Running a successful business is challenging and with technology growing at such a rapid pace, and as we go into 2018 there are fundamentals that need to be in place for any business to survive and grow. This is regardless of the industry or the market space it operates in.
They are:
A Responsive Professionally Designed Website
Businesses that have relied on the same website for years or do not have one at all are missing out on a lot of customers and business. Even if your site looks good on a desktop computer, if it is unusable on a mobile you are bleeding customers or clients to your competitors.
To make sure that your website works well on a mobile device, you need to make sure that is using Responsive technology. Responsive sites adapt to screen size making them usable on mobile phones and any other device.
TIP: To check if your existing website is mobile friendly, you can use the mobile friendliness test by Google that can be accessed at https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly
A Professional Logo
If you want people to do business with you, you need to be professional. A logo is one of the first things a potential customer and client will see. If you deliver a good service, they will connect the logo to that service and you will start building your brand. So, get a great logo that represents your business in a professional and eye-catching way.
SSL Certificate
Check your current website, go on… we can wait.
If you see a green padlock next to your website address, like indicated in the image below (1) then you are good to go. Your website is using an SSL Certificate. If your website has either of the notifications (2,3) then you need to get an SSL Certificate.
Sites that use SSL are seen by Google as more secure than others and as such the search engine giant gives them a boost in their SEO rankings. Furthermore, customers using your website seeing any “non-secure” notices will no doubt think twice before giving you information. It also looks more professional and gives an extra sense of security to your website visitors.
Track Your Site Visitors with Google Analytics
Keeping track of where website visitors are coming from and what they are doing on your website is essential in today’s business world. Google Analytics is key to doing this and it can be set up quickly. Visits driven by search engines, social media, ads, e-shots can now all be tracked. It is an invaluable business tool that will show you where your marketing is performing well and what pages, products, and services are popular.
Email Address
In this day and age, we still cannot believe how many businesses are still using @hotmail @yahoo or @gmail email address to run their business. In the interests of professionalism and building trust with your customers and clients, a professional email address is essential. This means switching to [email protected] from [email protected]. This is important and necessary both from a customer service and brand building point of view.
Business Listing on Google Maps
If your business is listed with Google, your business becomes visible in a lot more places than just the search engine. Having your own business listing will make you discoverable on Google Maps, and allow your business to be discoverable when someone is doing a search for a nearby business.
For example, if a user is doing a search for a supermarket via their mobile device, the search results will be modified to show the closest place to them.
Open an Online Store
If your business sells physical products, and you are not taking advantage of E-commerce, you are missing out on a lot of business. The days where people were reluctant to use their cards online are over. More and more, we are buying online rather than shopping in the traditional sense. And if your website does not have an online shop, you may be missing out on a lot of opportunities. The cost of setting up an online shop has dropped considerably over the last few years, so this is not an excuse any more.
And finally, Online Advertising
Online advertising can really push your business forward and provide visibility of your products and services to customers that may have never come across your business. Using an intelligent mix of search, banner and social media advertising, you can see incredible returns on your advertising spend and greater profits.
Want to get these 7 items sorted? Talk to us.
Whether you need to build a new website, or redesign and existing one, or any of the other 6 steps above, we can help! Talk to us today and we can schedule a meeting to discuss project, brainstorm ideas, and make your business more competitive and profitable in 2018.