We have answered the question of how to start an online business, but what about business growth? If you already have a company that works on the internet, no doubt you want to scale. Well, there are several ways to get started.
Network
Building a relationship and partnership between companies is a great way to further your consumer reach, as well as scale your business. To get your business out there, do some research and contact companies similar to yours, but not so similar you’re likely to steal each others’ clients. Networking with consumers as well allows for even further reach.
Once you have an established relationship with other business owners, try hosting or attending an event your contact circle will be present at. Food and drink are the hammer and nail for constructing connections in the business world. In this day and age, the events can even be virtual!
However, networking doesn’t have to be just with other business owners or customers. Getting out and giving back to your local community is another excellent way of exposing your brand to the public. Sponsor an event, or take part in a local market, so let people know you’re out there and that you have something they may want.
Improve the Purchasing Page
Changing the check-out process of your online business store has been found to dramatically improve customer engagement. Last year, around $4 trillion worth of online purchases were abandoned due to overcomplicated check-out procedures – an insane amount of money. By removing unnecessary steps, pop-ups, fill-in forms, and time-outs, the chances of your customer making it to the end of the transaction increase significantly.
Risk-aversion is another killer of consumer intent. Your product may tempt them, but they’re held back by the possibility of wasting money. Offering a money-back guarantee or a replacement guarantee provides the extra support and safety net some customers need to take that leap. Many companies have this set-up, and it has increased sales numbers considerably.
One final thing that you may not have thought about regarding the purchasing page is the payment option. Having as many as possible markedly improves purchase numbers and customer satisfaction. By limiting what you accept, you limit your consumer potential. Options like Google Wallet, ApplePay, WePay, and others will allow your products to reach more people.
Upgrade Your Marketing
After you’ve established your business, putting time into marketing is the next step. Video marketing is the most effective now, with 64% of customers likely to respond after watching a branded video ad compared to a click-here button. YouTube and webinars are good places to start, but if you want to go wild, you can book a spot on television.
Having a video marketing scheme also helps personify your brand and promote business growth. Having a personality to relate to encourages consumers to interact, and provides your company with an additional layer of authenticity.
Something else that may not have struck you is the inherent marketability of good SEO. Taking the time to understand and implement a plan with your website’s SEO will increase your online business’s presence on the internet. Tailoring your content a certain way will allow it to be picked up far easier by a search engine’s algorithm. Once the search engine is on your side, your ranking will improve and more customers will find you.
Outsource and Delegate
Growing a business means bringing more people onboard to handle its expansion. What may have started as a small two-person venture now requires the time of ten, and you cannot do it all yourself.
Outsourcing and delegating tasks is the smartest way to keep up with your company. If something is not in your zone of expertise, continuing to do it yourself will not improve your business, and may even lead to losses. Hiring a professional Virtual Assistant is an easy way to fill this gap. Having a VA will open up more time for you to work on the company instead of in it.
