Category: Online Business

As the use of the internet for consumers and businesses increases in popularity, the doors of opportunity have opened for entrepreneurs to launch their businesses right from the comfort of the own homes. Whether you’re a one man show, or intend to hire employees that will telecommute, having an efficient work space is imperative to the overall success of your business. More than just having a computer and a desk, there are other measures that need to be taken to ensure that your business venture goes off without a hitch.

Below are some tips on how to effectively create a virtual office that meets all of your entrepreneurial needs.

1. Find a Secluded Area to Work – At the very core of a virtual office is having a secluded area in which you can work from. You need to select a place in your home that is free from distractions. This can be a spare room, the basement, or even the attic. The great thing about working virtually is that your office can be just about anywhere you are, but having a stationary place where you can conduct business is ideal.
2. Select a Phone and Internet Service Provider – As an entrepreneur, it is recommended that you keep your personal expenses separate from your business expenses. With that being said, you will need to select a phone and internet service provider to set up a business contact number and to also ensure you’re able to access the internet. The site http://fiberinternetproviders.com/goes over the various advantages to investing in an advanced digital network. Since this is an investment in your business, you don’t want to skimp on things that are necessities, such as a contact number and internet services. So, when selecting a provider, review the specifics to determine which company will provide you with the best services for the investment.
3. Invest in Office Furniture and Supplies – Though you can work from virtually anywhere, you want to make sure that you have the resources and tools you need to be productive on the daily basis. Investing in a quality computer desk and chair as well as office equipment like copiers, printers, scanners, or fax machines are ideal. While virtual businesses might not require filing cabinets, having USB flash drives for storage of files or investing in cloud storage is also ideal to keep your company records in order. Also, if you don’t already have a reliable computer and mobile device, obtaining these would be beneficial.
4. Create Your Company Website – Before you can advertise that you’re open for business you need to set up a company website (and social media pages). Since you’ll be working virtually, you want to give your potential customers a platform to learn more about your products and services. Your company website should be well thought out and should cater to the needs of the users to ensure positive feedback and increased traffic flow. If you’re not necessarily skilled in developing your own website, hiring a web designer/developer would be ideal.
5. Set Up Your Marketing Strategies – Marketing is a huge part of running a successful virtual business. Since your customers will be reaching out to you virtually, internet marketing will be extremely imperative to reaching your target audience. Before launching your business, you want to consider the various internet marketing strategies you will use. Some suggestions might include local SEO, content marketing, email marketing, and social media marketing. Again, if you’re not well versed in these areas, you’re going to want to hire a professional internet marketing contractor to assist you in getting the ball rolling.

It really doesn’t take much time to get your virtual business up and running once you’ve handled the legalities and the basics such as those listed above. These few suggestions will ensure that you have a solid foundation from which to start reaching out to your target audience. Hopefully, in just a short amount of time you’ll start to see peaked interests in your business. And the rest…well that’s history.

 

So you have decided to start selling online. You have done your due diligence, negotiated favourable deals with your suppliers and acquired a website domain. Now what?

Building an online business and customer following takes time. If you have an established brand or if you are starting out selling products online, it would be to your advantage to read this article. This is simply because no one ever said selling online is an easy endeavour. To prepare yourself, here are 7 common mistakes you need to avoid:

1. Fail to fulfil customer needs

People make the mistake of thinking that if they offer amazing products; customers will naturally flock to their website. However, the first thing you must ask yourself is whether you are actually fulfilling a need in the competitive market that will allow you to attract customers and grow. If your answer to this question is yes, read on.

2. The road is long, love what you do

Successful websites are not born overnight. They take hard work and dedication. Before you venture into selling online, make sure you love and are knowledgeable about what you are selling. You will spend a lot of sleepless nights working on your business so you better be passionate about what you do.

3. Failing to Market Your Product

Your product may the best on the face of the planet but how are you going to sell it if people do not even know it exists? Make sure you have resources put away for marketing your website. Presentation goes a long way towards the way your customers perceive you so make it count.

4. Not optimising your website

This is probably the most overlooked aspects of selling online. Think about when you look for a product. You see that blank search bar and you type a few key words right? Well, your customers will do exactly that. The higher up you are on search results the better the chance of someone finding your website, clicking on it and buying your product. There are plenty of resources online that can guide you through the process. If you are not knowledgeable about SEO, find someone who is. It is a small investment that can yield a potentially high return.

5. Failing to convert

Turn your visitors into customers. Make sure your website loads quickly. Go right into selling your products. Do not overburden your site with extra padding. People are there to buy your products. Make it easy for them to click on a few buttons and purchase them.

6. Listen to your customers

This may seem like quite an obvious statement but it bears emphasising. Not listening to your customers is like driving in the night with no headlights. No business is perfect. Running an online business, whether big or small, needs direction and your customers will serve as your compass. Create social media pages for your customers to express themselves and create a section for reviews and comments to help your business grow and meet the needs of your clients.

