your new business work, it’s customers. And this is where search engine optimisation comes in. When your target market browses for your products on the major search engines, such as Google and Bing, you need your website to be appearing near the top. You really don’t have much chance of getting new business if there are two pages of competitors before you. There are countless ranking factors which affect how your website will perform in the search engines. So many, in fact, that you will likely need to employ experienced SEO consultants to ensure your website is completely optimised.
There is obviously a lot more which needs to be done during the early stages of your business. These are just building blocks. Do them properly and you’ll have laid the foundations for a successful business to prosper.