Almost all businesses that operate exclusively or primarily offline are continually considering how an online service will benefit them and their customers. Could they provide more products and/or services online than in-person? Even if they cannot conceive of a means to offer more, they must consider the possibility that going online will generate more leads than they currently have.
There are also numerous businesses that have a Facebook presence but do not know how to increase their online exposure and there are plenty of businesses that have a website, post on a few social media platforms, and display their URL on their vehicles, but have ruled out expanding their online presence because "it does not really work for this type of business."
By making a few additional, low-cost adjustments, these businesses will soon discover that being online is, by far, the simplest method to expand their business by investing their time but not their money.
25 Ways to Grow Your Business Online
Set up a website.
A reasonably obvious first step, but one that many businesses believe they cannot accomplish on their own and therefore seek assistance with – like lambs to the slaughter!
The process of creating a website with informative content and a store can be intimidating, but why not begin with a simple one-page website that includes your email address, phone number, and, if necessary, your business address? This is simple to accomplish on your own, as there are numerous website builders and one-page templates available, including numerous free options.
Now contemplate the advanced features that are commonly found on business websites, such as:
E-commerce – on the majority of social media platforms, you can establish a store for free.
Appointment scheduling – you can obtain a complimentary app and simply post a link to your website.
An about you page - you've already created a page with identical but distinct content.
Information about your products and services - you've already created two basic pages; adding a third is straightforward.
You have a website that allows potential consumers to contact you, as well as a store on, for example, Facebook to accept orders. Customers can schedule appointments and learn about everything you have to offer, and you have not had to learn anything new because it is as simple as composing a Word document.
Create a functional website with simple design.
A website with a functional design allows the user to effectively navigate and utilize all of its features, as the design elements support and direct the user along their journey. This means eliminating excess and streamlining the page layout. When there are too many elements on a page, it is difficult for the user to determine what is essential.
An effective website design should focus on the niche your business occupies and engage visitors with relevant and informative content; there is no need to be everything to everyone; keep to the niche and the larger market sector. Consider the following terms as you design your website and social media pages: consistency, color, typography, imagery, simplicity, and functionality. Always keep in mind that the content is for the readers; do not be self-absorbed.
Choose the right platform for your website.
As your small business grows, your website may as well, and you will need a platform to control everything and build a store; although it is possible to do all of this yourself, it can quickly become complicated, and if you have more than a few products and/or services, it will be difficult to provide your customers with a good experience without a platform.
There are numerous website platforms with varied functionalities. If you are a tech-savvy business owner, the ideal starting point is a free WordPress website using a template. Despite the fact that it is possible to create an entire WordPress site without understanding or writing code, there may come a time when you require assistance with site maintenance.
The following drag-and-drop platforms, are easy to use:
WIX,
Spotify
GoDaddy Website Builder,
Wet or soft
Squarespace
All of these options are relatively inexpensive and offer an almost endless selection of applications to help you accomplish any task.
You will have fewer template and design options for your website, but it will be significantly simpler to construct and maintain a larger website. These platforms are accessible to anyone who can use Microsoft Word or compose an email, and they all provide excellent support via YouTube videos and their own websites. In addition, there are numerous online articles and videos created by others that can assist you, and there is nothing that a website consultancy can offer you that you cannot do using these platforms – although they will tell you otherwise!
Make it easy for potential customers to contact you.
It is difficult to operate a small business, but focusing on your customers will guide your efforts in the correct direction. Make it as simple as possible for your customers to contact you by providing contact information in as many locations as feasible.
Focus on making every form of communication on every channel clear, transparent, and simple to access, from your website to your mobile applications and beyond.
Highlight your contact information. According to studies, over fifty percent of prospective customers were turned off by a website's lack of straightforward contact information.
Facilitate communication with humans.
Communicate via social media.
Make live communication available.
Join online business groups / communities.
An online business community is a forum where members can interact and communicate, typically online. To join an online business community, your company will need to register on a particular website. This then grants them access to particular URLs or content.
Online communities are now mature information systems where users can share, post, comment, discuss, collaborate, and provide advice. People communicate via email, forums, social media, discussion boards, social networking websites, and chat rooms the majority of the time.
Deliveroo and Uber Eats are online business communities for food delivery, similar to Amazon, eBay, and Etsy for the retail industry.
There are numerous options available in all industries. Conduct research to determine what options are available.
Start a business blog.
Blogging on your own blog, website, or social media (or all three) is the best way to establish credibility with a specific audience and share your expertise. You are able to attract customers to your business by becoming the representative of your niche. A blog will increase your visibility on social media and in search results when your ideal customers are searching for solutions to the problems you solve.
Start building an email list.
