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Showing posts with label new business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new business. Show all posts

Monday, 23 April 2018

April 23, 2018

The A-Z of Digital Marketing





If you are looking into digital marketing for your business, then you have probably heard many terms being thrown around that did not quite make sense to you. That's because the world of Digital Marketing is a huge place. So to help you on your journey, we have put together an A-Z list of a few of our favorite terms within the digital world.

A- AUTOMATION

The assistance of technology performing processes or procedures. We are seeing more and more automation within the world of technology as time goes by, which is making things easier and working as a time saving tool. If you don't understand automation yet, or implement any automation tools into your business. Now is the time to start!





B- BACKLINK

Backlinks are created by outside websites, linking directly to your website or deep link.
These can be a very good tool in optimizing your search engine visibility when done correctly.


C- CMS

Content Management System allows users to create, update and publish content on a website.

D- DATA

Data can be obtained to gain knowledge into customer behavior, audience types etc.

E- EMAIL

Email, and email marketing is an important tool in communication within your business, to both your customers, and suppliers.





F- FACEBOOK

A well known social media platform, used by many businesses around the world to connect and network.




G- GOOGLE

The number one search engine. If your business is not appearing here on Google, its time to start looking into ways to make it happen! Google features such as google ad words, makes this possible.




H- HASHTAG  #

Labels used throughout various types of social media, to help user experience when searching for a particular business, service, person or phrase.




I- INSTAGRAM

Popular social media platform in which images are the main focus, a great platform to use when trying to get a point across or showcase a portfolio.

J- JARGON

Special words or expressions used by a group that are difficult for others to understand. Probably not the best thing to be doing within your business publicly, that is if you want people to understand what you are on about!

K- KEYWORDS

Words, ideas, topics that best describe your page. Used in the digital marketing world to direct traffic to a specific source.

L- LANDING PAGE

The main entry point of a website, or particular section of a website. Great SEO implemented on your landing page is extremely important.

M- MARKETING

A simple one, yet an important one. The art of simply promoting ones business, services, website, products. This includes market research and advertising.

N- NFC

Near field communication allows smart devices to be connected, by bringing the two items closer together.

O- OPTIMIZATION

The action of making the best, or most effective use of your website tools. Implementing keywords, etc to direct traffic to your website by making it easily found on the world wide web.


P- PAY PER CLICK

A business model where a specific company places ads on your website and offers to pay a sum of money for users clicking on the advertisement.

Q- QR CODES

A machine readable code consisting of an array of black and white squares, typically used for storing URLs, or other information for reading by the camera on a smartphone

R- RETARGET

Also known as remarketing can help you keep your brand in front of bounced traffic even after they leave.





S- SEARCH ENGINE

Collation of information, website links, videos, pictures etc that can be searched for using keywords. This is the reason your key word selection is so important.

T- TESTING

Testing, A/B testing  a click, a form being completed, newsletter, a sale. Various goals business owners want to achieve and the various methods used to achieve them.

U- USER EXPERIENCE

The ease in which customers will have when using a website, and the feedback provided.

V- VERO

A new social media platform, recently introduced and set to change the game of social media.

W- WWW

We have all seen the letters www typed at the start of a link. Do you know what it stands for?
world wide web.

X- X-RAY

Yes, it is commonly used in the medical field, but also quite frequently in the digital marketing realm when you are searching for data within your social media networks.


Y- YOU

You are the most important aspect in your business, which is why we have included this one! Without your drive, determination and persistence you wont succeed.




Z- ZIPPY

Every so often its important to give your social media bio, website, blogs a bit of a Zippy. Yes this is a created word by us! But basically the point we are trying to make here, is that its important for you to spruce things up every now and then, always ensuring your customers are having the best user experience possible.