7. Not setting realistic goals

An online business, just like any other business, is a marathon not a sprint. Set realistic goals and meet them. You can reach for the stars but work your way up inch by inch. According to companies like CB Online, this is one of the most important lessons you have to learn when running a business. Otherwise, you may find yourself discouraged when you fail to see the progress you expected. If you set realistic expectations, you will realise that slow but sure progress is better for your business to thrive.

Article Contributed by Kate Wilson

Go mobile or go home.

If your website isn’t optimized for mobile traffic, then you’re going to lose market share to competitors who have websites that are mobile-friendly. That’s because people in your market are using their smart phones and tablets to research products and services, go shopping online, and visit their favorite websites.

Just last year, it was reported that two-thirds of Americans own smart phones. More than a third own tablets. That’s a significant market share you’re losing if your website isn’t optimized for those devices.

Here are 9 ways you can be sure your website is mobile-ready.

1. The Key Word Is “Responsive”

This is the most important point on the list. If you remember nothing else, remember this word: “responsive.”

Why is it so important? Essentially, that word is geek speak for “mobile-ready.” If you’re shopping around for a theme to apply to your WordPress or WooCommerce site, then “responsive” is the word you’re looking for in the description of the theme.

Check out this example or responsive design from Awwwards.com. Because it’s built on a grid format, it’s can be easily resized to fit the dimensions of any screen.

2. Start from the Beginning

It’s much easier to ensure your website is mobile-friendly when starting from scratch than it is to work backward and force a mobile-unready website to become a mobile-ready. It can be done, but you’ll likely find it’s more expensive and can still yield unforeseen bugs.

However, if you’ve just developed your great business model and you’re starting from scratch, then you can begin by ensuring your website is optimized for mobile usage right out of the gate. If you’re shopping for a theme, remember to look for the word “responsive.” If you’re hiring a professional developer, ensure that he or she understands the website needs to be responsive as well.

3. Use a B-Site If You Must

If you find yourself in a position in which you simply can’t start from the beginning, then a B-Site is always an option.

What is a B-Site? It’s a separate view of your website designed specifically for a mobile device. You can see an example of one here on the Ring Power CAT website. Note the “Mobile Device” graphic in the lower, right-hand corner. That’s a link that people can use to view the site in a way that is optimized for mobile devices.

4. Nothing Beats Testing

If you aren’t sure whether or not your site looks great on a mobile device, then there’s one sure way to find out: Test it.

This part of the process might involve some investment on your part. If you simply don’t have the up-front capital, then ask to borrow the devices of a few friends. You’ll find Apple devices are fairly consistent. However, there are almost infinite variations of Android devices. Testing your site on every piece of Android hardware would be a Herculean feat. Don’t sweat it, just test it on some of the latest phones, phablets, and tablets.

5. Make Sure the Basics Are Readily Available

It might be the case the people who land on your site are simply looking for your name and phone number. This would be the case if you provide a service to people in your area (e.g., if you’re a plumber or an electrician).

Be certain your contact information is prominently displayed at the top of the page so that users looking for that information can access it easily. Remember, you can also provide a link on your phone number that dials the number. Don’t skip that.

6. Avoid Image Overload

Images are great because a picture is worth a thousand words. Unfortunately, a big picture or a lot of pictures could also be worth a thousand minutes to someone who is connected with 3G or 4G, instead of with a networked router.

You don’t want to waste people’s time (or money — sometimes data charges will be incurred for heavy throughput) with your website. Just show them the basics and ensure the images you must display are small in size.

Check out the National Society of Collegiate Scholars website. This is another example of responsive design, but what makes it so great is it only features one image in its background. This way it’s still able to utilize visual elements without delaying load time.

7. Make Sure Clickable Elements Are Big Enough

Remember, everything tends to be smaller on a smartphone. The elements on your website will likely be shrunk down proportionally to fit on the smartphone screen.

However, the elements should still be large enough that a user can easily touch them to navigate around. If the elements are too small, it’s likely people will literally “miss” the clickable portion when touching the screen. Distilled offers a great resource on determining the proper size and proportions for your mobile website.

8. Limit Input Text

Typing text on a smartphone is often a more complicated affair than typing words on a standard desktop or laptop keyboard. People who can whip out 70 words per minute on the QWERTY keyboard will often struggle to complete just a few words per minute with a mobile device.

For that reason, limit input text to only what is absolutely necessary. You don’t want to discourage potential customers by asking them to enter a great deal of text with their mobile “keyboards.”

9. Less Is More 

Limit the amount of content on your site. People don’t want to read numerous paragraphs when they have to squint just to read a few words. Only include verbiage that is essential to your marketing campaign.

The ecommerce landscape is constantly evolving to meet the challenges thrown at it. Changing customer preferences, latest technology trends and stiff competition keep you occupied, as you strive to drive your business forward and stay ahead of the competition.

