Partner Content

Making the transition to digital business

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So, you’ve made it this far. You had a great idea and have worked to bring it to reality by starting a business and getting it off the ground. You should be proud of yourself! Every year, thousands of businesses start up, but only a select handful will make it enter year 2. Many businesses start off running out of the proverbial garage, yet, through hard work, tenacity and the occasional stroke of luck, can find that much sought after momentum.

The next challenge is to take that business past the cottage stage and build a framework for future growth. Without a doubt, the digital word is the most important channel for expanding any business and we will look at some strategies to achieve this.

Perception of presence

Every business would love to have that exclusive address or international locations in multiple countries. Let’s face it, though, this is likely to be way beyond the budget of most small organisations. Moving online can open up a whole new world of markets for your product. However, without a physical presence in target overseas markets, consumers in those geographies may hesitate before giving you their trust. Fortunately, there are numerous companies, such as Servcorp,  that offer virtual offices all over the world that can solve this problem. By providing a respectable physical address, as well as receptionist services, access to meeting rooms and other amenities, virtual offices can create the perception of a strong presence that will instill confidence in potential clients.

Mobile responsive website

Mobile web traffic has overtaken desktop in many countries around the world. It is, therefore, clear that ensuring your website is compatible with all major mobile and tablet devices is absolutely imperative. While many web developers include mobile-responsive design as standard, it is extremely important to ensure that this is the case when planning out your own website. A great, mobile friendly site will deliver a positive user experience to visitors, ensuring that they stay on the site for longer and engage with it in a meaningful way.

Get found

Having said that, what is the point of having a sensational website that can be seamlessly viewed on any device if nobody can find it? Ensuring that web users searching for terms closely related to your products or services can easily find you on google and other search engines is an absolutely critical part of any marketing strategy. Organic Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Pay Per Click (PPC) ads, content marketing, display and retargeting are all examples of effective digital marketing strategies that can help your business build a strong online presence.

Managing the pipeline

As you grow, you will hopefully find it necessary to bring on more sales staff. Keeping track of the sales pipeline can then become a major challenge. Nothing is worse than losing out on a sale because you or a colleague neglected to respond to a potential client on time. Installing a reliable Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool can help you stay on top of all your leads as you grow. Some of the more well-known CRMs can be quite expensive and offer far more features than a small business requires. However, there are a host of options available to suit different sizes and styles of businesses.

Like any venture, making the transition from home-spun project to robust presence online and in the real world, you will likely have a seemingly never-ending list of items that need to be addressed, and fires that require putting out. However, if you can implement these strategies, you will be well positioned to ensure that you are driving and managing business growth in the digital space.

About Business Woman Media

Our women don’t want to settle for anything but the best. They understand that success is a journey involving personal growth, savvy optimism and the tenacity to be the best. We believe in pragmatism, having fun, hard-work and sharing inspiration. LinkedIn

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