Now that you have your A-Z all sorted, its time for you to start your business. If you haven't already then check out our other blogs that may help you too:


How to: Choose a Niche Market

Shopify for beginners

Our Top Picks for Digital Marketing



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Wednesday, 18 April 2018

April 18, 2018

Beginners guide to Shopify

If you are looking to start an E-commerce website, then you have probably stumbled across Shopify.com , being one of the largest web builders, with a simple "drop and drag" system, its no wonder Shopify has such positive reviews.

And the best part about this platform is that you don't need to be tech savvy to create a professional, customizable website. Here is our step-by-step guide for beginners on creating your very own website with shopify.com

Steps to setting up your Shopify website

Shopify offers a 14 day trial in which you can implement the time into customizing your website to best suit your business needs. 

Step 1: Sign up with shopify

Visit shopify.com and use the sign up form to create your account. When you have filled out this information, hit the "Create your store" button.
You will require a store name, and email address as seen below. 




Your store name should be a reflection of your business, and I would advise that you follow your countries requirements to register this name prior to creating your store. (To also ensure the name is not taken)  You will then be asked for a few more details: Address, Phone etc.

Shopify will then prompt you to answer if you are "playing around" on the website, "Have your own products" and ask "what will you sell."

Once complete, you will click "done"

Shopify Pricing Plans are as follows:

Currency: USD

BASIC SHOPIFY $29 PER MONTH 
ADVANCED SHOPIFY $79 PER MONTH
PREMIUM SHOPIFY $299 PER MONTH

Step two: Store Setup


Once completed, you will be automatically directed to your Dashboard. Here is where you can customize the look of your store, purchase domains, add Apps, track sales etc.


Step three: Theme/ Layout


This is when the fun begins, designing the look of your new store! Shopify has a large number of themes available to choose from, to ensure your website best caters to your audience.
You also don't need any coding experience to use Shopify, and the available themes come ready with various modifications available.

If you are looking at making larger changes to your theme, shopify does have the option of a design team within their "shopify experts" who can assist.

There are various themes available including a large range of Free themes/ Paid themes and you can also search by industry or category. 

Once you have selected the theme of choice from Shopify theme store you can:
  • Check functionality of theme
  • Reviews
  • View Demo
  • Apply theme to website


Step four: Publish Theme


Once you have established the theme that fits your business model, you can now click "publish theme", and don't worry if you decide to change the theme down the track, you can do that simply too!
Once completed you will be prompted to "Theme Manager" which leads me to the next step.

Step five: Editing your theme


The next step will allow you to create a website that is not only original to you, but also suits your business requirements. So using the Theme Manager you can now change things such as:
  • Logos
  • Colours
  • Fonts
  • Header/ Footer
  • Homepage slideshow
  • Functions of the site
  • Collections
  • Product pages
  • Shopping Cart
  • Checkout






Step five: Adding your products


Return to your shopify admin page now, and click "products"  from this page you will see a button marked "Add product"  You should then add in a title for your product, description, Sku, images etc and click Save.


Step six: Collections


You may want to categorize each of your products into their own collections. So to do this you will need to Set up collection (choose name for collection) Shopify will then prompt you to choose which products shall be added to this particular collection.


Step seven: Money, Money, Money


If you are setting up your online store, you probably want to be able to receive payment from your customers too! This is when you will set up your payment gateway.

In the Settings tab on your dashboard, you will find the payment setup. Shopify has a few options for this such as Paypal, Shopify Pay (automatically set up). But you will need to choose the best payment option for you.

Ensure you look at the various fee's associated with each method, cards accepted and countries.


You are almost ready for your website to go live. Before you do there are a few things you need to check off your list and all of these can be found in the Settings Tab.

Taxes: Depending on your country requirements you will need to select the Tax / GST applicable.
Shipping: Here you have the option to set shipping prices, worldwide/your country, based of size, weight etc.
Double Check: Preview your website, to ensure everything looks the way you want it to prior to going live.


Step eight:  GO LIVE!!


In theory your website should be complete and ready to go live. Now you can simply publish the website. Keep in mind that without purchasing a domain name you will be using the standard one provided by shopify.com and this will look something like:

yourcompanyname.shopify.com

You may want to purchase a domain to add to your website prior to going live.





