The lesser investment made to start up a small business, the better. That is why online business is a good option as it cuts expenditure on rent, electricity and over overhead costs. Also, online is the biggest market during this coronavirus crisis. So online is a good option when venturing on a small business.
Of course, despite all the plus points, starting up an online business does not necessarily mean instant success. Certain preparations must be taken in advance. A website entrepreneur who facilitates online businesses has come up with tips on 7 steps to start up a small online business.
1. Identify and meet demands
Many persons first select their product then survey the market. That is a big mistake when starting up a business. If one wants to succeed, one must first study the market, understand the trends of the market and what product or service people are looking for, but is not available in the market yet. Or if it is available, then what value addition or changes can be made. All this should first be determined before starting up the venture.
2. Write about the product
Write about the product you want to sell and make sure it has a catchy heading. The buyers’ attention must be caught by writing about what problems the product addresses, how it is different from other products, what customers say about the product and so on. This write-up must be uploaded on the website and social media platforms.
An easy-to-use website is essential to run your business. Products must be found easily and all sorts of people should be able to understand the process of purchasing products. There must be contact options so the customer can communicate if faced with any problem. Do not clutter the website with audio and video content unless necessary.
4. Use a search engine to bring in customers
Search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing have certain polices by which they control various websites. One can advertise through these search engines. There is pay-per-click search marketing, there are keywords to draw in customers and so on to optimise views.
5. Creating expertise status
Sometimes a visitor to the site can be retained by offering expert advice or instructions on use of the product. So even if they don’t buy the product, they will read these details and make a connection. For example, if the product is a jamdani sari, details can be given on maintaining a jamdani sari, how to clean it, what accessories to wear with it, and so on. If the products are shoes, then instructions on wear and care can be provided.
And it must be ensured that these can be shared. If someone reads it and shares, the business will spread.
6. Using the power of email
Using the power of email, a website visitor can be made into a customer. How can this be done? Just have a space where the visitor can enter his or her email address. There can be offers too. Whenever there is a new product on the website, the customer can be informed by email.
7. Preparing supporting products and next products
If contact can be set up with online retailers, then around 36 per cent come back to the site. You just need to use your intelligence a bit. For example, make sure you have a product that supports the product being sold or offer a discount on second purchase. Or just send the customer an email asking for his or her experience. If there is a problem, try to understand it and resolve it. This makes success easy to attain in business.
