Doing Business Online…as easy as A, B, C

Despite the fact that the UK economy is still struggling to emerge from recession, Ecommerce is one sector that is booming and any retailer lacking an online presence will inevitably lose business to competitors that do.

If you are considering setting up an online business but don’t know how to go about it, these tips will help you set up and optimise your site:

A. Register your domain name

The domain name you choose should be concise, memorable and easy to spell. If you are serious about protecting your online branding, it is also worth purchasing domain names similar to your own. Also, how will your domain name ‘extension’ appear? As .co.uk or .com? Choose your extensions carefully as it clarifies the markets in which your company operates and what type of business you do. If you intend to target a global market it is advisable to secure a .com, if not, it may be more prudent to choose a .uk extension for example .co.uk, or .net.uk. Taking these precautions will help to prevent you from being ‘brand-jacked’

B. Keeping it friendly but professional

Make your website as user friendly and as easy to navigate as possible. Features such as search functions, menus and categories and pictures can all boost your user interaction. Boost your business by up-selling and cross-selling, for example recommend complementary products based on repeat customers’ buying histories. An Ecommerce site is never “finished” so update it regularly to make improvements to the user experience.

C. Make your business visible

You website may be successfully up and running, but unless potential customers can find it, you won’t make any sales. Essentially, unless your site features near the top of the first page of Google results, it might as well not exist. You will need to invest time and money into Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and also talk directly to your target audience. By now, you should have established a social media presence and you can invest time to add social feeds and buttons into your site to find and engage with influencers. Remember though, you need to join conversations, blog and micro-blog to instigate a two-way dialogue with your audience to discover how you can best meet their needs. In time, happy customers become brand advocates and start to generate buzz around your business.

Remember getting started online takes time: your new shop will not be an overnight success; you will need to put time and effort into designing and developing your site and building up the traffic. The first couple of months of operation provide the opportunity to optimise your shop and get to know your online clientele.