by Emma Grace Brown of emmagracebrown.com.
Get the Whole World Knocking on Your Small Business Door
In today’s marketplace, small businesses have the opportunity to sell not just locally, but to the entire world. It’s an exciting time to be an entrepreneur, and the more you learn how to make the most of that worldwide store, the more opportunities you have to reach the widest possible audience.
Fourth Dimension Microsoft Certification Trainers knows better than anyone that proficiency in Microsoft technologies is an important skill when navigating the intricacies of all things internet. They understand that the more you know, the more successful you and your business will be. They offer some tried and true strategies for growing your small business and have these tips for you in optimizing your web-based store.
Your Website
You wouldn’t try to build your brick-and-mortar store (unless you’re a contractor), so why build your own web-based store? A lot of the do-it-yourself site builders are great for personal use or even hobby-sellers, but if this is your business, your income, then you don’t want to cut corners here.
Data shows that a whopping 75% of your online presence’s credibility comes from the quality of its web design! You’ll want to stay engaged with your designer in order to ensure you’re getting the best SEO (Search Engine Optimization) out of your website, too.
Because a Picture Really is Worth a Thousand Words
According to Carmelon Digital Marketing, people remember 80% of what they see and only 20% of what they read. And according to Brandwatch, 3.2 billion images are shared each day. Using pictures not only gets people to stay longer and buy things, staying longer on your site boosts your SEO.
The key to any product shot is lighting. If you’re photographing people, clothing, or food, natural lighting works best either outdoors or near a window. If your products are something that will be used primarily indoors, like home decor, studio lighting is best. Invest in a tripod. You can find one in all price ranges and you’ll soon learn how valuable they can be.
Once you have your photo, you’ll have to resize it in order to meet the different specifications of the various sites you’ll be sharing them on. If your photo is high-res, it’s important you resize it to keep your page from loading too slowly. You can do this yourself with a free easy-to-use image resizer online that offers templates too.
Getting Paid
Using the payment apps that most people are familiar with just makes sense. If you’re not using alternate forms of payment, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table. By allowing these other forms of payment in addition to credit cards, you’ll likely get a lot more business than other sites that don’t offer them. While PayPal is the most common for websites, Venmo is popular as a mobile app, and Zelle is connected with over a thousand financial institutions.
Business Structure
If you’re still operating as a sole proprietor, consider switching to an LLC structure. It protects your personal assets by separating them from your business financials, can save you in taxes, and requires less paperwork. Having an LLC gives you more peace of mind when you’re investing in your site’s growth, knowing your own finances are safe.
Investing in Yourself
The business of running an online business can be exciting but also complex and difficult to navigate. Marketing, production, and finance probably were not the reasons you chose to sell online, your product and ideas were. But the business side of it is just as critical. You’ll never regret getting a business education, even if you have to fit it into an already busy workday. Online classes help, thereby letting you work and study at your own pace.
Being a small business today is anything but small business. You have the whole world as a customer base, so use every tool in the seller’s toolbox and you’ll be surprised how quickly the world will be knocking on your virtual front door.