How Small Businesses Succeed Online
Poorly planned business strategy and marketing campaigns are one of the leading reasons a small business will fail.
You’ve opened your business, but due to the COVID-19 crisis, foot traffic is in limbo. But, you're thinking about possible opportunities online. In fact, presenting a business online in a consumer-friendly way is one step and vital to driving website traffic and sales. Many components go into a small business succeeding online. For example, hiring a top web design agency as a first step will help small businesses. A reputable marketing agency will help build an identity as a trusted expert and reputable provider of goods. Also, the agency will ensure and encourage customers to act with confidence and most likely convert into real customers. In addition to physical storefronts, an online business can maximize a company’s chances to achieve steady and continual success in operations. A marketing mix also ensures that a company remains responsible for its customers by living up to its product claims.
Through a professionally developed website, the effects of Search engine optimization and social media on SEO help gain customer support, and any small business can succeed online.
Professionally Developed Website
A professionally developed website should boost brand awareness. Creating a reliable reputation for your product or services can be done through online sources. When consumers visit your business online, they should feel the same professionalism as they would in person. As with any effective online marketing, businesses need to present themselves in a professional and consumer-friendly manner. Ensuring that consumers can access your business’ services quickly and seamlessly will also ensure that they are satisfied with the experience and increase the likelihood of returning.
Ease of navigation should be at the forefront of website creation. While a visually appealing site will attract customers, satisfaction will come in their ability to find what they are seeking. Thumbnail images should be eye-catching and engaging to the consumer, while gallery pages should be intentional and organized. Ensuring the users can use every feature to guide their browsing is essential for satisfaction and anticipated revenue. A website should be accessible on all devices, including cell phones, tablets, and large TVs. More importantly, the experience and theme should not change or become confusing when accessed from devices other than a standard PC.
Search Engine Optimization
To access and learn more about a company’s services or products, consumers must first locate the website. The obvious place to find a business or information is from a search engine.
Hence, optimizing the site for search engine readability and rankings is key to any successful online company. Search engines exist to discover, index, and rank content on the internet. After all, the purpose of search engines is to organize and present the most relevant match to each query.
These days nearly everyone has a smartphone. With over 50% of website traffic originating from organic search results and over 50% of all internet traffic being served to mobile devices, ensuring that the website is mobile-friendly and has relevant content is critical. Clean site architecture and valid links throughout are important to improving rankings and user experience.
Content & Keywords
The selection and use of specific keywords for a company’s site can help influence how the page will rank. Also, utilizing “natural language” will help reach the target audience. Overall, ensuring that the site contains high-quality content adds value to the optimization efforts. Also, links to the company’s site from other external sources and social media outlets will improve a company’s visibility and potential consumer base. Depending on the company’s target market space, local and international SEO strategies may need to be considered. Finally, small businesses with an online presence should regularly audit their own SEO and make changes to stay competitive.
Online Ordering
In the fast-paced era of online shopping and one-click pay, a reliable ordering process is critical for business success. Each order should be assigned a tracking number that would be readily usable by consumers. Consumers want to be informed of how their purchase will arrive, so services need to be clearly stated. Local businesses can appeal to the instant satisfaction that online shopping brings by offering curbside pick-up, saving both business and consumer money on shipping costs. Regardless of the delivery method, online ordering processes need to be simple and easy to navigate. A small business ticket to success provides consumers a sense of confidence that their purchase will be delivered without hassle.
Social Media
It is estimated that most Americans are exposed to around 4,000–10,000 advertisements a day. Hence, why small businesses need to know how to advertise on social media platforms. Small businesses need to be savvy and current with the demands that social media marketing brings. Socially popular outlets change rapidly, and understanding what is most used will help with advertisement postings. Also, understanding the statistics and algorithms that each social media outlet uses should guide small businesses.
