The great thing about starting an online business is that you don’t really require a lot of money to get things going – in fact, depending on the type of business, you pretty much only need an internet connection and a laptop or smartphone.
However, to avoid ending up with a chaotic mess of a business that leaves you feeling exhausted and stressed, getting some key systems in place before you start will really make a big difference.
Below we’ve listed some must-have tools that will help you implement systems effectively and keep your business running smoothly as you grow and scale it.
A Website:
Business owners typically fall into one of two categories when it comes to websites. One will believe they have to invest thousands in a fancy website with all the bells and whistles before they’ve even made a single penny from their venture, and the other will be completely anti-website and think all they need is a business card and some good luck.
We’re happy to say that there’s a middle ground. No, you don’t need to drop all your savings on a fancy website before you get clients, but if you’re an online business, it makes sense to have at least a simple one-page website where people can find you. Nowadays with technology, you can easily create a WordPress website even if you have no coding knowledge and can invest in a more robust one when your business starts making profit.
Payment Gateway:
If you want to stay in business, then making sure you’re getting paid for your services is of the highest priority. You’ll want to make this as easy as possible by adding order buttons and links to your website and emails so that payments can be done automatically. It’s also worth considering investing in a credit card reader for android and iOS that you can use when out and about at networking events and conferences to sign up new clients on the spot.
Social Media Pages:
Whilst you certainly don’t need to be on every single platform, and should spend your time on social media strategically and wisely, it’s a great way for your existing and future customers to connect with you and for you to build trust and credibility with them. Taking time to develop a simple social media strategy and share consistent value with your audience is a free form of marketing that really should be used to its full potential.
Email Marketing Platform:
Every online business should be engaging in some form of email marketing. Whether it’s just keeping your customers updated on the latest offers you have, sharing useful blog posts, or creating specific sales funnels to boost customer retention rates, email marketing is going nowhere soon, and is still one of the best ways for an online business to make sales – even more so than social media and in-person networking.
All of these tools are very easy to set up and implement in your business, and actually cost very little – some things like email marketing have monthly tiered pricing that is dependent on how many subscribers you have, but these are very low when you look at the ROI you’ll be seeing as a result.