While people are locked inside their houses for safety concerns, the markets has witnessed record falls and businesses are on a downward spiral. Furthermore, country-wide quarantines, travel restrictions, and social-distancing measures have to lead to a sharp fall in consumer and business spending producing a recession. So during such testing times, there are several financial and legal aspects that all businesses should bear in mind to mitigate risks and cut down on their losses.
The Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to customers. It’s also a cultural change that requires organizations to continually challenge the status quo, experiment, and get comfortable with failure. (Grow Your Business)
Because digital transformation will look different for every company, it can be hard to pinpoint a definition that applies to all. However, in general terms, we define digital transformation as the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business resulting in fundamental changes to how businesses operate and how they deliver value to customers. Beyond that, it’s a cultural change that requires organizations to continually challenge the status quo, experiment often, and get comfortable with failure. This sometimes means walking away from long-standing business processes that companies were built upon in favor of relatively new practices that are still being defined
Why Your Business Needs a Website
Websites work. No matter what your business or profession, a website can generate business, promote goodwill among customers and prospects, and deliver strong marketing messages – whether your business is small, large or in-between, well-established or brand-new.
People use the Web in greater and greater numbers, more and more every day. Even if you are a completely local small business, service, contractor or consultant, odds are people have used search engines to look for your web site – and if you don’t have a web site… well, you get the picture.
Perhaps the most common misconception about business websites is that they must offer products for purchase, accept credit cards and process financial transactions, and so on. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
While ecommerce websites are increasingly popular, the vast majority of business websites are still information and communication rather than purchase-oriented. If your business offers products and services appropriate for retail sale over the Internet, then by all means you should consider an ecommerce website.
But if, like most businesses, your products and services aren’t intended for Internet sales, you still need a Web page of your own. And you can get one quickly and economically.
The first thing you will need is a Web hosting service – that’s the address of your business Web page, and the company that actually stores your business’s website on its computers and makes it available to Web users. Many Web hosting companies offer both domain and hosting services. Here are some things to consider as you build a website for your business:
Choosing a Domain Name
Ideally the address of your website will match the name of your business, such as ABC.com; in reality, many addresses are already taken. If that’s the case for you, give some thought to an original Web page address/name that reflects your business: ABCmytownname.com, perhaps, or something similar. Remember: your Web page address should deliver your business’s name as closely as possible, as well as being memorable and distinctive. Your website’s address is a marketing tool too.
Hiring a Web Hosting Service
Look for a Web hosting service that’s well-established and has a reputable history. Compare fees and determine what services and features are provided for that fee. Also, don’t forget the future – you will find that your business Web site can easily be expanded, updated, grown. Make sure your Web hosting service can accommodate changes and additions, quickly and economically.
Finally, choosing a full-featured service is smart. Does the Web hosting company also offer website creation and website software? What other features, services and products are available or included?
Creating a Website Design
Creating a website is simpler than you might think. Website creation and website software make building a website for your business almost as easy as creating and sending an email. Using website templates, website software lets you accomplish building a website quickly, efficiently, and for a very small price.
Custom website design costs more than making your own Web page, so you’ll want to be sure that both your goals for your business website and the capabilities of your Web designer justify the cost of having a custom website.
What Do Internet Marketing Specialists Do?
An internet specialist helps Grow Your Business and build online marketing plans and, in some cases, to implement and manage those plans. Internet specialists help businesses promote their products and services using online marketing strategies.
You might act as a consultant, assessing the businesses’ current situation, identifying strategies, setting up systems, then turning over the actual tactics to the business. Or you might be hired to implement and manage the internet marketing plan on an ongoing basis.
Some examples of internet services include to help Grow Your Business:
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Email marketing
- Social media marketing
- Article marketing
- Web content freelance writing
- Pay per click (PPC) advertising
How to Start an Online Marketing Business from Home for Grow Your Business
- Promote yourself first. Put yourself out there on social media sites so others can check you out when you begin building a client list.
- Decide exactly what services you’ll provide. Will you focus only on social media or on a particular platform, such as Pinterest expert? Or will you over a variety of services?
- Do some research to determine if there’s a need for the services you want to provide and identify the best market for those services.
- Decide on your service pricing. You can offer a host of service packages. For example, you can offer a website SEO assessment. Your services can be a one-off in which you set up a system and then you’re done, or you can offer ongoing services, such as social media or PPC advertising.
- Write a business plan that provides an overview of your business goals, your current situation, and your strategies for success.
- Set up your home business by determining your business structure and business name.
- Create your own business website to showcase your internet services and talents.
- Determine your target. Who is your ideal client, how will you reach them, and what services are most in-demand for the market you’re trying to attract? Will you target a specific group of businesses?
- Promote your business. Use your knowledge and skills to find clients. Consider networking and offering free marketing consults to businesses in your target market. Make sure you have a way to get referrals and record testimonials.
