Have you ever wondered how to start an online business and if this type of business is the right thing for you? Entrepreneurs are taking an interest in this type of formula to an increasing extent, precisely because of the great freedom that there is in running an online business. You only need a PC or tablet and a good connection right? Well, to be honest that is not enough. You also need a good dose of dedication and know-how in recognizing the right ways to follow.
Working online certainly offers flexibility, appreciated by the nonconformists of the official timetables. All this freedom, however, must be managed in the right way to be fully exploited.
Do you want to optimize your time and start managing your online business immediately? As industry experts, we suggest the best strategies you can use right away to start a successful online business. The 5 strategies to focus on are:
1. Create a blog
The reason why every company should have a blog is to make itself known and increase its visibility. By publishing original and meaningful content in your channel, you will increase the opportunities of being found on search engines and consequently you will bring organic traffic to your website.
Using specific articles can strengthen your SEO strategy but it does not end there! One of the most significant advantages of the articles is that, by sharing your creations, your readers will bring you new readers, site traffic and even future customers.
You can find intuitive platforms online such as WordPress, complete with free themes and plugins to start a flawless blog.
2. Create an ecommerce
An ecommerce is not a necessity only for online activities but also for businesses that sell directly in the store. Online shopping is expected to grow at an exceptional rate, making you miss out on the competition. To be always up to date, it is better to adapt to the new online requirements.
Furthermore, with an increasingly connected world, the aspiration is to become global. Especially according to the product or service, this could be the key to your future income. Your business remains local, while your sales are shipped worldwide.
When thinking of starting an online business, often one finds themself facing a big question: “Go to other online platforms or create my own site?”. The ownership of an ecommerce gives you the opportunity to get directly in touch with your users and buyers. You can interact with them directly through a chat and better understand their needs. But that’s not it!
Your data will offer you important details to understand their online behavior, and therefore also have an overview of what they don’t tell you. By targeting registered users on the site you can create interesting campaigns dedicated exclusively to them. This specific activity called follow up will increase the conversion rate on your site.
Here are some methods and softwares that you can use to carry out the daily activities of your online business or to offer some of them as your products and services.
SaaS (Software as a Service)
This type of service pertains to online softwares available on the internet which offer a remote server from a third party provider. Without the inconvenient installations, these softwares are available directly online and can be accessed via an account and a fixed fee to be paid. Not only you but also your staff will have access to the software using a personalized account. If problems arise with the chosen program, it is up to the service provider to find a solution. One of the great advantages of SaaS is that you always know exactly how much the service will cost, because most of them have a fixed subscription model and no surprises. Some of them are:
Hubspot, MailChimp, Slack, ZenDesk, Google Apps, etc.
Looking from another perspective, creating a software that follows this business model can become a fairly profitable investment. Do some market research and try to identify what is missing in the world of SaaS. Think of an original and interesting idea to position yourself in a certain market niche. This way it will be easier for you to find your potential customers.
At this stage, it is very important to find a good designer and developer. Together, they will be able to take care of the image and functionality of your idea. Certainly, for the design part, you can also find ready-made, free, and highly performing themes. Our advice, however, remains to try to have a design optimized for the UI and impact.
The realization of the software takes a long time and includes various processes. There are several steps to go through, such as creating the database, or creating validation of login credentials, configuring the project architecture and much more. Hiring a good developer will help you avoid complicated situations in the future. Professionals can predict what the next scenarios and the most frequent complications will be.
Once you have finished building and testing the final product you have to start promoting it.
This is the right moment to buy a domain dedicated to the software, some corresponding email addresses, and create attractive landing pages. After that, you can start running advertising campaigns on social channels or through Google Adwords.
Dropshipping
What is dropshipping and how does it work?
Dropshipping is a low-risk business model that allows you to sell products to customers without incurring exaggerated management costs, as a wholesaler would do. Thanks to these under control costs, it is possible to make good profits with this formula and even faster than the traditional business model.
In a nutshell, this method allows you to sell a product that is not physically owned by you. It is actually present in the stock of your supplier who will personally take care of packing and shipping it to your customer.
The first businesses that may come to our minds which probably opt for this type of formula are those in the fashion and clothing industry. But it does not come as a surprise that this method finds a field of application in multiple sectors such as: mobile phone accessories, cartridges, cosmetics, IT materials, accessories for children, etc…
Dropshipping is a smart business model for those who want and can dedicate themselves to distribution. Focus on a niche with little online competition and possibly a known brand. You will already have a group of eager potential customers ready!
Infoproducts
We are always looking for new knowledge and new goals that open our mind and illuminate our way towards personal growth. Some businesses have been able to take advantage of this need of the human being and have created knowledge-based activities. This activity offers training based on the experience of professionals as its product.
At the end of the day we are talking about a digital product such as a PDF, a webinar, a podcast etc. The space to create new products is vast as the training demand grows by 17% every year and in Europe only 2% of the market is digitized.
Infoproducts have integrated well into the world of online business for various reasons. First, the fields for which knowledge and skills can be offered are endless. The product can be distributed automatically through email marketing tools and finally, their ability to generate passive turnover is impressive.
3. Social Media Manager
Social media has made its way in almost all areas of our lives. Most businesses certainly have at least one social channel.
Try to understand which Social platform could have a better impact on your audience and make your brand and your products or services known there. Consider whether it will be more beneficial to your business to present the products on Instagram or Pinterest. Think about whether your publications will get noticed more on LinkedIn instead of Facebook.
An important tip that we want to give you which you should always bear in mind when running an online business is: create a connection between you and your followers. Respond to their comments and messages, trying to maintain positive tones. Only in this way will you build a relationship of trust with customers. This way you will always have a base of leads loyal to your brand.
4. Affiliate Marketing
Why? Because it is simple and not overly expensive. In affiliate marketing you can decide the hours you want to devote to the business, which products to sell and which people to collaborate with.
It is equally important to choose products and services that you really like. It will be much easier to talk about an item that you are truly passionate about and consequently get the sale in record time.
The opportunity to work on a percentage basis makes the collaboration quite comfortable, since you and your affiliate will decide together the most convenient agreement for both.
5. Freelancing
For the several routine projects you will surely need dedicated staff. But how about special assignments? Avoid hiring staff when you don’t need to and contact freelancers. Our advice is to rely on secure sites that certify professionals, so as to guarantee a quality service.
To cut excess costs, you could also turn to foreign agencies such as ours. The production in Albania costs less and the services are considered of the highest level. Freelancers, like professional agencies, are however specialists in the field who want to make a name for themselves by providing their excellent services.
We are sure that during your research, you will also have found many other tips for starting your online business. Strategies and recommendations vary according to many factors, such as budget, type and other external factors. Only you can understand which tactic is best suited to your products, services and resources.
Keep in mind, however, that despite all the important or external factors, an online business must always have its own website, be present in the various social media channels and start advertising campaigns on an ongoing basis.
It is important to create a credible name, get to know your customers and make yourself heard continuously.
Starting an online business, however easy it may seem theoretically, will not lead to great results if you don’t try to keep up with the innovation. The virtual world is still to be discovered.
Follow our advice in starting your online business and try to be always up to date. It is important to be among the first to adopt the new techniques and technologies of the online world, if you want to be the first choice of customers.