Building an email list is crucial because it is the best method to cultivate an intimate relationship with prospective customers. The recipient's inbox, where they receive essential messages from work, family, and friends, contains your business.
Sending quality traffic to a landing page is the quickest method to begin building your email list. Quality traffic consists of people who are likely to be interested in your products. It never harms to have a traditional email signup box on your website for anyone who wants to subscribe even if they are not motivated by one of the aforementioned options. This is particularly effective if you have a blog with consistently high-quality content, as people will be more likely to subscribe in order to be notified when you post new material.
Create your google business profile.
Setting up your Google My Business page is an effective method for people to locate you in your local area, even if they do not need to visit your office / store in person.
Your Google My Business page will appear in the Google Maps app, but it can also be found through a standard Google search, so this is a fantastic opportunity to share additional information about your business, such as opening hours and services offered, with an engaged audience.
Get more organic traffic from search engines.
If you've followed the steps thus far, it's likely that you've done a decent job establishing an online business. However, you must now optimize your online presence so that potential customers can find you. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is essential to achieving this.
A wise SEO strategy that exploits content competition gaps and includes the essential elements of technical SEO can be a very cost-effective way to propel your brand to the top of Google and increase site traffic.
Researching keywords is an excellent starting point. This entails compiling a database of keywords associated with your brand that your intended audience may search for. Focus on medium- and long-tail keyword phrases with manageable levels of competition. If you are the proprietor of a coffee shop, for example, you should target phrases such as "coffee shop with free Wi-Fi" or "relaxing coffee shop with cakes" rather than "coffee shop"
Comprehensive keyword research can inform a successful long-term content strategy as well as key on-page SEO markups such as page titles, header tags, alt tags, and the general utilization of keywords throughout your content.
Write out your content marketing strategy.
Your content marketing strategy should establish your brand as an authority in your niche, fostering audience trust through the creation and distribution of informative and pertinent content. Content marketing is utilized to attract consumers and cultivate their loyalty, making it a highly effective strategy for customer retention.
A strong content strategy takes into account multiple Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and then works to improve them over time. It serves as a road map that outlines the precise actions that must be taken to achieve the business's objective.
You must continually measure your KPIs, and it is acceptable to modify them and your content marketing strategy in order to monitor what works and address what does not.
Make Data-Based Decisions with Google Analytics.
Google Analytics can provide you with a variety of data about visitors to, within, and exiting your website. All of this information can be used to determine the demographics of your site's visitors, the websites they visited before landing on yours, the search terms they used, and their behavior while on your site.
If used correctly, data analytics provides a competitive advantage over other companies in the industry by enabling organizations to identify new opportunities and make strategic decisions based on their insights.
Set up social media accounts for your business.
Creating social media accounts is now the most effective method to interact with potential and current customers. Options like Facebook and Instagram Shop can now help you convert transactions directly through your social media account.
The most effective social media platforms for enterprises are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
Every business proprietor is aware of how difficult it can be to acquire new customers, and if no one is aware of your existence, your efforts are in vain. Social media has normalized the playing field, allowing small businesses to compete for attention with larger businesses. By creating fascinating and engaging content on social media platforms, you can reach a larger audience and encourage them to trust and ultimately purchase your brand.
Use social media to drive traffic to your website.
Social media allows you to locate and communicate with your intended audience. You can interact with prospective consumers, receive real-time feedback, and establish your authority within your niche. Engagement with your audience on a regular basis can increase traffic to your social media profiles and website.
More people engaging with your social media posts will increase the visibility of your content. The more targeted your content is, the greater your chances of generating visits and traffic. Because of this, it is essential to publish your posts where your audience is most likely to interact with them and to maintain relevant and informative content.
Participate in Online Communities.
Online communities aid businesses in gaining a deeper understanding of their customers and their needs, as well as in developing superior product and service development strategies. They can also provide members with resources to help them administer and expand their businesses.
The involvement of a business generates positive change and investment by drawing community members together to enrich lives. The health of your community has an immediate effect on the health of your business, so get involved and everyone will prosper.
Work with the media.
To be discovered by the media, you must produce engaging content, distribute it to the public (via press releases, media proposals, and social networks, for example), and actively seek out journalists to cover your story. In that regard, here is how to conduct PR outreach properly.
The key to attracting media attention in this manner is to be engaging and generate chatter about your business. After all, journalists are searching for content they can transform into articles; they use Google Search and social media to discover it. In fact, many reporters acknowledge that they now discover the vast majority of their stories through social networks.
Turning website visitors that left before purchasing, into customers.
Retargeting is an intelligent strategy for attempting to re-engage website visitors. This involves contacting visitors to your website who were interested in your products or services but ultimately did not convert. Retargeting enables you to serve ads relevant to the page they viewed and invite them back to your website, where they may hopefully convert.
