How To Move Your Business Online
Doing business under covid19 has been devastating for many more traditional businesses working in closed office spaces. Conversely, doing business under covid19, tragic as it may be, has proven to be very beneficial for many companies who already established a digital presence, had policies and guidelines in place for work-from-home, remote employees and who were largely unaffected by the coronavirus outbreak. For the companies and employees just now learning about doing business under covid19, there will be some adjustments, but once properly settled, it will be beneficial for both the online business and the work-from-home employees.
From starting a website to changing your mission statement, here’s how to move your business online.
Start with your commercial philosophy
The first thing you need to deal with is your commercial philosophy, often referred to as your company’s mission statement. Simply put – why do you exist? What do you intend to accomplish as a business? Answering these questions may seem simple enough, but as you begin to digitize your operations, you’ll realize that the animating motivations and guiding principles of any commercial entity are forced to evolve as that commercial organization itself changes. Only after you’ve become confident that you can manage both your commercial goals and the digitization process at once should you proceed.
The next important matter is setting up a website. You can’t have a digital business without a stellar web presence – this means having a website that’s visually appealing, easy to navigate, and structured in such a way as to keep earning you money, whether it’s from ads or shoppers. Major tech companies like Google offer free website builders for business owners, but you should be aware that hiring a professional to design a top-tier website is probably the better option. It will cost more, and take more time, but it will ultimately produce a better website that consumers feel more comfortable with. If you feel comfortable doing this yourself, however, it will save your company some money.
You should also know that moving your business online means you’ll likely be working from home more. Having an excellent home working space with a logo sign for the home office can be helpful in this regard, and neon business signs have an excellent impact on the logo. If you have video chat sessions with clients, customers, or colleagues, having a cheery looking office space is an important part of appearing professional. You should also be seeking out tech-savvy employees who are familiar with the platforms and software your company will likely need to depend upon to remain solvent in a digital environment.
Finally, come to master modern social media platforms, unless you want your online business to slowly choke and die due to a lack of customers. Effective social media marketing is the source of many modern businesses’ income. Like designing a website, outsourcing this to an expert will yield better results, but doing it yourself will save you invaluable sums of money that your business can spend elsewhere.
Successfully pivoting to an online business requires an excellent website, robust social media presence, and the ability to work from home without losing your professional appearance. Follow that strategy, and your commercial operations will be digitized sooner than you’d believe possible.
