In the current economic environment as the recession bites harder, people will be turning more and more to the internet to find their purchases. Firstly they can look for the best bargains and then purchase over the web without even having to leave their houses. This beats the hell out of having to drive miles, find parking space, queue for bargains and then carry the items home or wait for delivery of large products. If your company is still living in the dark ages, and you don’t have an online business then you are offering the competition sales on a plate.

In order to stay competitive, businesses need to offer their services or products online, as well as doing business the traditional way. One example of this is a recent investment I made in a Maytag Side by Side Refrigerator I’ve always wanted one, but they are not cheap, so before parting with my hard earned I did my due diligence and investigated the entire product range offering on the market and made my choice. I didn’t buy it online though.

In the end I bought it from an offline retailer (John Lewis, because it’s true they have never knowingly been undersold!) but I was able to research the best deals online before I went in and ordered it.

Businesses today need to communicate with potential customers who do business mostly online. Be smart and start today to get your business online and out in front, even if you do sell your products mainly offline.

These days just having a well built website is no longer enough. Even if you are in a very specialist industry you will still have to advertise your website in order to take full advantage of the search engine traffic.

One example of one of these businesses is a client of mine who performs contractor control systems not a sector that you would suspect is highly demanding over the internet, but in fact has large amounts of competition.One example of one of these companies is a client of mine who provides T&A for contractors which isn’t an industry that you would suspect is very competitive via the web, but in fact has a great deal of competition.

When you run an online business you potentially have a world-wide audience, depending on your product or service. This means you need to have 24 hour customer access, due to the time differences around the world. Automatic systems to respond to enquiries will be a vital part of the website design otherwise you will need staff available working unsociable hours. In this new world, the old ways of import/export will become obsolete.

When running an online business you need to be a Jack of all trades. But communication is an essential part of all the different aspects of running a business. Email and instant messaging are efficient ways of communicating with employees, particularly when different time zones are a complication. Setting up an online conference room will save the need for physical space and travelling and will provide a forum for members to air their views, concerns and challenges.

The website main page is the first thing visitors see when visiting your site. To make a good impression you will need a good brand image, clear information and a user friendly process so that customer will find it easy to purchase their goods. (Don’t make it hard for your customers to find their way around the system and buy products, no matter how clever something may be.)

By utilising a content management system on your website in conjunction with a team of SEO expert you can update your website with your latest product offerings in house, and get your products in front of thousands of potential customers month by getting your site ranked highly in Google, Yahoo and MSN search engines.

Statistics reporting is another service which can give you valuable data on how many people are accessing the site, and from that information you can see if your services/goods are attracting the sales you want. If not then there is an opportunity to revamp your products or website to improve on conversion rates.
For customer satisfaction make sure your business provides good quality products, efficient service, and an easy to use system. Where items are good value for money, customers will be happy to recommend your company to friends and family and sales will increase.

The growth of the internet gives a whole new meaning to the world of commerce. Using ecommerce websites millions of people are out there starting new online businesses, all wanting a piece of the market, all wanting to make their millions. So make sure your business is one of the forerunners and get yourself up there on the first page on Google. Don’t wait, get started now before your competitors leave you behind. Five years from now you’ll be glad if you read this and took action. You have got a five year plan right?