The Internet’s a great leveler. What I love best is that is allows new and small businesses to compete on a level footing with big, established businesses. Why? Because when people visit your blog or website there’s no need for them to know that it’s just you working from the dining room table whenever you get a spare moment. In fact, your website can and should do the opposite.
Read on if you’ve got 10 minutes and want to know how to win business online. This is a long post.
Your website or blog should instantly inspire confidence in people and make them think that you’re a large, established business. Why? Because most people don’t want to take a chance on a small or new businesses. They want to do business with someone who they know will still be there to help them and provide the service or product they’re looking for a few years down the track. They don’t want to deal with a fly-by-night. They’re looking for quality products or services from a trusted source.
Who would you rather take your business to? A small, new business who looks as if they set up their business on a shoestring and might fold over night, or a large established one with years of experience and a proven track record?
I’d go for the second alternative too.
But here’s the great news for new or small businesses. The Internet allows small and new businesses to compete on a level playing field so no one who visits your website would ever guess that it’s small or new. Yes, you need to spend money on your website to set it up effectively but probably not as much as you think. The main keys are planning it and finding a competent web designer who can design a website you’ll be proud of.
How to Win Business Online – My Personal Experience
I’ve worked from home running my own Internet business for 12 years. For the first nine years I worked from and lived on a small island in New Zealand with a reputation as a refuge for alternative life-stylers, but all my clients lived in the closest city, and most of them had no idea about the size or location of our business.
I never lied to people but I did add a PO Box address in the city to the footer of our website, and although it was just me and my husband working together I referred to the ‘team’ in our web copy so people may have assumed we were larger.
We work with graphic designers on a freelance basis so there were always at least three of us involved in a web design project, the perfect small team for website design: a technical expert, a planner and writer and a graphic design, all with long experience designing for the Internet.
But it wasn’t just the PO Box in the city or referring to the ‘team’ that helped us. Most importantly our website looked professional and was easy to use. It allowed our target audience – small business owners – to quickly find the information they were looking for and easily contact us by phone or email. Our website let us to compete on a level footing with bigger fancier web agencies in the city.
Your website is prime real estate for your business. It may be the first contact for prospective clients with your small business. If you told someone about your website in person or they heard about it from someone else, this is your big chance to convert those leads into clients and business. You may not get a second chance so do it right.
First impressions count and are made in the blink of an eye. If you were meeting a prospective client you’d put on smart clothes, brush your hair and grab a notebook and pen so you could take notes. If people don’t meet you in person but they do meet your brand online they’ll quickly be assessing how trustworthy, competent and reliable you are based solely on the first impression they get from your website. The two keys are:
1. Does your website look appealing?
2. Can people find the information they want fast?
If you’re not getting new business online your website may be letting you down. Can you honestly say your website does you proud? Or does it look cheap? Thrown together? Unfinished?
How do you want people to see you and your business?
Design a website you can be proud of and that will do you and your business justice. If your website’s uniform and uninspiring then it’s letting you and your business down and losing you money. The time for dabbling with Internet marketing is over. Now’s the time to sort out your website once and for all and design a site that you and your clients will love.
How to Win Business Online
1. Act like you mean it.
Get your own domain name and use it for your email address as well. You can easily get yourname@yourbusinessname.com to forward to your existing email server so you can read all your emails in one place. Using a generic domain name or email address makes you look unprofessional. If you have a blog integrate it into your business site and domain name and get a web design that does you justice.
2. Work out what the goals of the site are.
They’re probably not the same as your business goals. You need to be very clear about what the aim of your website is. Sum it up in a maximum of two sentences.
3. Define the target audience.
Who’s visiting your website and why? The more you know or can guess about them the better. A website should be designed for the people who use it. Consider your site visitor’s gender, location, age, income, problems and interests.
4. How can you help those people?
Imagine a website that would appeal to these people. What topics would it cover? What would the main and sub-sections be called? Do you have a slogan which tells people right away what your business does and reassures them that they’ve come to the right place?
5. Work out your unique selling point.
Even if you’re not actually selling anything online how are you going to differentiate your business from other similar businesses? Check out the competition. Often just having a professional, well designed website will make you stand out from the crowd. Even big businesses who spend a lot of money on website design make mistakes. Remember Flash? Many businesses spent a small fortune on Flash websites but there aren’t many around today. It turns out most people don’t want flashy animation or fancy sounds. They just want to get the information they’re looking for fast.
