Cochise county has a long history of being a traditional “Brick and Mortar” hot spot. Few local businesses find themselves branching out well to an online market. If Brick and Mortar business In Cochise county have worked well for so long why add or change over to online marketing? With more and more businesses transferring online it has never been easier to make your presence known over the internet. Here are 8 reasons to start making that transition now.

1 Company image

For many customers if a business does not have an online presence, it may come off as illegitimate. That may seem crazy, especially if your business has been long established. However, to find out information about a company, many look to the internet, and if they cannot find you they may not trust you. Many large corporations have a very established online presence and will easily overwhelm any business that has not put forth effort in that area. It may seem difficult, however with current technology, it is not as hard as you may think to go toe to toe with the internet giants.

2 Availability

Much of your business depends on the hours you are open. Many small businesses understandably cannot afford or do not have the staff to be open 24/7. Imagine the increase your businesses could have if you could be open all day and all night. An online presence can do that for you, your online store can be open 24/7 people can purchase without a person to even be there to facilitate the transaction. And even if your business needs a physical presence to operate, customers can research your business when you are not open. If you do not give customers a chance to learn who you are on your off time, they will learn about and give their business to someone else.

3 Customer Support / Self Service

Every business needs some level of customer support and sometimes, for whatever reason, it is hard to always fulfill those needs. For a customer, it can be frustrating for a question to not be answered right away, especially if that question is a simple one. If there was a way to answer simple questions without your physical presence wouldn’t you take it? These can include questions about items available, return policy, hours of operation, and whatever other Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) you may receive. This goes beyond questions, your business may even allow for self-service. That means you can attract a new customer, answer all their questions, and service them without any labor, it is hard to see a downside.

4 Low Cost

To accomplish everything thus far without an online presence, it would be very expensive. If you think about the cost of hiring even one employee, it could be staggering. However, the cost of an online presence is just a fraction of that. Reasonably, depending on the extent you want, it can be anywhere from $5-$200 a month. In Arizona, a single employee on minimum wage working 25 hours a week will cost $1,215 a month. For what you are getting, the cost is shocking low even if you were to go all out.

5 Internet is a Tool – USE IT

Many times, we hear about “Brick and Mortar” versus “E-Commerce”. However, it is NOT true and should not be looked at in that way. The internet is a tool and should be used to your advantage. To build a wall without all your tools because you don’t believe in them would be insane. To build a business and keep it competitive without using all your tools would be equally insane. Using the internet to promote yourself does not make you a sell out or untraditional, it does not change who you are or what your brand stands for. It merely allows you to reach new customers and better service current ones.

6 Manage from Home

Home is where the heart is and you probably put your heart into your work, why not make it easier on your heart and allow yourself to do some of that work from home. Having an online presence goes beyond allowing customers autonomy. It also allows you to manage part of your business from afar. If you needed to go on vacation but couldn’t leave your work, now you don’t have to.

7 Operation Cost

Being online Helps you increase your business, however it also helps you lower current operating costs. With current world events everyone has suffered business loss, and you may not have the budget to run like you once did. Even though having an online presence does cost money, over all it could be cheaper. With the assistance of the internet, you may be able to run like you once did, but, on the budget you currently have.

8 Increase Customer Base

If you want to make your business international or if you want to stay in Cochise County attracting new customers through the internet is right for you. Even locally there is a large portion of customers that shop exclusively or mostly online. You can stay faithful to your in person customers while attracting others through the internet. No matter how far you would like to extend your business, being online is not something that should be skipped. Imagine finding out your business wasn’t available to 63% of those in your area. As a business, your next step should be to immediately make your business available to them. With 63% of sales starting online (1) without an online presence, a business would simply not be available to all those potential customers. 

This is definitely not how business used to be done. However, this is the way the world is going and as a small business we cannot afford to miss the train. Focusing on our online presence is an inexpensive way to better take care of our customers and remain competitive in a changing market. 

1. Find a need and fill it.
2. Write copy that sells.
3. Design and build an easy-to-use website.
4. Use search engines to drive traffic to your site.
5. Establish an expert reputation for yourself.
6. Follow up with your customers and subscribers with email.
7. Increase your income through back-end sales and up-selling.

Anyone, from newbie to seasoned online entrepreneur, can benefit from this process in learning how to start a business online.