As you might assume, Google is the market leader and innovator in this space, so it is advisable to begin with the Google Display Network. However, there are many other options available, so if you believe it is worthwhile to investigate, conduct research to determine which formats may perform best for you.
Start an affiliate partner program.
When your business launches an affiliate marketing program, it encourages content creators to promote and link to your brand's website and rewards these affiliates with a commission whenever they assist you in making a sale.
Affiliate programs entail the recruitment of content creators, such as bloggers, social media personalities, and subject matter specialists, to promote your brand on their websites and social accounts. Within their content, these creators will embed affiliate links, which are unique, trackable links that direct readers to your website.
You will pay these affiliates a commission whenever a purchase is made through their affiliate link.
Utilize pay-per-click advertising.
This model of online advertising enables your business to advance its marketing by paying for each click on its online advertisements. One of the most prevalent types of PPC is the paid search ad, in which your advertisement appears when people use Google to search for the targeted keywords.
As you only pay when a user actually visits your website, it can be cost-effective. You have the option of spending as much or as little as you desire. Additionally, you can target your audience based on demographic factors such as location, language, and device.
Use Social Proof to Win Customers.
Customers purchase goods that satisfy their requirements and make them feel happy. By utilizing social proof in the form of testimonials, reviews, and trust icons, you help consumers make a decision, feel confident in their selection, and a part of something greater.
Let your existing customers do your marketing for you, as they are already aware of the quality of your service. Before committing to a purchase, the vast majority of prospective customers across all industries will always read your service's evaluations.
Request that devoted customers leave you a review on Google or Trustpilot. This is the ideal method for building trust and closing that crucial sale.
Collaborate with an influencer.
By collaborating with influencers, you can generate genuine interest in your brand; generate a stir! It will enhance the reputation of your brand, increase audience engagement, and contribute to an increase in conversions.
Influencer gifting, also known as product seeding, is the practice of giving away your product to influencers for free or in exchange for a product review. Our partnership with the influencer appears more genuine because the audience is aware that the influencer is not being compensated to promote your product, so the influencer review must be genuine.
Upload videos to Youtube.
The YouTube channel for your business is free and can be used to host all of your business' videos. Ensure that your logo, business name, and landing page banner reflect what makes your products unique and how they will benefit potential consumers. You can also invite collaborators to manage content and upload videos.
Potential customers want to know what your business can do for them or how you can help them solve a problem; however, if your video is too detailed and complicated, viewers will click away and seek for something more straightforward.
You must ensure that your video is engaging, concise, and centered on a specific, pertinent message.
Share on Twitter.
Social media benefits enterprises of all sizes. It reaches multiple demographics and disseminates your organization's message. Hashtags are an excellent method to increase the visibility of your content beyond the scope of your followers. There are numerous popular hashtags that most Twitter users are familiar with, such as #FollowFriday and #ThrowbackThursday, and you should create a hashtag that is specific to your business.
Utilize hashtags that are pertinent to your content only. For instance, if you are tweeting about infant clothing, you would use the hashtag #babyclothing. You must limit the number of hashtags you use, as the more you use, the less likely it is that people will engage with your content; they will presume it is spam.
Try out TikTok
It is a fantastic idea for businesses to create "teaser" segments for their products or to share behind-the-scenes videos relating to a brand launch, a promotional event, or simply to demonstrate their humanity. It is prudent to engage followers, as they will be eager to get a glimpse behind the scenes.
Due to the fact that many search algorithms now favor Reels, you can no longer rely solely on static images to develop and engage audiences. Many content creators, influencers, and brands have discovered that posting Reels increases their views and engagement rates.
Use FOMO to boost sales and conversions.
You have experienced the fear of missing out (or FOMO) if you have ever made an impulsive purchase of a product because you heard it was selling out. In marketing, fear of missing out (FOMO) is a technique used to convince consumers that inaction means missing out on something wonderful.
Limited Free Shipping is an excellent strategy for a FOMO marketing campaign, and it can be quite effective.
Other techniques include displaying stock levels, offering limited-time discounts and incentives (slow-moving inventory is ideal for this!) and using hashtags such as #discount and #limitedtimeoffer.
Run a digital advertising campaign.
Digital advertising can be an effective method for attracting new consumers. If you are willing to invest a small amount of money in your marketing efforts, you will see results very rapidly. The beauty of digital advertising is that, if properly configured, it is much simpler to track performance than traditional advertising.
Google Adwords is the best option for getting begun. straightforward campaigns are frequently the most effective in terms of conversion, and they are straightforward to set up. If you find these useful and wish to delve deeper, you may want to consider enrolling in some of the free courses offered by Google in their Skillshop.