Getting your business online is imperative in today’s world. You need to be able to connect with customers online, make sales digitally, and at the very least, make it easier for your customers to find your physical store online. Everyone, from the local convenience store to the pop-up boutique, must have a digital presence in order to improve their business and get more people in the door.
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Being clever and branching off your business model is also a great way to keep the lights on even when there is no one in your store. To help facilitate your transition into the digital realm, you will want to start by using this guide:
Invest in Web Development Services
An online business is only as good as its website, so don’t cut corners. Think of your website as your digital store-front. All other channels (social media, SEO, etc.) are just pop up boutiques in another market. Your website is yours and yours alone, and it must stand out. It needs to look incredible, work like a charm, and be easy to use.
Invest in some of the best website development ecommerce services so that you don’t have to worry about a poor website bringing you down. Get it up and running, and enjoy a fully optimized site that attracts and keeps customers’ attention. You wouldn’t rely on DIY decorations or signs for your store, so don’t rely on a DIY website. It’s your online headquarters, and it must be perfect for all your other efforts to bear fruit.
Set Up Social Media Accounts
Once you have a great website, you are going to want to set up your social media accounts. Devise a unique strategy for each and every one of them to see the biggest benefit. Some sites require you to fully optimize another. For example, to sell products through Facebook you need to set up your Facebook business page.
Having a unique approach to each social media account can help you optimize the amount of through traffic to your website, so create individual strategies when you launch.
Perfect Your Google My Business
If you have a physical address for your business, then you must set up a Google My Business account. This is how you can claim your business online, add photos, and optimize the information that pops up when someone clicks on your site through Google maps.
Increase NAP Listings
NAP stands for name, address, and phone number. By going through and adding your business to all the available local and national directories available, you can increase your findability and improve your local SEO efforts.
Get Noticed by Local Travel Sites and Bloggers
PR and marketing is your last step, so try to think of ways to get noticed by local travel sites and bloggers. Being mentioned by them before you were online is great, but being mentioned when you have an online presence for people to follow and shop from will boost your sales and infamy tenfold. Consider hosting events, contests, or beautifying your area into a type of tourist destination, and you will find that getting their attention is much easier. Just be prepared to introduce yourself to get featured.