You have decided to start an online business. You have a website ready to go but now you have no idea what to do next. Businesses do not become successful overnight, even on the internet. It takes time, work, commitment, perseverance, dedication and belief in yourself and your products.
One very important thing you need to do is to establish an online presence. This will take time so don’t expect sales to start pouring in by the end of the week! Once you start to create your reputation and build a solid foundation for your business, it will start to grow and sales will increase.
Below are 10 ways you can help accelerate this:
1. Appreciate Your Customers – Customers do not come easy so you need to show them you appreciate them and deserve their trust. Be available to your customers when they have questions or need help. Answer all emails as quickly as you can and as efficiently as you can. Be willing to go the extra mile to make their experience with you more than satisfactory. Customers are not always right but you can make them feel like they are!
2. Join Groups and Forums – Join email discussion groups, message boards and other forums to help build your business. Participate as much as you can. Offer advice, help, guidance, and ask questions as well. Do not just advertise and leave!
3. Blog, Blog, and Blog – Blogs have become very popular in a short amount of time. Blogging is very much like writing a newsletter or ezine. You want to post helpful information, resources and more. Update your blog regularly and make it interactive. WordPress is a good place to start your blog.
4. User-Friendly Website – Make sure your website is simple, user-friendly and straightforward. Don’t fill your site full of flashy animations, music, and other annoyances. Make sure your website is easy to navigate and let your customers know what your site is about. If your visitors can’t figure out what you offer, they will just close you out. Always have your contact info available for your visitors. Be honest, straightforward and provide a good product or service. Unless you are a casino in Vegas, you don’t need the flash and glitter!
5. Social Networking – We all know the sites: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., but not all of us use them to their full potential. Getting and staying active on these powerful sites are highly proficient ways to expand your contacts, increase your sales, and intensify your online presence.
6. Optimize for Search Engines – Research ways you can improve your site for the search engines. Use relevant keywords, bold headlines, effective meta tags, a site map, and update regularly. All these things can greatly increase your search engine ranking. temposlot