If we go back 30 years, there were no social media channels, Facebook, Twitter, and mass media were unheard of, and only a few people had access to computers, but now you have a small world in your hands in the form of your smartphone. Instead of going to the market and spending the entire day there, we can communicate, read, learn, order food, book hotels, schedule appointments, and buy our favorite piece of clothing in a matter of minutes using this small device.
People are considering buying a very cheap intangible shop in the name of domain and hosting, where their customers can visit any time, from anywhere, with a single click, instead of investing tens of thousands of dollars to buy or rent a physical location to start a business. Instead of investing a large sum of money in a risky and expensive physical store, a wise entrepreneur should start their business with an online portal.
1- Plan: Right from the word ‘Go’
To start any type of business, you'll need a business plan that outlines everything you'll need to know about how you'll meet your goals, set realistic missions, and create a vision for where you want your company to be in the future. You don't need to write it in any particular format or on any particular paper; a few sticky notes on your phone will suffice; later, you can write it on any piece of paper or have your mission statements printed and framed in your office. It's always possible to hire any of the professional business plan writers who are available to write for you in case you are too busy to do it yourself.
2- A captivating business name is your ‘soul’
People used to love fruits so much that they named their businesses Apple or Blackberry. Now, choosing a company name is one of the most important and difficult tasks because the market is clogged with traffic. Here are some expert suggestions to help you with the naming problem:
-
– List down 10-40 unique names on a sheet of paper,
-
– Do a proper name search by finding organizations of similar names and their nature of business.
-
– Find their meanings on Google,(use Google images for better results), and never choose any name which might spell, sound, or mean offensive in any other language, e.g.: (Students of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh feel ashamed to study in LUND university in the UK as Lund in their language means ‘male private body part ’
-
– After the filtration process, go to any domain-selling website and check if the name is available on (.com, .us, .org, .biz, etc.) domain extensions.
-
– If yes, then check, if social URLs are available, e.g., facebook.com/nike.com.
-
-After checking, the next step is to check the name is not already registered with the government.
-After all, this, finalize the name of your company.
I understand it’s a bit laborious process to select the name for your dream but this will definitely help you in the future.
Now, we shall move on to the third step for your online business.
3- Market Research and Financial Planning
In order to fill that empty supply gap with your product, you must first determine the needs and demands of buyers. You may proceed if you have already decided on a niche in which you feel comfortable working or if you have some good contacts and experience. Otherwise, there are a few things to consider before settling on a particular category for your online store. Examine whether the market is clogged with filthy competitors. Go to Google and look up the products you're interested in.
Choose your niche carefully, as the buyers must be literate and familiar with the internet. Avoid selling medicines, supplements, alcohol, weapons, or gambling memberships. While these products may be profitable, 80 percent of online marketing platforms and individuals do not allow advertisements or marketing of these products. Finally, use a good tool like Semrush to check the CPC (Cost per Click) of some of your keywords so that you can run paid advertisements on those keywords for a low cost. Some keywords are extremely cheap and can earn you millions, while others are extremely expensive and would make running an advertisement a greater risk. Make a 6-month budget plan and get started.
4- On your mark, get set!
Now that you've completed your research, it's time to start your business. To begin, you'll need a logo, to register your business according to government regulations, to hire a good website developer, and to have your website designed and developed. You can also use default themes from WordPress, Shopify, and other platforms. If you're starting out on a shoestring budget.
The testing phase!
Connect your website to Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools to get a comprehensive analysis. Create your social media pages, fill in the blanks with descriptions, add your company logo, and invite your friends. Always remember to spend an entire day testing your website and all of its operations from beginning to end. Continue to click, refresh, subscribe to each and every page, add products, and check out over and over. You can't afford for potential customers to leave your website because of minor errors, so test it in every browser.
5- Time for some quality marketing
Once you’re done with setting up your website, it’s time to skyrocket your sales. Although, there are numerous ways to market your website and attract customers to it as a beginner, your main focus should be:
1. Social Media Marketing.
Run sponsored advertisements, attract new likes, keep posting updates and engage users.
2. Email Marketing.
There are various agencies that can assist you to send your emails to thousands of random people which can gain you a few goods leads to your website.
3. PPC Marketing.
Hire an expert or a freelancer for Google bidding and advertisements.
4. Banner Advertisements.
Get your banners placed on high-quality websites which have gigantic readerships.
5. Search Engine Optimization.
The results of SEO might not be that quick but it produces the best results in the long run which will definitely help you save a lot of money for your business and marketing strategies.
You can even use SMS marketing techniques to run a TVC if there is a big budget. Keep your website updated, provide exciting deals, coupons, and offers to your customers and keep your business trendy.