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Wednesday, 11 April 2018

April 11, 2018

How to: Drop shipping website







Starting an E-commerce store, whilst exciting can also be a very time consuming and lets not forget expensive time for any new business owner. Lets take a quick look at the steps of a traditional e-commerce store owner:
  • Find your niche
  • Register business name & purchase domain
  • Find suppliers
  • Order samples
  • Test samples
  • Order products (bulk)
  • Create a website
  • Add products individually
  • Set prices 
  • Publish website
  • Advertise
  • Hope you get sales.
12 steps, and that's just our short version of what is required. Imagine adding in all the time spent on search engine optimization, product knowledge, advertising, and of course the expenses of packaging, labels etc.

Sounds exhausting right. When you are starting an E-commerce website for the first time, this can be extremely risky too. Having spent  thousands of dollars of stock that may just sit in your warehouse without selling is not the dream you had when starting your business.

So what if things could be easier. Lets cut those steps in half to say:
  • Register business name & purchase domain
  • Register for drop shipping company of choice
  • Select products
  • Advertise
Yes i know, you're probably jumping out of your seat asking where you can sign up. But let me tell you a little more about the wonderful world of drop shipping first.



What is drop shipping?


Drop shipping is the act of providing (goods) by delivery from the manufacturer, direct to the retailer or customer. Therefore you no longer need to hold ridiculous amounts of stock. Quite the contrary, as you do not need to hold ANY!

How it works


You select products > Products appear on your website > Customer purchases products > Products are ordered directly from the manufacturer > Manufacturer sends directly to your customer > You get paid

Where do the products come from?


Products come directly from the manufacturer, which are usually the direct warehouses your products are made in. 

Can I set my own prices?


Manufacturers will have prices set (cost) in which you will be "paying" for the items. You can then select the price you wish to charge customers for these items. Depending on the platform you use.

Do I have to pay for stock?


Technically yes, you are paying for stock. However you don't pay until a customer orders a product, in which the original cost of the stock comes out of the received price from the customer.

How much does it cost to sign up?


There are many different sites available, in which have different features, costs etc. Below we have listed a few of our favorites with details.

Steps to starting a drop shipping website:

Step 1: Choosing your Niche

When starting any business, whether it is an online E-commerce site, a physical store or a service. It is important to choose a niche which interests you, or you have background knowledge on. If you are having trouble figuring out which niche would best suit you, then have a read of our "how to choose your niche" blog. (Click here)

Step 2: Business registration & domain

You will need to register the business name subject to your countries regulations, and purchase a domain name for your website. There are many websites that you can create a domain at a very affordable price, starting at around $1.00 Crazy Domains is a well known website for doing this, and is the preferred choice we use when creating any of our drop shipping sites.






Step 3: Choosing a drop shipping company to use

 There are many different companies you can use to make things easier for you when starting a drop shipping company. 
Shopify + Oberlo 

 Shopify is the number one E-commerce website builder in the world at present. And have recently teamed up with Oberlo to create a drop shipping option.
To use this system you simply register for a shopify account, which you will require to make your website. You then connect Oberlo using the apps provided.    
Oberlo is FREE to use with your shopify store, and has a seamless system that is simple for everyone. 


 To use oberlo: 
Open oberlo dashboard
Search products
Select products you wish to feature on your website
(Products will automatically be added to your shopify store)

 Oberlo also offers the option to use the recommended prices for each product. Which is fantastic for those who may not understand how much to up mark their products.

 Another well known drop shipping company is Alidropship  which has a similar concept.

Step 4: Advertising/ Marketing

 Once your website is complete, you simply publish this and get ready for the marketing. You can read our top picks for digital marketing here. But in the meantime, here are a few examples of ways you can advertise your new business.


Now that you have the steps for starting a Drop shipping company, you have the first steps to the little secret that is taking the E-commerce world by storm.

