There is nothing more important in your business than progression. Taking your business from where it is right now to where you hope it will be is not always easy, but it doesn't mean that you can’t do it. The world has changed drastically in the past 20 years, let alone the past century and that means that you have to do all that you can to ensure that you are keeping up with the trends as much as possible. If there is one thing that’s certain, it’s that your business could look very different much sooner than you anticipated that it could.
Most of us witnessed the regression that happened that collapsed businesses across the world. We’ve seen a rapid downfall of economies around the world during the pandemic and we’ve seen businesses that are remaining a brick and mortar establishment fold because they couldn't step forward and embrace the new digital world that we’re in today. When you don't seek funding for an online business and you decide to keep the walls and ceilings you’ve become accustomed to, your business is at risk of failure. It’s a harsh truth, but it’s one that is correct for the world we live in and while you CAN keep the brick and mortar business you’ve built, you need a digital side to you. That's the beauty of business: you can have both and still remain credible. Businesses that don't sell online will end up folding and while it sounds like a threat, it’s not. We’re living in a world that relies on the internet and technology to grow and the growth of ecommerce businesses is happening right now. Taking your business online is the smart thing to do with your next steps, and here’s why.
It’s a new way to make a lot of money. The internet has created opportunities for you and every other business owner out there to make a lot of cash. You extend your reach to new areas and you don't even have to be an ecommerce giant. All you need to do is know who your customers are and appeal to them in the right way. The smallest of businesses can make a big impact and have success.
It’s the perfect venue. When you need a venue but you don't know the size you need, use the internet. When you need space to grow but don't want to change location, use the internet. When you need more storage space, use the internet. When you have an online business, you don't need to worry about the space that you occupy because you can use as much of the internet as you need to carve out a corner that’s just yours.
You can really improve your brand image. If you don't go online and you stay at the store on the corner, people won’t be looking favorably upon you. In fact, they consider your business to be one that refuses to step into the new world and that can be problematic to your image. You want people to look at your business and feel impressed and that means getting online. Your business looks so much more professional when you have a website, email and more.
You can provide much better customer support. There is so much out there that you can use when you are online compared to being in store. There are live chat programs and online customer service agents. You should know by now that customer service is a reflection of your business and when you don't invest in it, you’re going to end up showing people that you don't care enough. You do care, so show it!
You have the ability to provide a wealth of information to people more easily. You can put so much information out there online that shows you as an authority in your industry. You can add blogs, white papers, articles and research - whatever you think will appeal to your customers, you can add to your website online. This will help you to make information much more available and easily accessible.
You’ll cut costs. Without an office or staff you are going to drastically slash your overheads. Your operation costs are going to come right down, and while you still might outsource some of the processes in your business, you won’t have to pay the annual salaries and benefits of an entire staff anymore. You’ll also save money on utilities, maintenance, parking - you name it, money is saved!
It won’t cost you much to get started. You can find funding for an online business, but you can also bet it won’t cost you as much as starting up outside the four walls of your house!
There are many free online tools for businesses to use in order to improve their marketing efforts. Some of these tools are social media marketing tools, email marketing tools, Email signature banner tools, and website creation and optimization tools.