The way that business is conducted has changed dramatically over the past couple of decades. There’s been a substantial shift to the online realm as businesses have realised they can reach a much bigger audience via the internet. This shift has happened to almost every industry, including fashion brands like Gucci and supermarkets like Waitrose. Even the casino industry has moved online. While some offer both online and physical games, sites like Platincasino only provide online games which allow people to play from anywhere. If you want to move your business online, follow these five simple steps!
Choosing and setting up a server
When shifting your business online, you must first decide where your site will be hosted. There are two main options for business websites. You can use tools specifically designed for web stores, such as Shopify, or create a site and add plug-ins that turn it into an online web store. Which one you choose will depend on your level of competency. Additionally, consider the platform’s features, reliability, support, and pricing. Specially designed platforms will have more features and support but will be more expensive than doing it yourself.
Purchase a domain
Another thing you’ll have to do in the early days of your online store is purchase a domain. This domain will be your website address that people use to find your store, so it needs to be short, snappy, and related to your content! When purchasing a domain, consider whether you want it local (e.g. .uk) or worldwide (.com). Local domains are better for businesses limited by geography, such as building firms. Also, consider the cost of your domain, as some worldwide domains are more expensive than local ones. There are several domain-buying platforms where you can purchase your domain, such as Shopify, GoDaddy, and many more.
Set up the website
Once you have your platform and domain name, you must create your website. Some platforms have an easy website builder allowing you to create a professional-looking website quickly and seamlessly. However, these tools don’t offer much flexibility, so if you want to control your site’s design fully, you either have to do it yourself or hire a web developer. Make your site appealing by using high-quality images, having a clear brand identity, and limiting the amount of clutter on the screen. The better your site looks, the more likely people will stay and use it!
Compose payment and shipping methods
If your online business involves selling products, you’ll need to find a way to process payments and ship the orders to your clients. The dedicated e-commerce sites have tools that allow you to integrate payment systems into your website easily. However, if you’re doing it yourself, you must be mindful of your site’s security while handling sensitive information. Also, consider how you’re shipping your products to your customers, how long your average delivery will take, and how much you will charge for postage. There are lots of online companies that assist with the shipping of packages, so find the one that works best for your business.
Market your website
Once your website is complete and ready for business, you need to get the word out! Marketing your site is just as important as creating it because it doesn’t matter how good your site is; if no one knows about it, they won’t come! Creating useful content for users online, although it may not create direct conversions, is a great way to get potential customers on your site. Therefore, it is imperative that you learn as much as you can on how to write better blogs, as the better the content, the more value to the reader and the more they will want to navigate the rest of your website. You should optimise your content with keywords related to your business to ensure it ranks highly in search engine results. Consider advertising your business through social media or paid advertising via Google Ads or Microsoft Ads, as the more people that see your site, the more people will click on it.
Conclusion
It’s no secret that the world is moving online, with many aspects of our lives completely taking place over the internet. Consider following these helpful tips to shift your business online and ensure it gets noticed.
