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What You Need to Run a Successful Online Business |
Hey Mom, are you curious about what your need to run a successful online business? It can all be so confusing at times. A gazillion steps that seem to lead nowhere. The great news is that this might be the last blog post you need to read about how to run a successful online business.
What You Need to Know
At the core of it, an online business is a funnel. You need to build a funnel that leads people to your checkout page, that’s it. And in this blog post we will make a list of what you need to set up in order to run a successful business.
Social Media to Run a Successful Online Business
If running an online business is basically creating a funnel, then your social media platform is the top of your funnel. This is where you get the attention. It is important to create content that leads your audience to the next step of the funnel, which is your website or a landing page.
Before you even create content, get clear about who you are speaking to, it is vital to understand your target audience. Build avatars of your target audience. Know where they work, what they do for fun, what shows does you avatar watch? Does your avatar have children? What are her political views? Long and short of it, you have to know your target audience like you know yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. The more you ask the better you will be at identifying their pain points. And when you know their pain points, you can then create content that speaks to them directly.
Pick the Right Platform
Up until recently, the hype was about being on every social media platform. Things have changed, people are exhausted by the different options. Most people have a preferred social media platform. Your job is to find out which platform your target audience prefers, and ofcourse your business must be presented in a way that fits the platform. For example, if your business targets South Africans, it is good to know that most South Africans spend their time on the following platforms: WhatsApp, Facebook and Tik Tok
Website For Your Online Business
Think of a website as your brick-and-mortar store. This is where a potential customer can come and browse and learn more about what you offer. Your website houses all your services, it is also the best way to rank on Google. To effectively rank on Google, you must have a blog on your website. You must use your blog to answer questions about your service, product or industry that your target audience is searching for.
When people land on your site and find the answers they are looking for, you become a trusted source. People buy from people they trust. To run a successful online business, you need to be able to walk your potential clients through a journey that ultimately leads to your check out page.
E-commerce Store to Run a Successful Online Business
Your website also needs an online store. Yes, there is a way to get away with a payment button but that is a post for another day. In my opinion, an online store makes sure that there is less fiction to your checkout process. And you are able to see where in the purchase journey your potential client abandoned cart. This is valuable data because, it shows you exactly where you need tweaking and what message you need to send the potential buyer to re-engage her.
Payment Gateway for Your Online Business
What is a payment gateway? A payment gateway is a technology used by business owners to accept electronic payments. It also safeguards the buyer’s information. This allows clients to confidently purchase from you. South Africa has a plethora of payment gateways that integrate with your online store. PayFast and Yoco are two of the best ones. Spend time looking at the top ten payments gateways to figure out which is best for you.
A payment gateway makes it easy for your clients to purchase from you. It also makes it easy for you to run your business because you don’t have to spend time going back and forth with Proof of Payments and banking details. All you have to do is fulfill the order.
Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM)
A CRM gathers all customer data from different channels on your website and/or landing pages and keeps it in one place. This centralized system then allows you to tailor your messages to your potential clients. Your automation takes place here. Automation is where you can make money while you sleep.
To get to a place where your CRM works for you, you need to nurture your audience through their buying journey and after. These emails are pre-written and then are sent out based on the triggers you setup. It can be a tedious exercise but one you will thank yourself for.
There are countless CRM softwares out there, my favourite one is Omnisend. The support from Omnisend is unmatched! Here is a list of other CRMs and you can pick the one the best suits your needs. Most CRMs have a free option of up to 2000 subscribers and you can use most of their features to reach out to your audience.
What I Suggest You Build First
If you are starting out and have no idea where to begin. I suggest, you start with a CRM, because it allows you to build landing pages that can act as your website. This option does mean you cannot automate, you will have to send out emails manually. Create a landing page that gets people into your mailing list. And then go and create content that converts your social media audience. I would then add a payment gateway button in my emails, so I can test if people are willing to buy what I am offering.
As the business grows, I would start building a website that has a fully integrated e-commerce store.
You Can Run a Successful Online Business
The above is what you need to run a successful online business-oh and an amazing product or service, ofcourse. It is possible to make money while you sleep. Do note that just like anything worth doing, it will take time. You need to use that time to iterate until your funnel runs like a well oiled machine.
You have got this, Mom!
Until, next time, I wish you the courage to live the life of your dreams.
Bye, Mama Xx
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