With a new financial year comes your financial new year resolution! For those small-business owners who have been holding off from taking their business online, now is the perfect time to make the move and go digital.
We’re living in a connected society that loves the convenience of online shopping and having the information we need at the tap of a button. It’s more important than ever to invest time into your online presence and make sure that e-commerce is part of your broader business strategy.
In 2016, Australian consumers spent an estimated $20.1 billion purchasing goods and services online.* Your customers are online, and business owners who are holding off making the move are missing out on a huge potential market.
Sometimes the hardest part is the first step, so we’ve created some tips to help you get your business online.
Get a domain name
First things first, you’ll need to register a domain name. A domain name is your brands online identity and having an .au domain name is the first step to getting the trust of customers. This shows customers that not only is your business based in Australia, it’s also registered and credible. It’s about putting your best foot forward from the very start.
Top tip, have a localised domain name to give your business a competitive edge, .melbourne and .sydney domains will help steer local customers to your website. If your business works out of multiple offices/locations, why not have a unique, localised domain for each?
Easy solutions
Don’t be put off if you don’t have the right technology skills! Creating an eCommerce store doesn’t need to be time consuming and confusing, there are tailored packages designed specifically to meet the needs of small-business owners. With these packages, businesses can get everything they need and more in one simple solution.
There are tools that do it all for you, like Crazy Domains eShop Builder. This simple solution will design the store, includes payment gateways, features automatic mobile conversion and has a simple online dashboard that allows businesses to easily manage customers and orders.
Navigation
When you walk into a disorganised store, there is a high chance you’ll walk out. Shoppers on the web are exactly the same, they won’t shop with an online store that is not secure and authentic. Your website must be user-friendly and it needs to be easy for customers to order and pay for their purchases. Online shoppers won’t jump through hoops to make a purchase, they’ll simply visit another site if it’s too difficult.
Once you’ve got the basics under control, you can start thinking about other ways to drive traffic to your site like social media, SEO and content.
The hardest step is always the first, but you can leverage online tools to make it easier to take your business online.
Gavin Gibson, Chief Operations Officer, Crazy Domains