 Want to see an in depth tutorial on how to use any of the above programs? Simply leave us a comment and let us know!

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Friday, 6 April 2018

April 06, 2018

Our Picks: Digital Marketing Techniques




Like many business owners, you too probably understand the importance of marketing within your business. Because without marketing, who would see your products/services right?

 Well with the large increase towards online businesses, worldwide shipping and of course social media; the digital marketing world has exploded. Now this can be quite a challenge for those who don't understand digital marketing, or just cannot find the time to create these strategies.

 Digital Marketing strategies include:

  • Ad networks
  • Ad swaps
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Banners
  • Blogging
  • Email marketing
  • Mobile marketing
  • Online classified marketing
  • Pay per click (PPC)
  • Rich media advertising
  • SEO (Search engine optimisation)
  • Social media advertising (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest etc)


Now of course, running all of these at once would be beneficial to your business, but in the early stages, it may all just seem a little too overwhelming. So here is a break down of "Our Picks for online marketing techniques" perfect for a start up business.

Website

The first step to any viable business that you will be advertising online is a good website, with even better content. There are many different programs you can use to create a website yourself such as Wix, Shopify, or Wordpress. You can also hire a web developer if your budget allows for it.

SEO

Now that you have an appealing website, you need to work on SEO; Otherwise known as search engine optimization, this is a key element to ensuring your websites visibility in search engines when potential customers are searching for your products or services. 

A few places that help your business achieve a higher ranking in search engines are 

  1. Google Trends is a go to tool when searching for seo options, which provides you with keyword popularity. By using this tool correctly you are able to determine the keywords in which have the potential to drive more traffic to your website
  2. Blogs and forums are on the rise, with more people turning to online blogs and forums for information, and opinion. 
  3. Link Building and Back linking is a heavily used term in the digital marketing world, and for good reason. By having other websites link to yours you are creating back links. One of the biggest issues that newbies find is "quality back links", there is little to no point in creating back links if they aren't going to be beneficial to you.
  4. Business directories are a fantastic place to start when looking to expose your business to a larger audience, and there are many to choose from.
  5. Social media is a free way to target large amounts of people in a fairly short amount of time. These posts can be sponsored by paying for ads through your selected social media source of choice. (For that extra boost in reach)
For those looking at this list with a question mark over there head. There are of course companies that do all of this for you and save you the hassle. The HOTH for example is a fully automated SEO service that develops strategies targeted to your particular business.

Email Marketing


This is an old tool, but a good tool. By collecting emails on your website you are able to provide both potential and current customers with any updates on your business, sales you may be having, etc. Generally having this information is quite a large factor for many businesses. As one of the major reasons that websites don't receive return visitors is because they "forget you exist"

 A general rule for email marketing is to keep each newsletter, informative, interesting and always offer your subscribers something for their loyalty. This could be a simple discount code available only to subscribers. Thus keeping your current subscribers happy, and encouraging new subscribers at the same time.
In terms of frequency of newsletters, this all depends on the products you are sending. We have all signed up for a newsletter only to see an email arrive in our inbox on a daily basis. Which could be quite annoying in turn causing customers to unsubscribe or just not open the emails to begin with. However in some cases, if the information is valuable enough to the customer, daily emails are not a worry. So this is where you will need to do your research on the niche you are in, to decide the frequency of your newsletters.

There are many different programs that can be used for email marketing, some of the more popular options due to ease of application are:


Social Media


Of course using our social platforms for free advertising can be extremely beneficial, because its FREE! Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube, Twitter etc be used in various ways to promote your products/services. I find that offering viewers a reason to share your post such as: 
  • Creating informative/funny videos 
  • Give away/ Competition
  • Engaging content
  • Quotes
Can be a fantastic way to reach a larger target audience online. Using appropriate hashtags can be quite effective also on specific platforms.

If you are looking for a quicker turn around, and happy to fork out a little cash, then opt into ads. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram all have ads programs to help you reach your target audience in a faster amount of time.


