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We’re living in a digital world, and if you’re a small business owner with big ambitions, getting your business online is mandatory.
Yes, traditional print advertising and good old fashioned word of mouth still make effective forms of promotion, but without a strong online presence, you are selling yourself short.
In the Age of Information, 97% OF LOCAL BUSINESS SEARCHES START ONLINE. So, if you’re not there, you won’t even be in considered.
This is all to say that if you don’t have a website or any form of digital footprint, you can only extend your business’s reach so far. On the contrary, if you take your small business online, your ability to reach new audiences and expand your customer base will become limitless.
Makes sense, right? While taking your small business online may seem daunting, getting set up is easier than you think—if you follow the right steps.
To help you on your quest for digital enlightenment, we’re going to explore the essential steps you need to take to get your business online, and working from the ground up.
Ready? We’ll be your guide…
Get your domain name
The first step to taking your small business online is choosing the right domain name. A domain name is the address people will type into a browser to get to your website. Don’t worry, the software to get this set-up is extremely easy. Your domain name will form the very foundation of your business’s online presence, so getting it right is essential.
Logically, you will weave your business or brand name into your website domain, followed by an appropriate extension, for instance, .com, .us or .net (these are the most common and effective small business extensions). If your brand is more locally focused, a .us extension may represent your brand best—but, ultimately, the choice is yours.
There is a wealth of domain service and extension options out there so do a little shopping around for a host that best suits your needs. And, once you’ve picked your provider, here are some tips that will steer you towards domain name excellence:
- Be concise: Make sure your domain name is short, snappy, and digestible. If it’s too long-winded, it will appear clunky and will not stick in the minds of potential consumers. 7-9 words is ideal.
- Make it ‘typable’: Expanding on our previous point, when you’re choosing your domain name, you should avoid hyphens or odd spellings, if possible. Today’s consumers won’t stick around if you make things difficult for them—so you should ensure your domain name is as easy to type as possible. Yes, there are sites like “Yelp” which aren’t a word and go against this advice but most small businesses will use some form of their business name or service as they’re not looking to re-invent a product or service so don’t need to make up a new word for it. Don’t get cute :-)!
- Add keywords: If there’s room, add a relevant keyword to your domain name to help your business appear in search engines like Google. For instance, if you’re a plumbing company by the name of ‘Pipe’s Plumbing’ and you’re based in Ohio, you might choose www.pipesplumbingohio.com to add a more niche, localized element to your domain name (plumbing + Ohio should increase your chances of appearing in Google search results like ‘plumbing services in Ohio’, or similar).
Choose a website host
Once you’ve settled on a domain name you’re happy with, you will need to choose the right website host for your specific business needs.
At this point, it’s worth noting that most website hosts offer a domain name registration service, and vice versa.
The best website hosting services usually offer a user-friendly way of adding, updating, and editing your website’s content (known as a content management system (CMS) or website builder) as and when you need to, without technical assistance.
When you’re looking at potential web hosting services, look at the pricing, features, and customer testimonials, considering your specific business needs—and, in the end, you will make an informed decision that works for you.
To help you in your search, read our extensive web hosting review, including an introductory guide as well as an insight into seven popular solutions for 2020, and beyond.
Build & design your website
I know, it sounds intimidating but it’s NOT. With your domain name and web hosting solution in place, it’s time to start building your website and populating it with the kind of content that will appeal to your target audience.
If you’re starting from scratch, hiring the services of a professional website designer could be a good investment but is by no means required — millions of small businesses have found this software simple enough that they’re able to buy a domain, pick a host and build their websites without any need for outside help. However, this depends on your time, budget and, to a lesser degree, computer literacy.
Whether you decide to hire a professional or do it yourself, here are a few key tips to follow when building a website for your small business:
- Mobile-friendly design: Mobile web traffic now surpasses desktop traffic. Plus, 57% of consumers state they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile website. If your final web design isn’t optimized for mobile devices, your brand reputation will be tarnished, fast—so, test your final design on your tablet or smartphone before signing it off. Most website builders provide you “previews” of how your site will look across desktop, tablet and mobile devices.
- User experience (UX): In today’s world, UX is paramount to website success. UX refers to a website’s usability, which means every page should be easy to scroll through and provide simple navigation. Each element should be easy to digest, visually speaking, and require as minimal effort to digest. If a user is overwhelmed or confused on your site, they are likely to leave or seek another business so keep it simple.
- Color and font: Your website text should be broken down into simple chunks, with any important information italicized or bolded. Regarding color, you should use no more than five that are consistent with your brand feel or messaging.
- Simplicity: When it comes to good web design, less is indeed more. You should aim to create impact while being as minimal as possible. As a general rule of thumb, any visual element that detracts from important information or distracts a user from taking a specific action should be removed.
- Content: Your content should follow a visual hierarchy, with the most important information featured at the top section of every web page. You should use concise, conversational language that speaks to your audience (don’t get too wordy or use jargon as you will alienate most of your potential customers)—and add (tastefully) high-resolution images as well as video relevant to your brand, business or niche, where possible.
