5 Top Tips: on Building a Web Business

There is a comfortable living to be made and success to be enjoyed by setting up an online venture. So what’s stopping you ?? Well hold on..  like any other business a bit of foresight is invaluable, and perhaps a few tips from the those that have done it wouldn’t go astray. So here goes, Callbrix is giving away it’s top 5 tips for building a Web Business. 

There are many advantages to starting a Web business, overheads are generally lower than an equivalent ‘bricks and mortar’ business.  You are not constrained to Ireland, you can gain instant access to a worldwide audience, according to recent statistics that’s over 3.8 billion internet users in the world (and growing rapidly every day). With the right idea backed up by your research, effective use of marketing channels, hard work and a pinch of lady luck, who knows you could be the next dot com Mogul :). Now let’s take a look at 5 things you need to get you on the right track.

 

1. A Good Internet Connection.

Remember that your business is located in the ‘Internet World’, and without a reliable internet connection you’re going to have your work cut out.  Ensure your internet speed is fast enough to answer customer problems, use VoIP (Voice Over IP), handle queries, process orders, and deal with other important issues without delay. Small delays from a slow Internet connection will affect the online tools you use, and these delays add up. Your customers will expect you to be always online, and not getting back them in a timely manner will make them lose faith in your website. Having a backup connection, such as mobile broadband, is also essential. .

2. Find Your Niche

A startup web business should focus on a profitable and relevant niche. Niche markets are less well served by larger businesses and they often have loyal customers who will engage through social media. Remember the Internet’s reach is massive, so a niche Internet market can be a very large audience. But do your research, If the volume of competition is already high, you may want to reconsider. Sometimes taking a creative approach may be necessary. So you want to sell organic chocolate. Good luck, so does Cadbury. So how about organic chocolate cake decorations instead? Sometimes thinking outside the box and narrowing your field can be the smart way.

3. Manage Web Assets 

Like a ‘bricks and mortar’ high street store your web real estate must be built and  designed correctly:- it needs constant maintenance. Design your website with your customer’s needs in mind and not just visual appeal! Maintaining and optimising User Experience and ranking of your website is crucial:- it will need constant tweaking. Social media platforms, web hosting accounts, and other third-party accounts should be diligently managed. Your website and social media profiles must have relevant keywords (which can change over time) that are associated with your industry to ensure better performance.

4. Digital Marketing is Key

Quality web traffic is the lifeblood of any web business, and the key to generating traffic is through digital marketing. More than sixty-six percent of small business owners reported facing marketing challenges due to an explosive growth in digital marketing.

Learn about Search Engine Optimisation, Social Media Marketing and familiarise yourself with common online marketing practices. Use content marketing and get interactive on social media. Regularly publishing fresh and relevant content on your website keeps it an interesting place to visit.

5. Continually Analyse and Refine

There are plenty of analytical tools that can help a web owner analyse his/her website’s performance. Such tools provide useful data displaying number of visitors, average amount of time spent on your website, most visited pages, popular posts, conversion rate, bounce rate, etc. Based on these insights, the web owner can make general improvements to enhance his/her website’s performance.

Final Insights

According to these statistics, there are over a billion websites that are hosted all over the world today. And, there could be millions of websites that could be competing in your industry. However, most startups tend to fail due to a lack of homework or a change of heart. The fact is most people start a web business with the aim to earn money fast, and often give up when those ambitions are not realised. Following the above tips and being persistent will definitely increase your chances of being a successful online entrepreneur. Don’t give up.

References and  further reading.

10 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting an Online Business
30 Tips for Building Your First Business Website
8 Tips For Running A Successful Online Business
Top 10 Mistakes in Online Business
How to Start a Business Online
Five tips for starting an online business
INTERNET USAGE STATISTICS