When you have 100% remote clients, you open the door to more possibilities for your business. More and more businesses are shutting their physical doors and starting online businesses. While there are many unique advantages to running an online business, this also brings with it, new challenges for business owners.
E-commerce is competitive in today’s market. Without the right strategy, your business will likely get lost in the noise or lose customers to bigger name online brands. Keep reading for a guide to running your business with 100% remote clients.
Why go digital?
The first big question that many brick and mortar businesses are asking is why go digital with your business in the first place? The answer is in the statistics. More shoppers are simply turning online for their purchases. This isn’t limited to small purchases. Online shoppers are buying more now than ever before, and they’re interested in everything from groceries to sports cars. A survey by Fortune shows that shoppers of today are making over half of their purchases online.! Those are numbers you just can’t ignore!
E-Commerce Platform
The backbone of any remote business operating online is the right platform for online selling. While in-person stores have several options to buy or rent a card machine, online sellers have to make sure that they’re choosing the best platform for their audience. There are some existing platforms to choose from like Etsy, which caters to an artisan community of shoppers. While platforms like Etsy are great for new sellers who don’t want to worry about the tech side of running a website, they have to remember these platforms take a percentage of every sale.
For business owners who want more freedom, there is always the option of self-hosting your own website. It’s easier than ever to set up your own e-commerce website in just a few steps with a built-in platform like Shopify. There are a lot of e-commerce plugins to choose from, but the key is to find the right ones for your business. Look for features like easy checkout and customization options. For more help, Engadget has an in-depth guide to choosing the right platform.
To get a secure, stable, scalable and user-friendly e-Commerce platform, click here.
Social Media
Having an online business means needing an online social media presence. Social media is changing the dynamic for how customers communicate with businesses. You should create social media profiles for your website on the right platforms, depending on where your audience spends time. If your audience is likely to browse Facebook, position yourself on it. If your audience likes YouTube videos, it could help to create a channel with unique videos for your business. According to DreamGrow.com, 52% of consumers offline and online purchases were affected by Facebook! As a business, you need to challenge your brand to connect with more users through social media to convert visitors into customers.
Online Business Success
Finding success with your online business in 2018 isn’t easy. There’s more competition than ever before, and with so many businesses turning online it’s easy to feel lost. As a small business, you have a lot of advantages over the big-name brands we all know. First, you have the ability to really connect with customers on an individual level. Second, you can offer an unforgettable customer experience. These are the things that really make a difference in your strategy! Follow the guide above to get started and don’t be afraid to push the boundaries of e-commerce through innovation and experimentation!
About Author:
Wendy Dessler is a super-connector who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.