What Are the First Steps in Business Development for New Small Businesses and Startups?
Many small business owners and entrepreneurs begin their journey by writing a formal business plan, looking to secure funding from family and friends, or even going through the process of incorporation. Although these steps can be important to start a business – especially if you’re looking for outside investment – there are a number of other things that need to happen before you can launch your new venture.
In this guide we will look at what the first tasks should be in order to successfully build a foundation for your company. From setting up an online identity to choosing an office space, it is important to lay down all the building blocks needed for growth as early as possible. In fact, many larger organizations now recognize the necessity of implementing robust digital marketing campaigns as soon as they start operating. These campaigns can be used to help generate awareness, drive traffic to your website, and even convert online viewers into paying customers.
Make an Online Presence
Setting up an operational website is the first step that every company should take. This shows potential clients that you are prepared for business, while also giving them a place where they can get information about your products or services. Even companies without any products yet should have some sort of virtual storefront in order to build credibility and authority and start collecting email addresses and phone numbers. Chances are if someone is visiting your site regularly, they will fill out a form, subscribe via email or social media platforms, or leave their contact information through other means. That data is then used in all subsequent marketing (including digital, print and outbound).
When you’re ready to set up a website, the first thing that you need to do is purchase a domain. This can be done through an online service like GoDaddy or directly from your hosting provider. Some people also choose to buy additional domains if they plan on using different options in the future. Make sure that any of these domains refer back to your main site; this will make it easy for people with not-so-savvy computer skills to find what they’re looking for in the future.
Once you have chosen a domain name and paid for it, there are some tools that can help with building and distributing your website. It is always best to hire a professional web developer for this process, but even small businesses and startups can get by with DIY options such as WordPress or Joomla. The key here is to know exactly what you want your website to say and look like before deciding how it should be built, which will influence the platform that you choose (and, in turn, the kind of developer that you need).
Once your site has been created and distributed through search engines and social media channels, it is time to start driving traffic to your online address. For the best results on Google, make sure that all posts are written with keywords in mind (for example: “best website monitoring software” instead of “software provider”). But don’t go overboard! Nobody wants to read content that is just stuffed with keywords for SEO purposes.
It is important to have a unique identity in this space because customers will notice if you’re similar to another business or website. This can be achieved by writing exclusive content that relates to your specific industry and services offered, which will help build trust among visitors. The writer here stands for her own brand and writes on topics of influence: very helpful and trustworthy!
The same goes for the images and videos that you use – they should show how your company operates, but also showcase different places or things that your organization touches (anywhere from factories and warehouses to staff members’ faces).
Many small business owners and entrepreneurs begin their journey by writing a formal business plan, looking to secure funding from family and friends, or even going through the process of incorporation. Although these steps can be important to start a business – especially if you’re looking for outside investment – there are a number of…