6. Watch your language.
Spend time getting the copy on your website right. Use simple words and plain english. Unless you’re aiming at a small group of people who will understand it avoid jargon. Show people the benefits of choosing your services and products. Use numbered or bullet pointed lists they can quickly scan.and check the wording.
Does the language you use reflect your branding and company values? Does it speak to your target audience? For example if my target audience was students I’d use different words than if I was trying to appeal to baby boomers. If this isn’t your thing invest in a professional web copywriter.
7. Leverage social proof.
People follow the crowds. Get some testimonials up for social proof because it’s easier to believe someone else saying your business is great than saying it yourself. You can use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or another social media site to build up a following of people who’ll back you and recommend you. Of course, you’ll need to return the favour so pick a strong team.
8. Use calls to action.
You’ve worked hard to get someone to visit your site. Make sure you can convert them into a customer by clearly telling them what step you want them to take next. Refer back to your goals. Do you want them to buy something online? Subscribe to your email mailing list? Call you for more information? Make it clear to your site visitors what step you want them to take and remind them to do it on every page of your website.
9. Social media consistency
Branding has a bad reputation but it’s unavoidable and strong branding is vital for online success. First impressions count. People will be judging you, your products and services from the second they set eyes on your photo, blog or website. Make it consistent if you branch out into social media and keep your Twitter, blog and Facebook page looking the same. People feel reassured when they know what to expect. Don’t confuse them.
10. Have a soft launch.
There might be problems to begin with. Put the new site up and try it out. Ask some friends to test it for you on different computers and browsers. An experienced web designer should do this for you.
If you follow these guidelines you’ll end up with a website that you can be proud of. The website you deserve, one you really want to tell people about that does justice to you and your business. That’s the kind of website you need to win business online.
Got questions? Leave them in the comments and I’ll reply there.
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{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
First, thanks for the mention. Second, great post! I was thinking social proof, social proof, social proof the whole first half and them BAM – you had it there soon after. Beyond the exterior social proof of a “gang” of helpers, interior social proof like listing RSS readers or having high comment or RT numbers is important to garner support.
The whole problem with this is the chicken or the egg argument, but sometimes, it’s possible to get it done artificially, or temporarily (with comments and RTs with great posts that are promoted well) before you have the physical proof (RSS counts, media mentions) that you can leverage to get even more.
Hi Ross, you’re fast:) You’ve hit the nail on the head there. But we have ways and means of solving the new blogger’s chicken/egg dilemma!
Hi Annabel,
This is an outstanding piece of intellectual property. Since the topic is about winning business online, why not *sell* this information? Why give it away to free-seekers? You are an outstanding writer and can present information better than most.
Am I missing something?
No matter what, you have my full support.
My mission is to help people – especially my friends
succeed – double especially *financially*. It’s just much easier to make money if you *sell* valuable things rather than give them away.
Your friend, Robin
Hi Robin, lol, yes, I need to get some products up here – books, courses and maybe seminars that I can sell. “An outstanding piece of intellectual property.” I like that:) Thanks!
Have a soft launch. It’s helpful to read that. We’re about to launch a new part of our site and I’m nervous about bugs so I was leaning towards a soft launch. Good to have that intuition supported. Thanks!
Hi Carmen, yes, just launch it quietly, make sure it’s all working, let people use it but don’t promote it and then have your big launch a week or two later:) Hope it goes well!
I love Vitamin Water! I swear the red Power C one helps me get over colds – I always buy it when I’m sick.
Good post Ani xxx
Hi Teresa, lovely to see you still follwing us despite that dodgy jungle connection in Costa Rica:) Exciting times. I miss Costa Rica daily, might be great for my golden retirement when the kids have flown the nest. Lol, I nearly wrote fled the nest!
Hi Connie, I’ll try it. I got the purple one – Triple-X. I think it’d be quite nice hot too!
Brilliant observations and tips on what makes for a good online business and how one can minimise being mistaken for being a spammer/scammer. I love these tips and am going to share them with my readers/followers too. Now if only I can start doing something small and home-based while living an alternative lifestyle.
PS – I’m also expecting a little delivery from Coke soon. Cheerio!
Hi Walter in Singapore (Walter was one of the bloggers I met at the social media Coca-Cola shebang in Shanghai – we sat next to each other on the bus!) Thanks for sharing and don’t drink all that coke at once:)
Hi Annabel
Your knowledge is capital, you’re a highly evolved writer, and up to the minute blogger, therefore I think this post should become a book.