Step 1: Start a business that fills a need.

Most people who are just starting out make the mistake of looking for a product first, and a market second.

To boost your chances of success, start with a market. The trick is to find a group of people who are searching for a solution to a problem, but not finding many results. The internet makes this kind of market research easy:

• Visit online forums to see what questions people ask and what problems they’re trying to solve.
• Do keyword research to find keywords that a lot of people are searching, but don’t have a ton of competition with other sites.
• Check out your potential competitors by visiting their sites and taking note of what they’re doing to fill the demand. Then you can use what you’ve learned and create a product for a market that already exists — and do it better than the competition.

Step 2: Write copy that sells.

There’s a proven sales copy formula that takes visitors through the selling process from the moment they arrive to the moment they make a purchase:

1. Arouse interest with a compelling headline.
2. Describe the problem your product solves.
3. Establish your credibility as a solver of this problem.
4. Add testimonials from people who have used your product.
5. Talk about the product and how it benefits the user.
6. Make an offer.
7. Make a strong guarantee.
8. Create urgency.
9. Ask for the sale.

Throughout your copy, you need to focus on how your product or service is uniquely able to solve people’s problems or make their lives better. Think like a customer and ask “What’s in it for me?”

Step 3: Design and build your website.

Once you’ve got your market and product, and you’ve nailed down your selling process, now you’re ready for your small-business web design. Remember to keep it simple. You have fewer than five seconds to grab someone’s attention — otherwise, they’re gone, never to be seen again. Some important tips to keep in mind:

• Choose one or two plain fonts on a white background.
• Make your navigation clear and simple, and the same on every page.
• Only use graphics, audio or video if they enhance your message.
• Include an opt-in offer so you can collect e-mail addresses.
• Make it easy to buy — no more than two clicks between potential customer and checkout.
• Your website is your online storefront, so make it customer-friendly.

Step 4: Use search engines to drive targeted buyers to your site.

Pay-per-click advertising is the easiest way to get traffic to a brand-new site. It has two advantages over waiting for the traffic to come to you organically. First, PPC ads show up on the search pages immediately, and second, PPC ads allow you to test different keywords, as well as headlines, prices and selling approaches. Not only do you get immediate traffic, but you can also use PPC ads to discover your best, highest-converting keywords. Then you can distribute the keywords throughout your site in your copy and code, which will help your rankings in the organic search results.

Step 5: Establish an expert reputation for yourself.

People use the internet to find information. Provide that information for free to other sites, and you’ll see more traffic and better search engine rankings. The secret is to always include a link to your site with each tidbit of information.

• Give away free, expert content. Create articles, videos or any other content that people will find useful. Distribute that content through online article directories or social media sites.
• Include “send to a friend” links on valuable content on your website.
• Become an active expert in industry forums and social networking sites where your target market hangs out.

You’ll reach new readers. But even better, every site that posts your content will link back to yours. Search engines love links from relevant sites and will reward you in the rankings.

Step 6: Use the power of email marketing to turn visitors into buyers.

When you build an opt-in list, you’re creating one of the most valuable assets of your online business. Your customers and subscribers have given you permission to send them an email. That means:

• You’re giving them something they’ve asked for.
• You’re developing lifetime relationships with them.
• The response is 100 percent measurable.
• Email marketing is cheaper and more effective than print, TV or radio because it’s highly targeted.

Anyone who visits your site and opts into your list is a very hot lead. And there’s no better tool than email for following up with those leads.

Step 7: Increase your income through back-end sales and upselling.

One of the most important internet marketing strategies is to develop every customer’s lifetime value. At least 36 percent of people who have purchased from you once will buy from you again if you follow up with them. Closing that first sale is by far the most difficult part — not to mention the most expensive. So use back-end selling and upselling to get them to buy again:

• Offer products that complement their original purchase.
• Send out electronic loyalty coupons they can redeem on their next visit.
• Offer related products on your “Thank You” page after they purchase.

Reward your customers for their loyalty and they’ll become even more loyal.

The internet changes so fast that one year online equals about five years in the real world. But the principles of how to start and grow a successful online business haven’t changed at all. If you’re just starting a small business online, stick to this sequence. If you’ve been online awhile, do a quick review and see if there’s a step you’re neglecting, or never got around to doing in the first place. You can’t go wrong with the basics.

Blog Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/