How to Take your Business Online if you’re not Tech Savvy

02/03/2023 | Share:

Once upon a time setting up a business was a case of setting up shop, advertising in the local press and through word-of-mouth. However, with the internet becoming an ever more powerful tool for businesses, it’s essential to take your business online to reach a wider audience. You may have the perfect product but if you’re not tech-savvy, this can seem daunting. Don’t be put off taking your business to the next level just because you do not have tech skills.

Here is our guide to getting started:

The Website

You need a website, there’s no getting away from it. A website will enable you to present your business in an accessible and professional manner and provides the perfect platform for showing off what you offer. You are going to need a domain name and web host, so do your research and find the right one for you.

Setting Up Your Website

You could set up a website yourself using off-the-shelf templates, such as Wix or Squarespace. These are great for someone who has some understanding of how websites operate, and they require minimal technical ability. You have all the tools you need, including drag & drop page builders and payment systems. Online tutorials can be found to guide you through if you get stuck and there are often communities and forums where you can ask for help.

Don’t forget The Smartphone

It’s important to make sure it is easily accessible from a mobile device. Over half of all web traffic comes from mobile users and more people access the internet through their smartphones than any other device. Ensure your website works well for mobile users with a responsive design.

Design

If you have a knack for design or have access to someone with the necessary skills, then don’t be afraid to go down this route. This will definitely take more time than using off-the-shelf templates but it will give your website a unique look that stands out from the crowd. Off-the-shelf templates are less likely to give you a website that looks tailored to your business and brand.

Take some time to consider what look and feel you want for your website, as well as the functionality. Colours and text styles can really help to alter the look and feel of your website, so consider your colour pallet and font and what they convey to your audience. Think about well known brands and how their style speaks to their audience. What do you want your website to convey, and how can you achieve this?

Content

Your website should be more than just a graphic representation of your brand. Content is essential to any website and will give customers an insight into who you are and what you offer. This could be text, images, videos or even podcasts. Think about the sort of information you want people to see when they land on your website. Decide how you want to structure the content so it is easy for customers to find what they need.

You will also need to put aside some time from your week to manage your site and keep it up to date. Adding content regularly will keep your website fresh and interesting for customers, and keep it ranking highly in search engine results. A website lost in the depths of search engine results is as good as invisible!

Marketing and SEO

Now you have your website up and running, you want people to visit it. This is where marketing comes in. You can use social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to promote your website. You can also use SEO techniques such as using relevant keywords in blog posts and content, as well as ensuring your website is linked with other websites which have a presence in the same market or industry sector.

Social Media Presence

Social media is an incredibly powerful tool for marketing your business. Use your website content and images on social media platforms, write interesting posts and interact with your customers. You can use scheduling tools to make it easier to manage your social media accounts by organising posts in advance. This also allows you to do all of your weekly or monthly marketing in one go, freeing up time to focus on other aspects of your business. Also by having regular times for posting, your audience will know when to expect your content and consistency is important for creating a loyal following.

Analytics

Once you have launched your website, it’s important that you monitor its progress. There are lots of analytics tools available which can help you to measure the success of your website and plan ahead. You can track visits and conversions, and even find out where visitors are coming from and this can help you focus your marketing efforts in the right direction.

It can be a slow process and a steep learning curve if you’ve never done this type of thing before and you may feel like this is not the best use of your time. That may be better spent on your area of expertise, your products or your service. If you’ve got your head in your hands now thinking you do not have the time to get into all of these details don’t panic.

If you don’t have the time or inclination to do this, then consider hiring a web developer or an agency to build your website for you. They can take care of everything from design and development, hosting and domain name selection, right through to launching and ongoing maintenance. This is ideal if you need something more complex, tailored to your business.

Investing in Your Business

It is always difficult to know when to get professional help with your business, and investing in getting help with your website is no exception. A professional-looking site can elevate your business, attract customers and generate sales. If you’ve done your research and you know your product is sound, don’t be frightened of investing in your business.

Be Prepared!

Whilst you are preparing to take on the world with your new online business, there are a few things to bear in mind. Are you ready for the extra business? All of this hard work is going towards creating more sales, so make sure you have the resources in place to fulfil orders. Have a plan for dealing with customer service enquiries, ensure you can meet increased demand and make sure you can respond promptly.

Being a success in business is not about tackling everything yourself. It’s about knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are, and when to outsource some of that work. You don’t need to be an expert in everything to run a business. Delegate the tasks that you’re not good at and focus on your strengths. If you want help with order fulfilment, visit our website or give us a call. Our team of experts will be happy to assist you.