As anyone who’s been keeping a close eye on the trends would agree, the internet has greatly reshaped – and is still reshaping – the world of business in modern times.
And as much as you don’t have to literally close down your physical store or shop to do so, having an online presence can make a huge difference to your bottom line as a business these days.
These Days: Business is Quite Competitive
Whether you will keep your offline business operating or you’re switching to a strictly digital business model, one thing is for sure.
Today’s competition in the digital business world is rather fierce. This makes it crucial to arm yourself with the right tools and resources to help appeal to an online audience and streamline your operations from the word go.
From The Word Go: Use Digital Tools to Your Advantage
To achieve success in today’s highly competitive world of business, it takes an entrepreneur who thinks outside the box. It demands a mix of creativity and willingness to make the best use of modern technology, lest you be left behind, trailing your competitors.
Strategizing:
It also means strategizing on various things, including setting up a stunning and user-friendly website, investing in SEO, marketing your business online, and having an effective order fulfillment strategy if you’ll be selling your products online.
When it comes to the latter, The Bouqs, a renowned flower company is a good example of a business you can borrow inspiration from. You can browse the website for a look at the various features that make it customer-friendly, including offers, discounts, and more. You can even try out their next day flower delivery service for a closer feel of what your online customers will be expecting from you.
If you’re transitioning from a brick-and-mortar to serving an online audience, below are some strategies (and helpful digital tools) you can use to make the transition easier.
1. Invest Decently In Email Marketing Tools
One of the best ways to keep your customers happy and ensure that they stick with you is to keep them up-to-date with information regarding your business, especially when it comes to product updates, offers, discounts, and new inventory.
With email marketing tools, you can send out content at regular intervals that your customers will enjoy receiving. And as long as you have their consent, most customers will be more than happy to check out your online store and even make purchases.
And here comes the best part! From Mailchimp to Omnisend, Hubspot, and Sender, there are numerous email marketing tools you can take advantage of, a decent number of which won’t cost you a dime!
2. Leverage Social Media Marketing Tools
Social media marketing is an excellent way to interact and connect with potential customers while attracting loyalty from existing customers. It’s an excellent way to quickly generate traffic to your website too while promoting sales and spreading the word about your brand even further.
Some of the most popular social media marketing tools include:
- Hootsuite
- Buffer
- Biteable
- Zoho
- Sprout Social
- Buzzsumo
- Later
3. Consider Customized Apps to Engage with Customers
In an age where billions of people own smart gadgets around the world, mobile marketing is something you can’t afford to underestimate when transitioning your brick-and-mortar business online. Having an engaging mobile app for your business can provide many benefits.
Besides letting you provide a personalized experience to your customers and prospects, an engaging mobile app can help you to better understand them, their behaviors, and their preferences. This can, in turn, help you to tailor your offers better, boost sales, and even reach out to a wider audience.
4. Don’t Forget Online Payment Processors
Online payment processors can help businesses keep their online stores secure. They also add convenience to the customer’s side and provide various solutions to ease cash flow.
Automated Clearing House (ACH) is a good example, which lets you receive money as soon as it’s transferred to your bank account. It can also help you to accept credit card payments and even allows online invoicing. The last thing you want is to lose a customer, just because
5. Collaboration and Project Management Tools
Managing a multitude of tasks, and getting people to follow them through, can be a big challenge. Even if you already have a good workflow process set up, there’s still room to implement innovative team tools. Take Asana as an example.
It’s an excellent tool for collaborative project management, allowing users to create to-do lists, and assign tasks to teammates. This can be very beneficial for small businesses as a way to help team members stay organized, and avoid distractions.
This list is not in any way exhaustive. There are tons of other strategic ways to implement digital tools when transitioning. Hopefully, these will be enough to get you started.