It would be make a very useful tool for business coming to grips with Social Media, and online Marketing.
Great post
Catherine
Fabulous post.
Hi Catherine, a book, yes! I must get one finished and out there for all to enjoy. Thank you for the encouragement… I need a bit of pushing:)
Thanks Annabel, for these nice tips! I found something new and interesting here! Thanks again!
Yes, a book – with a price point. Not free!
Robin
Yes, boss, right away, boss!:) Thanks for pushing me. I need to launch a brilliant product!
Hi Annabel,
Targed audience is the key to online success as you mention. People, for example who are interested personal development might not be interested in computer products, so you can’t sell them that. Also, a nice theme for the site, makes it look professional. Another thing that is important is buidling trust between you as the business owner and the customer. If we don’t get their trust, then it would be hard to sell. Thanks for sharing Annabel, this is great
Hi Dia, Target audience…design… trust – 3 great keys, thanks!
Hi Annabel,
What an amazing post! I read it all the way to the end and perfect timing for me!!
For the last 12 months I have been mainly writing about training I have been doing and now that my series is coming to an end I was starting to wonder what to write about to keep my readers interested. Plus I have been thinking of dedicating certain days of posting to have the continuity and consistency in place. Such as Monday – A certain topic, Wednesday – A different topic etc etc, but then continue the same them each week.
You put across a lot of points to think about and address. I have had a few ideas of what I want to do, however reading this post has helped cement my ideas into place.
I hope all is going well.
See you back here soon.
Cheers
Jacinta
Hi Jacinta, great to see you hear, sound like your blog plans are going well:)
This is also great timing for me, with a well-organized list.
Now that I have one blog up and running, I plan to redesign my business website with an integrated blog. I have a small team as well: myself, my husband, a graphic designer and soon a WordPress expert. I have a testimonial but I’m going to solicit more.
Hi Jennifer, this sounds excellent. If you need a Wordpress expert, I know a great one: my hubby Mucho Man Rich Candy – http://mucho.com.au/about.html#rich You’re doing brilliantly.
Hi Annabel,
Very nice post. I would like to link to it in a future article I am working on. I’ll let you know when I am done with it.
Hi Jason, fabulous, look forward to reading it!
Great post! I think the biggest things I pulled out of it were hashing out my websites goals vs my actual business goals. As a consultant first and web influence second sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own process (which is a pretty successful one I’m told
) that I forget that my site is an entirely different animal. I loved the acting like you mean it and moving with purpose. All that has to do with making sure the energy you put into it is being used as efficiently as possible and I love that! At Financially Digital I am all about efficiency. I loved the guest post at Problogger too!!
Nice tips, you almost covered all points which are needed for achieving success in online business. thanks
Good article, this article helped me a lot when i first started my own business 2 months ago, now i have a completely different mindset.
Annabel, great article and I was going to say timely… but noticed it posted a little while back
I am in the process of having a website designed and while I’m not the designer this info is golden for knowing what to look for and to continually streamline and focus the site. I already know now – now that I’ve read your article – that I have some major tweaking to do (& that’s before I’ve even gone live).
Thanks to @Robin_Dickinson for tweeting this… I have to agree with Robin, this article is the framework for some passive or active income. As someone who’d look at what you do with client eyes, I would want the hands-on. There is so much out there that is downloadable (for free and for a price and of varying quality); so I’d suggest something for us kinaesthetic learners who need the hands-on to learn, etc. Just food for thought.
From experience that I have to date, having in place a provoking call to action will get your target market most interested. I have often found you need this if you are going to get contact made from whoever you want to offer your services from. All in all, the pricing and the marketing aspects are key as a means to generating new business and interest in the services you provide.
Hi Annabel
What a great article, I read something a while back that said your website is judged within about 5 seconds for Credibility and Trustworthiness. I stress to my clients if you are asking your consumer online to enter into a business transactions with you, to pay you for a good or service without having met you, your website needs to go a long way to put their mind at ease.
I will be sharing this article with my community right now!
Mary-Anne
Great and thought provoking article, thanks. Can’t help but wonder if you lived where I did in NZ…on Waiheke? : )
Cheers,
Margot
Yes, I lived there for almost 10 years and my three kids were raised there – the last two were actually born at home on Waiheke Island. How cool is that to have listed as place of birth on your passport?!