The business world is always changing. Practices that once proved to be very successful, found an alternative after a couple of years. This year has forced many businesses to change in many ways. The global pandemic and the need for social distancing required many of the businesses to go online and in that way get closer to their consumers. Whatever is the reason to make the website and start selling your services and goods online – we ensure you will not regret it. In this guide, we want to share some best tips on how to move your business online and get one huge step closer to your customers.

The benefits of running a business online

If you’re forced to go online because of the pandemic and feel confused about it, we’ve got some great news. Going online is helpful to your business in many ways. These are the main benefits of moving your business online:

• the services/goods are available all the time – making it available to shop for products at any time of the day is something that gets you closer to your customers;
• it’s cost-effective – running a business online reduces the costs such as rent, bills, and other expenses;
• boosts credibility – investing time and money to make it easier for your customers to find your store and shop online, builds trust and boosts credibility and general image of the company;
• your business becomes more modern – leaving the old-fashion ways of doing business opens up new possibilities and increases chances to make more profit.

As you can see, it’s not everything negative about going online. Even though it might feel like a huge change, you’ll get used to running the business in this way, and maybe never wish to go back.

The first step - move your business online by creating a website

The same way you built and furnished the store or office, now it’s time to do the same in the online world. Your website will be the presentation of your business, so it’s necessary to make it spotless. There are ways to do this on your own, but we advise asking a pro to help you out if you’re not experienced enough. A web developer or an agency will do this professionally, adjusting the website to your business style and requirements. Your job would be updating the website, creating content and making sure everything runs smoothly, etc. It’s a process that takes time and is constantly evolving.

Remember: Apart from the looks, the main focus when making your website should be user-friendly interface and simplicity of communication and shopping. Make sure the visitors find it easy to use your website, so you can expect them to return.

Make the use of SEO

To make your web presence perfect, SEO tools will be your new friends after you move your business online. Adapt the content and offers according to the niche, and find ways to grow the business over time by using good-quality SEO methods. Again, if you are too busy, hiring professionals to help you out is a great idea.

Keep it simple

It’s not easy to switch from offline to online business in a short time frame. That’s why many businesses want to level those two up, which is not always possible. You cannot expect to have everything in the same way as before but need to keep it simple at first and make some baby steps. Don’t overdo it – the website doesn’t need to have every little detail. Make sure the main purpose – and that’s online shopping, works smoothly, and then add all the other details over time.

Allow your customers to shop safely

Secure payments and easy shopping are the first reason for a customer to return to your store. The payment system you set up on the website should be secure and accept all the relevant credit cards. Furthermore, you should come up with a return and refund method, and apply all the rules the same way you did in the store. Your policy about this should be visible and easy to understand, so the customers know what to expect even before contacting the support.

Figure 1: Secure payments are essential in the world of online shopping. alt.tag (News - Alert): a mobile phone with Google Pay on the screen

Moving out of your office space

One of the steps of starting a business online is moving out of the store or office space you once used. As you won’t need it anymore, try to relocate to a less expensive part of the city, in case you still need some space for manufacturing. To make things easier, hire reliable professionals to empty out the premises and ensure a quick transition. You can also consider some additional storage space, for all the machines or furniture you don’t feel like giving up too soon.

Figure 2: Once you need to move your business online, you need to leave some of the old ways behind. alt.tag: old shopping cart you don't need after you move your business online

Promote

If you need to go online fast, be sure to use all the means to promote this transition. The easiest and fastest way to do this is by using social networks. Depending on the audience and target customers, pick a popular platform, and start a marketing strategy. Create text and visual content, include local influencers, and promote special offers and discounts to attract more people. It's a quick way to make your online business known both locally, but also outside your area.

Figure 3: Social media networks are a great way to promote the new way of doing business. alt.tag: social media letters and a mobile phone

Conclusion

To sum up, it's not that difficult to move your business online. However, it might be hard to accept the change from seeing your customers every day to online communication. But, the social distancing doesn't need to mean you should stay away from the people you make your business work. Use your content and social media networks to communicate, encourage them to write a review, etc. This new dimension of doing business might turn out much better than you previously expected!