Online businesses are taking over every industry today. There are more online businesses nowadays than in-person businesses, it seems. As more shoppers are leaving the brick-and-mortar world of shopping behind, it’s more important than ever to transition your business online.
If you already have a physical business, you’re in luck. You’ve already done a lot of the hard work that it takes to start a business! All that’s left is taking the next few steps to launch your digital business. Here’s how to transition your physical business online.
Why Transition Online?
Are you still on the fence about going online with your business? Here’s why it’s no longer enough to have an in-person business. Not only is your business plagued by limited hours and a set location, but there aren’t enough shoppers choosing to shop in person nowadays.
According to Pew Research, 79% of Americans are online shoppers. Even more impressive is that of those adults who shop online, 15% of them shop online weekly! In the next few years, it’s clear e-commerce will continue to dominate customer interest.
Finding Your Platform
Your first step in your transition from in-person to online is to find the right platform for your business. You can easily set up your own website using a platform like WordPress. If you need an e-commerce interface, Shopify and WooCommerce are the best-known options.
When designing your website for your online business, make sure it’s easy to navigate. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a designer or web developer to impact your website as long as you focus on the customer experience.
Searching for your platform also means finding the right merchant account. You have a lot of options as an online business, but they aren’t all created equal. While in-person businesses have to consider card machine costs & fees, there are similar considerations for your business online. Your biggest goal should be to create an easy, seamless checkout process for all of your customers!
Marketing Your Business
The next step once your website is launched is to market your business online. Since you already have an in-person base of customers, you can use this to skyrocket your online business. If you don’t already have social media accounts for your business, now’s the time to start!
SproutSocial.com claims 79% of internet users log into Facebook, making it the most popular social network. Your audience is on these social media platforms! Make it easy for them to find you!
Content marketing is a powerful way to market your business online today. If you’ve only had an in-person business, you might not have included content marketing in your strategy. By creating great, shareable content for your audience through blog posts, social media posts, images, or videos, you can reach more people than ever before!
Content marketing guru Neil Patel says that businesses who focus on content marketing generate up to 3x more leads than those who don’t! The best part about content marketing is that it’s inexpensive and easy to do as a small business!
Transitioning Your Business Online
As a business, you have a lot to gain by going online! It’s not as hard as you think to transition your business online! Are you ready to make the switch? Follow the tips above to make the process seamless! Your customers will thank you for making their lives easier!
