Economy to Iconomy: Strategies for going digital in today's business world
In today’s uncertain economy, businesses have had to do some shifting and creative thinking to stay afloat. Companies that once were proud to be largely brick and mortar have had to redesign how they do business and what they offer their homebound customers, as restrictions have more and more of us going online to do business.
Something as simple as ordering our groceries has now become a surfing session as we transition from running to the store to searching online for “just the right products.” There are some advantages to doing business digitally. To the extent that we business owners can get out of our own way and learn a few new digital tricks, we will weather these times and find ourselves more prosperous than ever before.
If you don't have any clear ideas on how to make the digital transition from economy to “iconomy,” here we are. Follow these simple tips and steps for transitioning to the digital world of business, and watch your profits exponentially grow:
Do some research on digital tools that will improve business efficiency. Several digital and organizational tools exist that address everything from scheduling to financial and budget planning. Finding those tools that will leverage your efforts and increase your efficiency will be essential to your ongoing success. With many of these tools offering web-based applications and ongoing, live support, you’d have to be a knucklehead not to take advantage of those programs that can provide you with better sales and improved service. Network and talk with other business owners about those programs that they find useful and use the power of search engines to find those products that apply to you and your unique business situation.
Build and train your team for the transition. While it’s great that you have employees that have been in the business with you for twenty years, it’s not so great that they aren’t computer and internet-savvy. If you want to keep them with you during your transition to e-commerce, it will be essential to invest something upfront to train them. Those who have already invested some time and energy into building your business with you will be much more likely to spend the time needed to learn new methods of doing business. Your efforts to educate your strong and talented team will not be in vain.
Build your brand---both online and offline. Branding is the practice by which a company or organization takes on a name, colors, marketing scheme, and specific language to promote their business. A brand makes you easily identifiable by potential customers and sets you apart as unique. Making sure that your online and offline offerings are consistent with your brand marketing strategy will make a transition to e-commerce smoother and more efficient. Your brand impacts your customers, and it communicates a message to a wider audience about who you are and what you stand for. Put some intention into how you design your online offerings and, if needed, enlist the help of a professional marketing group to design your website logo and other online marketing tools. It will pay off in dividends later when customers can easily find and continue to do business with you online.
Enlist the power of social media and blog posting. This element of digital marketing is so vital that it deserves its own blog post! Investing the time to create quality online content in the form of advertising on free social media sites and blogs will get the attention of search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. The more you are present online, creating quality content that provides value when pointing to your pages, the higher you will rank in search engine pages. If customers can find you, they can purchase from you. It’s that simple. Not so savvy with the words? Plenty of talented writers exist in cyberspace who would be willing to craft a winning advertisement or a sizzling blog post for you; invest a little capital in your online content, and you’ll drive yourself higher and higher in SEO rankings.
Need a little boost? Here we are!
At MaxGroup Business Solutions, we have the knowledge, tools, and expertise to digitize your brick and mortar business or boost your existing digital efforts to create exponential growth and success. Times may be challenging, but a little creativity and innovation---courtesy of our talented staff---can pull you through. Contact us today to see how we'll help you transition seamlessly to digital business. Visit www.maxgroupbusiness.com for more information.