If you operate a business from home, you need to make a special effort to be visible to potential customers. Assuming your home isn’t set up with a storefront, your presence will likely be in the form of face-to-face contact (such as networking and community groups), word of mouth, and/or promoting your brand online.
There are numerous ways to do the latter and, the more you do, the more prospects will become familiar with you and your products or services. Think of online aspects of a business as analogous to physical ones:
- Website = Storefront
- Online Store = Physical Store
- Social Media = In-person Networking
- Newsletters = Paper Flyers
- Podcasts & Apps = In-store Presentations
If you have the skills, you can create these online assets yourself. Otherwise, you might want to hire software developers or make use of specially designed services that offer templates and tools for getting the word out about your offerings. Let’s see what those assets can mean for your business.
Website
Whether you’ve been operating a business for years without a website or are just starting out, now is the time to create this portal to your online world. Don’t kid yourself into thinking it doesn’t make a difference if you don’t have a site. It does. Potential customers may be able to learn the basics — like your contact information and the services you provide — from the results that pop up in a Google search. But you’ll lose business from those who want to know more.
That’s because your website will explain a bit about you and your business philosophy, how you provide your services, what’s unique about your products, special offers you have going on, and much more. Your website is the platform from which you can launch newsletter signups, initiate customer contact, grant access to your online store, and much more.
Online Store
Your online store is the “commerce” part of e-commerce and an essential part of your business. It’s where the transactions take place that keep you afloat. Therefore, your store must be attractive to look at, easy to use, and 100% functional. Anything less than that will make customers leave and seek out your competitors.
Social Media
Social media is another great platform for gaining online visibility. It’s inexpensive and can be used to generate one-on-one conversations with potential customers. You can use it to post content that people who already love your company can share with others, expanding your reach with no extra effort on your part.
Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram also give you the opportunity to let followers have a look “behind the scenes” of your company. You can post photos or videos showing how you make your products or deliver your services, or even offer a peek at your home-office environment. You can also encourage customers to post media of themselves using your product or describing what they like about it.
Newsletters
With your website, online store, and social media, customers and potential customers must make the effort to go to you. With newsletters, you go to them. That is, your content is delivered to their email inbox, regularly reminding them of your offerings. This opportunity is unique because, when you send a newsletter, you know you’re communicating with people who have already expressed an interest in your business.
Use newsletters to share news about your company, including new offerings and sales. Provide helpful articles that give readers knowledge and demonstrate your expertise. Don’t forget to provide links back to your website, online store, and social media profiles.
Podcasts and Apps
Podcasts and apps may be a little more advanced for some home business operators but they’re both worth looking into. If you listen to podcasts in your personal life, you know how addicting they can be. If customers and potential customers are interested in the professional insights you share in yours, it could similarly become a favorite for them.
While a business podcast is more of a do-it-yourself endeavor, a business app is something you’ll likely need help developing. Not every business needs an app, so think carefully before you decide if one is right for you. Generally, it’s a good idea if your customers are primarily Gen Y and Z, if they do most of their shopping from their phones, and if the app can allow them to engage with your company in a way they can’t now.
In Summary
Without a brick-and-mortar store, the entry to your home-based business is your online assets. To increase the likelihood of potential customers finding their way to you, it’s best to establish as many outlets as possible. Keep in mind that they feed off each other, such as your website pointing to your social media profiles, which point back to your website. The ultimate goal is to get people to buy, so make sure all media also point to your online store.
