6 Things to Think About Before You Launch Your Business
Here at All Things Scene we can help guide and navigate you on how best to help you achieve top results when you launch your business. From the initial concept and processes of what to consider, the design of your website, how best to approach social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. and, exactly what approach that should be.
6 Things to Think About Before You Launch Your Business
Getting online whether starting from scratch or migrating an existing business on to the digital plane is never an easy feat. But as with most things in life, planning ahead is your best option. Think rationally, decide what you want to achieve and most importantly; never be afraid to ask for help.
These 6 starting points will put you in a better place as you Launch Your Business:
- Decide what to sell and through which media platform
A crucial decision, if you are serious about a plan to launch your business, one important point is choosing what to sell online. Once you have decided on your niche product or service it is important that you stick to it and iron out those inevitable wrinkles in the sales plan. Take what you know about the sales track for the product in the shops and apply as much as you can to your online approach.
- Where will you sell your products?
Leave the geeky stuff to the professionals. An easy route for any online business is a full-service ecommerce platform. This can help you get started with very little technical effort, and its flexibility will support your business as you grow. If you choose to go it alone and set up a standalone website; the first step is deciding on an available domain name and securing hosting which will support ecommerce, then you can set about developing your site. This is not an easy task for an amateur.
There are of course easier options for selling online through established channels such as EBay, Amazon and Etsy.
- Would an online store such as Etsy or EBay be right for you?
Sites such Etsy or EBay may sound easier initially, but you would not have the brand control that having your own website gives you. With your own site you remain in complete control of your product, marketing and pricing so that you can truly scale your business. Many third party sites like Amazon and EBay take a percentage of your cut from the start and this makes it harder to see how profitable your business is.
- Funding for an online business
Funding for a start up will always be a challenge, and launching any business is costly. The good news is that setting up online when starting small is a greatly reduced expense from setting up in the high street. You can attempt to gain funding from your bank with a detailed business plan which a business advisor can help you draft or you could go through a more modern approach such as a kick-starter campaign which many big thinkers have had success with in the past but my advice would be to start small and build up. Securing large sums of money to throw into grand ideas at the beginning might prove frivolous as you go on
- Get the right look and think about establishing a trustworthy brand
Online shoppers make a snap decision within seconds of loading a website, whether you are selling double-glazed windows or perfume or bespoke stationary, and that all important first few seconds will establish if they follow through with their transaction. Getting them there is half the battle but completing the “checkout” is of course the most important. It is not just about looks though, site functionality must be smooth and easy to navigate otherwise a frustrated customer will simply sign off. This is where having the professional’s design the site pays off.
A trusted brand is an exceptionally powerful tool. People are creatures of habit and will always go back to a site or business they have used before and branding helps create this loyalty. So don’t be afraid to enlist professional designers to help you develop a logo or colour scheme for your site because something as small as a recognisable logo will attract repeat business.
- Will you use social media and email marketing for your business?
Once you have decide on your product, your site and business plan you will want to keep momentum going and marketing is invaluable.
Email marketing is highly measurable and highly targeted, this will generate your highest ROI out of any organic channel. Email marketing can also be outsourced to various free apps or marketing agencies can guide you through the pitfalls. With Social Media having such an extensive reach to all manner of folks you would be a fool not to utilise this direct line to potential customers. There is no shame in employing a professional social media writer or marketing company that can grow your online presence and this will free up you valuable time to focus on the running of the business.
Following these as a basis for starting up your ecommerce venture will hopefully keep you on track and motivate you, clear small steps is all it takes to quick gain pace and increase your business into a fully fledge success.