This is a collaborative post.
Not every company can be great at making their presence known online, but in the modern-day, you will find that making yourself known is a vital aspect of doing business. Especially if you target younger audiences or make sales abroad or across the country.
Luckily, there are some key elements compiled into the list below which should help you make a start.
Who are you?
One thing that must be consistent when adapting a physical business to the online world is your identity. Logos, colour scheme and slogans should all remain the same.
If you are using your website to acquire a new target market, consider your jargon and its understandability to a new audience. Is it comprehensive for an individual who has never purchased from you before?
Ensure you plan how you will address your new audience so that they understand where you have come from and your purpose for selling your products.
The technical stuff
A significant part of making your website completely individual is choosing the unique URL/domain name, which can only come from doing your research.
Using research platforms such as Wix can help to scope out an available yet brand-specific URL, which you will need to register with the appropriate suffix such as; .co.uk or .com. Once again, make sure the URL is specific to your company and that other companies are not likely to opt for the same.
Hosting is crucial
When choosing a hosting provider, the main elements to look for are security, response times and data storage and protection. Knowing that large amounts of data will need to be stored, it is recommended that external hosting is acquired.
Another thing to be wary of is cost. You may be on a budget but it’s better to spend a little bit more and make sure your website (which could hold personal staff/client data) is secure.
Bring in some help
Setting up a website can be a time-consuming job and you may run into a few technical difficulties along the way. The preference here is to hire an external web developer.
For an initial set-up fee and monthly set payments, you can have your website designed, set-up, hosted and managed by professionals.
It is recommended that you opt for an adequately priced company when starting out. The cheapest may not be the best but choosing an expensive agency could be a waste of money if you are a new business.
There is a substantial amount of free website-building tools, however, this can be complex and time-consuming, especially if you are having to learn as you go.
Online sales
If you have deciphered that the main aim of your website is to sell products, then be sure it is established as an Ecommerce site. GoDaddy and Shopify are legitimate examples but conduct thorough research and find what works for your business.
The crucial element of online trading is to make sure it is quick and simple. Consumers want to make their orders made smoothly, without having to spend too long finding how to do so, otherwise, this could have an adverse effect on your consumer retention.
Give it a test run
Once all the above areas have been established and the website is set up, you need to conduct a test run. This is a simple yet important way to check that everything from spelling to contact details is correct.
If you have built the website yourself it is recommended that you get a third party to cast their eye over it and make a list of all errors. However, hiring an external developer as mentioned previously means that you will have a professional who will go through your website with a fine-toothed comb and make sure every detail is perfect and reflects the pride you have in your business.
Spread the word
Making it known that you have a website is very simple but must be consistent and obvious. To spread the word about your website, attach links to your website on emails, social media, and business cards.
Promoting your website through social media encourages traffic to your website and helps to attract new audiences. Further promotion can be encouraged through SEO. You could also look to involve an external marketing agency that will work to boost your website using a variety of legitimate methods. Every website needs responsive web design to tackle the online competition, so take on an external web developer to help make your online presence known and your business grow.
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