What a Business Owner Must know about Moving Online

| January 19, 2016

What a Business Owner Must know about Moving Online

The world of business is launching off online. Even people with well-established brick and mortar businesses need to keep up with the times. You might not feel the need to do so now, but eventually the competition would race ahead of you and you’ll find your business faltering and struggling to stay relevant.

There are several reasons brick and mortar businesses may be hesitant about moving online. The competition can sometimes seem very intimidating. But if you know what you’re going, you’ll be able to navigate these choppy waters and establish your own identity. Here are some things that you can do to get help.

Determine What kind of Website You Would Need

The first thing you need to do is understand what kind of website you might need. Do you want to start selling things online or just create a small webpage to establish your business’ presence online? This is one of the most important aspects of starting a website. You might need a solid understanding of what you want to achieve with your website. If you want to sell online, make sure that you have the right product delivery model in place.

If you just want a small webpage, keep it flexible and ensure that there’s room for your website to grow. It’s always a good idea to start a company blog to establish your online presence and authority in your field.

Focus on the User Experience

Have you ever come across a website that was too slow to load, looked completely disorganized, and was difficult to navigate in? Just what did you do then? It’s very likely that you turned away the moment the experience wasn’t up to the mark and looked for other websites.

You might not know this, but you have about 8 seconds to grab the attention of the visitors before they move on. If you leave a good impression in those 8 seconds, provide them with the information that they need promptly, it’s very likely that they would stay. It all depends on the user experience. But what defines user experience? Consider the following aspects:

  • Upload speeds are the first thing that a visitor would notice about your website. If your site is very quick to load, you’ve started your online interaction with the prospective customer on a positive note. If your website is slow to load, your customers would most likely just turn away.
  • The design is the second thing that your customers will notice. If your website is clutter-free and visually appealing, it’s more likely to retain visitors. It’s a good idea to focus on the design that conveys your brand message.
  • The layout is also a factor in user experience. All the information on your website should be freely accessible. Your visitors should be able to find the information that they’re looking for easily. For this, you need a clear website structure and webpages that are properly organized.

These are the most important attributes of the user experience. If you keep this in mind when you start building your website, you’ll have a higher chance of success.