Every business has the ability to get online – find a web host, set up a domain and you’re almost away! But what about the stuff they don’t tell you afterwards? The secret sauce to actually succeeding once you’ve set sail on the world wide web.
Stick with us as we unpack 5 key tips for online success with your new business…
Trust in automation
Despite the stigma, AI and advanced tech is nothing to be frightened of. It’s the key to getting stuff done when you don’t have the human resource to do it. From admin and accounting, to website development and content creation, these are time consuming tasks that are absolutely necessary, but can take you away from doing what you do best.
So before you splash out on costly new hires, explore how automated tools can help you take control of your business, without taking huge chunks out of your day. But remember, don’t swing too far on the pendulum – a human touch is still needed to resonate with your audience.
Use cases: Accounting software, website builders, WordPress plugins, CRM tools.
Support your customers
No new business owners purposely set out to neglect their customers. But underestimating the value and necessity of your customer base can leave you without a crucial support network.
No matter how amazing your product or business is, poor customer service always overshadows the consumer experience and can massively impact your sales, reputation and ability to be taken seriously. So don’t be a faceless organisation. Understand that the user experience can be just as powerful as your product. And if you can’t offer 24/7 responsive customer support, then…
Consider: Chat bots, support resources on your website, i.e. FAQs section, or help blogs.
Swerve spam folders
Email marketing can be a powerful way of landing key messages, offers, or discounts right in your audience’s virtual lap. Unless you end up in their spam folder instead.
There are a number of reasons why someone's email provider might redirect your hard work into their junk folder, but it boils down to whether they see your email as irrelevant, threatening or deceptive. Your email address, subject line and body all play a part here.
Avoid: Cryptic email addresses, too many emojis or symbols in the subject line, robotic language, and large high-res images.
Get personal
With so many tools to consider, it can be easy to get too consumed by the digital jungle and lose sight of one of the most important keys to customer satisfaction – the human touch. Obviously you can’t physically shake the hand of every customer, but there’s other ways of getting personal that don’t require any extra time or effort.
As an emerging presence just finding your feet online, use your small-business to your advantage by speaking to the people in your audience and give them something to relate to and believe in.
Try: Personable or conversational web copy, pictures and videos of you and/or the people behind your business, active social media channels, or regular feedback forms.
Multi-channel, not every channel
With so many ways of connecting with your audience online, it can be easy to fall into the trap of covering as many bases as possible. Alternatively, some put all their eggs in one basket, packing all their messaging into one medium. A multi-channel experience is the perfect middleground you want to find here.
By carefully selecting a few channels that you’re both comfortable with and have the capacity to manage, you can allocate different objectives to each one. Although serving different purposes, each channel should seamlessly integrate to paint a positive connected picture of your business and make that customer experience a fruitful one. While there may be similarities with approaches here, your multi-channel make-up will all depend on your unique business and sector.
Start with: Your website, Instagram, LinkedIn, and maybe TikTok if it’s relevant.
Embark on your journey with Fasthosts
The choppy seas of the world wide web are much more easily navigated when you’ve got a trusty digital captain who knows the ropes – like Fasthosts!
We can get you set up with flexible web hosting that’s geared for your business’ growth in no time at all, with unlimited bandwidth and a 99.99% uptime guarantee as standard across all packages. Get in touch today to learn more about this, and our wider suite of first-rate services that can help your business shine online.