It is simply unthinkable to imagine anyone running a business in times like this and not have a mobile phone. For many one man businesses out there, the mobile phone is the business.
The mobile phone’s usage as a business tool is particularly interesting. They use it to acquire new customers and keep existing ones within reach. Not everyone glued to their mobile phones are facebooking purposelessly; the person pinging away near you might just be sealing a 6 zeros business deal over the phone!
While mobile phones are great for businesses, the fact remains that your mobile phone only connects you to people within your circles, people you already know. Unless you have a really large social circle or you are only contented with selling to only friends and friends of friends, you need to truly get your business online.
The truth is that it is simply unthinkable to run your business nowadays without having set up a website for your business. It is as bad as not having a mobile phone.
What does it mean to get your business online?
To get your business online means to create an Internet presence for your business. More than ever before, your prospective customers are searching for information about services you render and unless you have created a website, they will never find you.
Getting your business online means you are creating content about your business; detailed information and pictures about your products and services, contact details. Then you place this information online so that people searching for you or businesses that offer what you offer can find you.
Even though you can (and you should) get listed on various business directories online, nothing beats having your own website, a place you can call home.
Your own website means that you can tell your own story in your own words and you can properly describe your products and services without any restrictions.
How can you get your business online?
You can get your business online through a wide variety of ways. You have to pay for some while some of them are offered for free. You will find that your business will gain maximum exposure when you properly combine these channels.
The 2 major online activity you need to do for your business is:
- to get a website
- to create profiles on social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and any other site that your target audience may be found.
Get a Website
You need to get a well designed website. Your website needs to be well designed and neatly arranged so that visitors can easily find their own way around without a need to consult a user manual first.
You need to also ensure that your website is optimised for search engine traffic, the technical jargon for this is SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
Create social profiles
The chances that you already use at least one social media website often are very high.
What you need to do now is just to separate yourself from your business brand by creating profiles for the business name itself. On Facebook, create a page (it is free), on Twitter, create a new profile for your business. Let it stand alone.
Is your business online yet? Is it working for you? Or if your business is not online yet but you want to take the plunge, please leave a comment and let us discuss.
