The internet only became publicly available in 1991. This is difficult to believe when you take into account how integral it is to our day to day lives.
Nowadays, hundreds of thousands of people’s careers are based solely on the web. Many of us rely on it when it comes to maintaining contact with loved ones and creating social arrangements.
We use it for research. We stream music and videos through it. We procrastinate through it with games, memes, and blogs. But one area that has been impacted by the web like no other is the realm of business and commerce.
While we used to conduct business through brick and mortar stores and commercial properties, increasing numbers of small businesses and large businesses alike are basing themselves solely online.
So, it’s about time that you work out how to work the web to your own small business’ advantage. Here’s how!
Recognising the Web’s Potential for Your Brand
First of all, you should recognise the web’s potential for your brand. Sure, brick and mortar commerce isn’t dead. But many brick and mortar based brands and stores are being wiped out by online competitors.
Take a look at the rise of E-commerce giant Amazon as an example. This company doesn’t have physical stores but has posted a profit for the past eleven quarters and still generates sales amounting to around $59.2 billion a year.
So, what makes E-commerce so successful on the whole? Well, first of all, you don’t have to fork out for commercial property. This also cuts out all sorts of overheads like commercial energy bills, security staff for the shop floor, and customer service employees to provide high-quality in-store experiences.
You also benefit from the option to cater to overseas markets. If you add the simple option of international postage, your brand and its products become available to anyone in the world with an internet connection.
Setting Up a Website
If you’ve decided that operating online is for you, it’s time to set up a website. Now, this isn’t necessarily as simple as it seems. There are all sorts of ads out there trying to convince people that by using certain companies’ services, you will be able to set up a completely unique and operational website in moments.
While this is technically possible, chances are others will still be using the same prepaid layouts or page themes as you. You will also have to pay out a subscription fee to the company that you used to host your site with.
For a truly unique and independent site, you should use professional web designers. They will be able to make sure that your site ticks all of your boxes and that you don’t have to pay as much monthly in charge to other companies.
You may want a more custom and personalised website over a template and may need to reach out to a wordpress website developer to help you.
Get Involved with SEO
Once your site is up and running, you should get involved with SEO. SEO stands for “search engine optimisation” and is a popular practice that helps to ensure that your website appears at the top of relevant search results pages.
This is relatively difficult to achieve yourself and the majority of us don’t tend to have sufficient time to dedicate to SEO ourselves while we are already running a company.
So, start looking for an SEO company sooner rather than later. The higher your page features in search results, the more traffic will be directed to your page. The more traffic that is directed to your page, the more sales you are likely to generate.
Engage With Social Media
Generally speaking, we associate social media with people’s personal lives. They serve as platforms for individuals to communicate with their loved ones and journal what they’re up to on a day to day basis.
But it can have serious benefits for business too. If people are spending increasing periods of time on social media, you can use it as a great means of business advertisement.
Consider paying for sponsored ads on your target audience’s feeds. This is simple, can be cost effective, and reaches a huge audience. Alternatively, engage with social media influencers who can promote your products to their huge numbers of followers.
The web, of course, can hold profound potential for your small business. You just have to know how to deal with it effectively and how to work it to your brand’s advantage. Hopefully, the above advice will help you to positively work the web and make a little extra money!
