Does the idea of going digital with your business frighten you, as if you were about to walk through a minefield blindfolded? “Taking your business online” is not about changing the way you run your business, it is about reaching a client base that you have no other way to reach.
Your new Salesman
Let’s say it is like hiring a new salesman. When you take on a new hire, you don’t change the way your business operates. A newly hired veteran salesperson may request some changes in procedures to accommodate the way he or she sells, but your business operations are largely unaffected. You still run the business the same way. There’s nothing scary or unknown about hiring a new salesman.
On the other hand, going digital with your business seems like skydiving without a parachute, or at best a parachute that you are unsure about. But it’s not unlike hiring a new salesperson. This new salesperson works 24/7, doesn’t require a commission, never takes a sick day. But he does require a few changes, as any new hire might.
The changes your new “hire” are not so crazy, and don’t require you to change how you operate your business. In fact, once you have completely onboarded this new hire, you will realize that going digital wasn’t so bad after all.
What Changes Are Required For Taking Your Business Online?
Maybe changing your perspective from “business changes” to “adding capabilities” is more palatable. Your new capabilities may require new procedures. Here are some you will face.
E-commerce
The most significant change to a business that goes online is the addition of online purchasing of your products. Taking your products and making them available on an e-commerce enabled site does require the largest amount of process changes, but once the site is completed and new procedures documented the actual implementation is usually quite easy.
With e-commerce, payments are taken online, receipts are automatically emailed, shipping can be automated as well. Your inventory can be tracked online. The major hurdle is to stay on top of the new processes, particularly in the beginning. Email notification of orders, cancellations, or changes must be received by you and your customer. Failing to follow through can have disastrous results.
Online Appointment Scheduling
If your business books appointments, then you may find that your clients would like to use an online scheduling tool, like Google Calendar. Your website can integrate with your Google Calendar, making it easy to schedule appointments, even without the need for someone to answer the phone and manually make the appointment.
Online Conversations
Texting is second nature to a huge portion of the population, and in fact many prefer texting to actual talking or face-to-face interactions. Many chat options are available for integration into your website, including a Facebook widget that sits in the bottom corner of your site, ready at any time for a curious customer.
New Ad Mediums
More established businesses often used the Yellow Pages, directly mail pieces, magazine ads or newspaper ads. These outlets have moved online, and there are new mediums including Facebook ads, Google Adwords, LinkedIn ads, and more. It just makes sense to take advantage of all that the internet has to offer, not just your website
Policies and Pricing Consistency
One possible issue with a large internet footprint is consistency. If you have published all across the internet your contact information and address but then move, you will find that it’s not a simple task to update so many listings. The same goes for special promotions or pricing. If you’ve changed your prices or a promotion ended, but in your online posts around the internet the old information is still out there, then this will cause confusion and anger with some potential customers. Be choosy about where you put information that can change so you will know where and how to edit when necessary.
Learn How To Expand Your Internet Footprint
Digital is a brave new world. To ignore it will be to your business’ detriment. Even if you have taken steps to go digital, there is always room for improvement. To find out where you should take steps to become more digital, get a free Need-4-Leads Analysis. This report is not computer generated fluff, but a hand-analyzed look at your digital footprint. You will see exactly which areas you can improve to grow your online presence and increase your customer base.