Building an online business is never an easy task. Either if you are a business veteran or a beginner pursuing a dream, there are numerous challenges to overcome, trends to keep an eye on and a need for tremendous preparation. To make it at least a tiny bit easier, I decided to put together a 12-point checklist in a 4 part series, covering all the essential steps for starting an online business.
7. Branding
You have to look at your online business as a brand. The previous points can help you identify your message, and with a powerful message comes a strong brand. Think of the various aspects of branding strategies, from the smallest ones (picking the colors and fonts of your web page) to the more complex challenges (creating a logo or slogan). You might consider talking to a professional who can help you to create your own brand identity, which will make connecting easier. Once again, thorough research is indispensable and don't stop until at least you have a few sketches or names that seem to be catchy.
8. Online foundation
With all of these at hand, you should be ready to create the core of your online business, which consists of a well designed and attractive website, an email address, and social media profiles. You can set these up basically without launching the whole project, which gives you some buffer time to ensure that everything will go smoothly. Designing your website should be your top priority, as it will be your main tool to convert your readers/users/visitors into potential customers/subscribers. Make sure that your website has rockstar content, that helps you to connect with your audience and turn them into rabid fans.
9. Testing
With every point you get closer to launching your online business, however, it also means that more and more issues or questions arise. To avoid a sloppy launch, it is advisable to run a testing phase, which can give you some extra time to deliver those final touches that are still missing. Get friends, colleagues, ex-colleagues together and a run a short test. This will give you some initial insights on how could be your customer experience improved. In some cases, especially if you are planning to offer a service for other businesses, it might be advisable to have a few of your potential future customers join your initial test phase - offer them something in exchange, such as lower monthly fees for a year -, which can easily get you your first customers together with invaluable insights. On the other hand, you can also get your first testimonials, social followers, and email subscribers, so in a way, the initial testing can be your first milestone.
The last installment is coming soon!
Dr. P
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