Starting an online business? 5 tips for start ups

Most people are now going online to make a living these days, and a lot of entrepreneurs are now investing in the internet to expand their market, reach out to new customers, provide customer support, etc. It is because almost a third of the planet’s population goes online every day.

However, if you are starting a new venture, I am sure you have a lot of questions in mind. You can always google some tips about starting your business. In response, you will get tons of information that will surely confuse you.

So, I started asking questions about the things to be considered before starting an online business. I have friends who have big and small online businesses ranging from selling trinkets, customized mugs, web designs, blogs, visual artists etc.

They all said it was not a smooth ride when they started but they told me that some mistakes would be avoided by following these tips. Some mistakes might cost you your business sooner or even right after you just started.

1. Resources

One of my friend started selling mugs with customized designs. The secret of her success is she looked for a supplier that can provide her cheap but high quality mugs. She also, buys most of her materials directly from the manufacturers so that she can get them at half the market price.

Because of this she was able to sell her product at the lowest rate and maximize her profit at the same time.

The only thing, is there are instances that some manufacturers would only accept bulk purchases. It would still be cheap though, and besides you can still use those extra materials for future orders.

2. Market

A common mistake made by entrepreneurs is that sometimes they put up their business in a wrong location. This will lessen the profitability or the business or worse, the investment could go to waste. An example of this is putting up a restaurant in a very remote location or a noisy pub in between kindergarten schools.

A successful entrepreneur should position his/her products or services accordingly. It would be difficult to sell bright coloured trinkets to a group of men who wears rugged jeans, black shirts and ride big bikes. It would not be a good idea to sell chocolates to diabetics or customers on diet either.

To make it simple, sell food to a hungry person or sell beverages to someone thirsty.

Sell your products according to peoples needs.

3. Aesthetics

A lot of items on the grocery shelves are packed beautifully but sometimes the content inside is rather ugly for your health or your taste buds.

They say ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. This is true! Because, like most people we easily get attracted with visuals.

With online business it is necessary that you have very attractive pictures of your products. For example, if you are planning to set up an online flower shop, make sure that you have pictures taken on different angles. You also need to consider the background in the picture to make the flower more attractive.

There’s this food that tastes average but looks great on the picture. There is also the same food that tastes great but does not look very good in the picture. People would always follow their instincts and spend money to what appeals them.

4. Customer Loyalty

To keep the business, you need to have loyal customers. Because loyal customers don’t just stay, they also spread the word and produce new customers.

You may not be able to please everyone and you have be careful with disgruntled customers. If loyal customers are spreading the good news, disgruntled customers will definitely spread the bad news.

By paying attention to customer’s needs and giving realistic solutions, this will enhance customer satisfaction. Exceeding their expectations or even by simply thanking them for their business would make them happy. From a satisfied customer they will be loyal customers in the long run.

The longer they stay with you, the longer you keep your business.

5.  Quality Website

This is the most important part as this is the key to the success of your investment. This is very critical because this is where your transactions would probably happen or this would be where you would communicate with your customers or clients. Your website will be your primary tool to advertise your products and or services.

Make sure that you have the right webhosting package that would meet your needs.

There are certain tools that can help you build up a website that can be provided by your webhosting provider (e.g. RV Sitebuilder, Attracta, Softaculous, etc.). Some providers do not charge extra or they have these tools included in their packages.

They also help you in giving advice as a starter and technical support in case you need assistance. There are a lot of webhosting providers out there but not all of them are reliable.

If you need a reliable webhosting provider you can check out this website (www.keenweb.co.uk).

They helped a lot of online entrepreneurs out there who are now enjoying their success. You can check their testimonials at the bottom of the page.

So, start your business and be one of them!

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