The dot com boom may be over, but that doesn’t mean that it’s over. The 90s saw a surge in online companies claiming huge slices of the pie, and people rushed to buy shares in big e-business. What’s changed? Nothing. It’s still all right there, waiting for you.
Ready to make your millions online? Let’s look at some tips for running a successful online business.
Integrated account software
Taking payment online is easy if you know how (consider using Stripe accounting integration software). Do you currently have all the answers you need when it comes to storing payment details and even handling subscription-based payments? It can be a steep learning curve but you may think that you are able to handle everything yourself.
The truth is, you may be able to learn everything you need to know to process all payments efficiently. The problem is that you will become the person who does nothing else all day. Company admin is never-ending. Moving customer details from one system to another is time-consuming and mind-numbing. You need integrated account software that gives you everything you need at the click of a button, freeing up your time to focus on core objectives.
Get connected (Mbps style)
How is your internet connection? OK? Sometimes bothersome? Always a nuisance? An online company thrives on traffic. Not everybody who visits your site will purchase something right away – they may be seeking information before they make a decision. This means that the number of people accessing your applications is not necessarily reflected in your sales. In other words, just because you don’t make a huge amount of sales doesn’t mean you don’t have a huge amount of visitors to your site.
Slow page load speeds, frozen videos, and jumpy content that moves around (as loading progresses) when visitors try to click on links will drive customers away. You need a fast internet connection that can handle the traffic to your site, ensuring a positive user experience for every visitor. Of course, if your servers are becoming too much to handle, you could always…
Invest in out-sourced data storage
Research vendors in your area and search for data storage facilities that offer scalable access to your applications. What does this mean? It simply means that the company to which you outsource your storage needs will guarantee that as the number of clicks to your website grows, they will increase the bandwidth capacity to provide access to everyone.
As a smaller business, you may be able to look after your IT infrastructure in-house. But as your online company grows, and as demand for your website reaches new highs, there really is no other cost-effective way to maintain access for all customers. Thinking it will be cheaper to set up an in-house IT solution? Just think of the office space you’ll need to rent or buy, and the staff wages of the IT department on top.
Outsourced storage is a fantastic means of keeping costs down while keeping your customers clicking.