Stick to these web design principles and you’ll get your small business’s online journey off the best possible start.
Add your business to online directories
At this point, you will have a fully functional small business website—an excellent achievement. Your website will serve as your digital HQ or your online nerve center. But, no matter how slick or shiny your site might be, if nobody knows about it, does it really exist?
Okay, we’ll save that question for the philosophers, but the point here is: to squeeze the most value from your website and reach new audiences, being visible online (or expanding your digital footprint) is a must.
Now, the best way to improve your business’s online visibility and attract engaged local audiences while making your website more accessible to curious digital consumers is by adding your small business to popular, relevant online directories.
Adding your business to Google My Business, Yelp, Nextdoor, Facebook, and other location or industry-specific online directories will boost your visibility in search engines while extending your digital reach.
Pro-tip: Know your industry! If you’re a law firm, there are numerous directories for legal services. Same goes for every industry from construction to accounting – A simple google search for “[PROFESSIONAL PRODUCT or SERVICE] near me” will show you both local websites and directories where you can try to add your business.
The more people know about your business, the more traffic you will drive to your website—and the bigger your audience will become (which of course, means a healthy boost to your bottom line.
While there are many options to consider, adding your business to online directories is fairly simple and can be done in a day.
Follow our practical guide to adding your online business directories, and you’ll be up and running in no time.
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Start blogging & get social
So, your website is active and looks clean and on every popular online directory imaginable—now what do you do? The short answer: get active with blogging and social media.
Have you ever heard the term, ‘content is king?’ While this was once considered an industry buzzphrase, as a small online business owner, it’s one of the most valuable things you will ever hear.
Blogging
Businesses that frequently publish engaging blog content based on the wants, needs, and interests of their audience earn a significant return on investment and can really drive up their search rankings. Search rankings are all the businesses you see first when you Search for a local product or service.
Digital consumers are seldom enticed by plastic sales slogans or one size fits all advertising campaigns—to stand out in today’s commercial battlefield and real connections, you need to offer personal value.
Having an official company blog will make you more visible on search engines while showcasing your authority on specific industry-related subjects. If you engage, help, and inspire your audience with your blog content, you are likely to benefit from increased customer loyalty and ultimately, more sales.
Your blog is your golden opportunity to update your audience on the latest in-house business news while showcasing your authority in your niche which, in turn, will build trust (and trust is everything in this day and age).
These are the types of blog content that drive the most engagement:
- Listicles (top 10 lists, for examples).
- Service or product reviews.
- Practical step-by-step guides.
- Interviews with respected people in your industry.
- Infographics.
- Behind the scenes content and the latest insider news.
- Content based on specific annual dates or events including Valentine’s Day or Christmas.
Social media
At present, 45% of the global population are active on social media—that equates to 3.5 billion people worldwide. If you can reach a handful of active social media users, you will see your business prospects soar.
Not only will being active on social media provide you with an outlet for sharing your blog content, but it will also allow you to converse with prospects at times when they’re most engaged. In that sense, social media is both a sharing and listening tool offering a wealth of business-boosting opportunity and insights.
Much like online directories, there is no end of social media platforms to explore in this day and age. Here are the most popular:
- YouTube
- TikTok
Explore these different social platforms (you probably already use a mix of them for personal purposes), decide which ones will be the most valuable, set up your accounts, and get active.
This hand-picked video guide will help you get started:
Email, email, email
Finally, we come to email. Despite the rapid evolution of digital technologies and the ever-expanding list of social media outlets available to today’s consumers, email is still a powerful promotional tool. In fact, email generates $38 for every $1 spent, that’s an incredible 3,800% return on investment.
With all of your assets in place, you should use your website, blog, and social media platforms to encourage consumers to sign up to your email newsletter.
Pro-tip: Offering a “Call to Action” (CTA) can help drive sign ups. Think of providing a Discount, Promotion or Special Access to people who sign-up and this will increase the amount of visitors who may join your email list.
Once people are subscribed, you can deliver fun, valuable, and inspiring content directly to their inbox, along with exclusive incentives, offers, and deals to drive engagement, referrals, and sales. Unlike other advertising, this will continue to be an extremely low-cost way to communicate with your audience going forward.
Email marketing is effective and by taking the time to develop the right content, you will see positive results. To hit the ground running, check out our small business owner’s guide to email marketing software.
“Ignoring online marketing is like opening a business but not telling anyone.” – Anonymous
There’s no doubt about it: taking your small business online will accelerate your commercial success while giving you an all-important edge on the competition.
Follow these steps carefully, stay true to your brand values, keep on improving your efforts, and you will continue to thrive long into the future.
Once you’re online, feel free to check out our other helpful guides:
- Five Rules of Small Business Marketing
- How to Use Thumbtack to Generate more Business
- Marketing Terms – Cheat Sheet
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