In recent years advertising investment in social media networks has skyrocketed, experiencing “a 44% increase in advertising investment in Q1 2019” alone and is estimated to increase to $43 billion in 2020. Creating a business profile on Instagram will increase precise targeting options and help ads reach the right audience. A small business should ensure that its Instagram profile has an appealing aesthetic portraying a professional look with a website. To boost revenue, paid advertisements will help reach more potential customers.
Staying up-to-date with detailed analytics can help businesses see how their content is performing. Like Instagram, Facebook allows businesses to create an associated profile to promote their product and services. Profiles on these two platforms can drive relevant traffic to your official website. Also, generating more leads and expanding the brand’s reach to a wider audience. Profiles with high engagement are more likely to result in positive revenue.
Other social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, Tik Tok, and Snapchat are viable options for potential business. What it all comes down to is knowing your audience and making it simple to ‘buy now. Advertising eye-catching and interesting content can create a positive revenue if done intentionally. Leading all traffic back to a central location, the website will help keep your business streamlined and continuous.
Security
To reach its customers, a website needs to be secure and have measures to avoid being hacked and compromised. To name a few practices, businesses should ensure that regular updates, strong passwords, secure code, and backup are in place.
A website that is compromised will lose potential customers, branding, authority, and online credibility. Customers will think twice about doing business if they know the site is insecure or has a hacked history.
Customer Service Policy
When it comes to offering customer service online, the fundamentals stay the same. Customer service is the assistance and advice provided by a company to the people who buy or use its products or services. Quality customer service is often the heart of a business that should provide exceptional service to each customer. All businesses must succeed in customer satisfaction. Specifically, small businesses not only need to satisfy their customers, but they also need to go above and beyond to expand business on return customers and their recommendations. Understanding customer needs, respectful treatment, and handling complaints or returns gracefully are strategies a small business should adopt within their customer service policy.
Online ordering takes away from face-to-face interaction, but a clear customer service policy must be present. Websites should convey a clear sense that customer satisfaction is guaranteed via their solicited customer service policy. With minimal navigation, consumers should be able to locate links to assist with both ordering and returns. Features like self-service, 24/7 chat, direct contact, email, and feedback submissions are tools to convey the importance of each customer. Small businesses need to appear available to provide consumers confidence that they are dealing with a legitimate business. Keeping customer satisfaction in mind, returns should be offered in a manner that would be financially responsible. Every aspect of customer service needs to be evident and offer support for customers navigating a site. Having systems in place that embrace the business philosophy will help build customer goodwill quickly and effectively.
Takeaway and how to avoid failing online
Poorly planned business strategy and marketing campaigns are one of the leading reasons a small business will fail. Creating a team that is all in and willing to do the work to succeed is vital to success. Without commitment, grit, knowledge, and perseverance, any small business will fail quickly. 20% of small businesses fail in their first year, 30% fail in their second year, and 50% fail after five years in business. Finally, 70% of small business owners fail in their 10th year in business. Understanding all the components that go into a successful business and respecting each need is crucial for survival.
Competition is harder than ever with the ever-present role of online shopping.
A small business needs to advertise accurate products and services offered to avoid failure. Websites such as Yelp, Glassdoor, or even social media are a quick review opportunity for consumers. Negative word of mouth will travel faster than positive. Therefore small businesses must ensure their online advertisements are legitimate. Creating easily accessible modes for review can provide consumers a feeling that their business is cared about. Asking customers for feedback, offering multiple modes to leave reviews, and customer appreciation promote positive reviews. Small businesses must consider each review and make appropriate changes as needed. Showing consumers that mistakes are handled will show that the online presence is monitored closely.
Staying relevant online is of utmost importance. Regularly auditing a website’s search engine optimization, knowing how SEO works, and making changes when needed will ensure the traffic to your site stays high. Creating content that is appealing to customers will keep consumers interested and wanting more.
Any business looking to succeed online must stay ahead and diligent in its online presence.
Visualwebz LLC is a Seattle Web Design and Online Marketing Agency