On top of the efforts that need to be made for growing your ecommerce business, you must also ensure your online store is visible to its target audience. You will have to create a search engine friendly store to gain higher rankings on SERPs, drive more targeted traffic to your store, and engage with your customers on social media.

So how will you manage all this? How do you ensure you do everything needed to make the most of your online presence? No prizes for guessing you cannot accomplish all this alone. You need help. This help comes in the form of great tools that help you realize the true potential of your ecommerce business.

Here are five great ecommerce tools that you will really love to use for your business.

ShopIntegrator

ShopIntegrator is a great tool that helps you build a full-featured ecommerce store with minimal efforts. An easy to install tool, you just need to copy paste a piece of HTML code into your webpage, and you’re good to go.

SI is compatible with multiple devices because of its web responsiveness. With a centralized administration panel, you can control multiple ecommerce websites from a single source, giving you absolute control of all your online businesses.

Features like multi-lingual, multi-currency, Facebook App store and third-party payment make ShopIntegrator quite effective in capturing global leads and converting them into buyers.

Further, it is a PCI compliant and McAfee SECURE ecommerce solution so that your customers do not have to worry about the safety of their transactions or integrity of private information.

Remarkety

This is a remarkable email and marketing tool that gets under the skin of your business and analyzes historic data. Based on its crawl findings, Remarkety recommends specific marketing activities to increase sales amongst existing customers.

Further, it microscopically analyzes “inactive customer” history and suggests “wake-up-calls” to re-engage users who abandoned your shopping cart for unknown reasons. Use this tool to create an effective rewards program that helps lure back these lost customers and increase sales.

Since automation is the heart of Remarkety, you can speed up client engagement with minimal efforts and achieve better outcomes.

With this tool, you can optimize your marketing campaign based on captured data and bring about more new as well as repeat conversions without bothering about mathematical or advanced calculations.

Available in customizable templates, Remarkety adjusts to your ecommerce website and helps you optimize your marketing campaign with continuous feedback like click rates, open rates and RO; this way, you always remain in control of your business and increase sales with minimal effort.

Zopim

Personalization is the buzzword for the year 2015 in the customer relationship domain. Zopim gives you a nitro boost in this direction. Zopim helps you give your customers the best possible shopping experience by giving voice to your data.

When people come to your ecommerce store, its product catalog or products listings might not be enough to convince them to become your buyers.

There are plenty of aspects that act as a barrier to conversions.

Your content might lack the human voice necessary to build emotional connect with your brand; your customers might not be entirely convinced about the benefits of the products. In this scenario, leverage the live chat facility offered by Zopim to connect with and impress your customers across the barriers of time and distance.

You can even personally engage with your prospective clients in their own language through the Google Translate feature and bring about the much needed personalization in your interaction. Convince better and convert faster with Zopim and ramp up your domestic or international ecommerce sales without having to spend through the nose.

Screaming Frog

The Screaming Frog SEO Spider is an effective software program that analyzes your ecommerce website’s links, images, CSS, script and apps from the SEO angle. Get a clear view of your SEO deficiencies, filtered out in easily consumable form, in various tabs. You can also export the data into Excel for a close examination, later, as per your convenience.

Crawl data is continuously accumulated in the user interface and you can get day-to-day crucial insights about your ecommerce store’s optimization.

Screaming Frog is good for medium to large websites, where manually checking each web page would be laborious and time consuming affair. In such cases, you might even overlook problems like redirect, meta fresh or duplicate page issues, which ultimately hurts your rankings in search results.

Export your critical data like URL, page titles, meta descriptions, headings, etc. to a spreadsheet for a deep SEO-drill down of your website whenever you want. Uncover the culprit pages of your store that are dragging your website down in the abysmal depths of search results.

Screaming Frog helps you spring back and leapfrog over obvious SEO obstacles and achieve greater visibility in search results.

Stripe

A hassle-free, safe and secure payment gateway peps up the conversion rate and Stripe is one of them.

Since Stripe requires all your website pages (including payment form) to have an SSL certificate and be prefixed with https:// instead of http://, your “Stripe-integrated” website is security compliant. Google will also reward your website with higher rankings because it factors in website security in search results.

Stripe has complete support for recurring payment extension; you can speedily process recurring subscriptions from your customers. Also, with a Stripe payment gateway, your buyers never have to leave your website. All this increases user satisfaction and makes payment processing quick and easy. Take the benefit of features like powerful online store checkouts, encrypted card details storage, money transfer, and a speedy billing process to improve customers’ shopping experience.

Parting Words

The above mentioned tools may or may not have been specifically built for ecommerce, but they augment your web store’s visibility, performance and usability in their own unique ways. In the end, all you want from a tool is to automate and speed up the customer’s journey through your conversion funnel.

Lori Wagoner is an independent content strategist who gives online marketing advice to small businesses. Lori has blogged at Tweak Your Biz, The Social Media Hat and many other business and tech blogs. You can reach her @LoriDWagoner on Twitter.