Now if you clicked on this blog to begin with, its probably because you wanted to hear about our picks. There are so many programs and companies offering valuable tools to help increase the reach of your business. These are just a few of our favorites.

TOP 5

1- Benchmark- A modern interface to create eye catching, and professional email marketing or newsletters. This program is suitable for all user levels from beginner to intermediate and offers a vast range of automation tools.





Start a Free Plan

2- The Hoth-  SEO solutions for all sized companies, allowing for ease of website ranking online. If search engine optimization is not your strong suit, then this may be the program for you. 

3- Ninja Outreach- Another well known email marketing company. Ninja outreach claims to help connect you with your niche audience by creating stunning advertising campaigns. One beneficial aspect of this company, is that they offer a 14 day trial.
NinjaOutreach free 14 day trial

4- Shopify- With numerous built in apps available, shopify has quickly become the number one website builder for E-commerce websites. This particular site has made it to our list because of the in app features. Both free and paid options available and the ability to integrate various applications into your website.
5- Wix- With the option of free web design, if you are happy to use a wix web address initially then this is probably a good option for you. The drop and drag options make it extremely easy to use even for a complete newbie! 

With the five picks we have just listed, you will be able to easily integrate applications into your website, get search engine optimization help, nail your email marketing and focus on the sales of your business. 

 Now although this just touches the surface in terms of digital marketing, and there are other factors such as click funnels, affiliates, deep linking and many other in depth marketing techniques, we decided that today would focus on those getting their first touch of the digital world.
Please subscribe to our blog for updates when we post! 

Recent Posts you may like:

 Finding your niche

 How to create a business plan

Mindset Matters

The 5 Fundamentals for starting a business


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Thursday, 5 April 2018

April 05, 2018

How to: Create a Business Plan




You may of heard business owners talking about a business plan, and the importance of creating one prior to starting your business.  A business plan is a formal statement of business goals, reasons they are attainable, and plans for reaching them. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach these goals.

 In a more simple term, a business plan is a road map or guide of your business goals and how you plan to achieve them.

Why is a business plan important?


 A business plan is essential for the success of your business, it will provide direction and keep you on track. It also comes in handy if you require financial help to obtain your business goals, as this is presented to the bank at time of loan application. Investors will often ask to see a business plan also.





How do you create a business plan?


 A business plan is broken up into a few sections. But prior to starting the business plan, you want to jot down a few simple tips

  • Decisions: Your business plan will require you to make some decisions in regards to the direction of your business, structure and marketing strategies. So its best to have some ideas of how you will arrange this before hand. This may mean doing your homework.
  • Who is the plan for:  Will you be using your business plan as a simple guide for you to follow, will this be presented to a bank or investor.  If third parties are involved, you will need to cater to their needs within your business plan also.
  • Take your time:  Don't expect to start and finish your business plan in one day, this is a detailed document that requires time and attention, a business plan will very easily become one of your most valued assets within your business, as you've got a guide to follow, and a way of ensuring you are staying on track. So take your time, and include all the relevant information.
  • Ask for help: Sometimes it can be difficult to answer all the questions. This is where asking for help comes in, do you have a business mentor, Family member or friend who can assist you with the writing of your business plan. If you are not confident at all in creating the structure of the plan alone, there are many companies that offer at home guides and tools to create a business plan using a template.
  • Figures: Now we can all sit there and make up figures in relation to our business, but is it really beneficial? Well not at all. You need to determine the realistic expenses of your business, and clearly state if these are actual figures or estimations.
  • Review: Always review your work, business plans are used to gain confidence from outside parties that you're business is viable. Mistakes or errors will only deter them from seeing your potential as a professional business.




What to Include in a business Plan?


Your business plan requirements will vary depending on the type of business, however below are a list of things that could be included within your business plan:

  1. Title Page:  General Information on your business
  2. Business Summary: A short overview of whats to be included within the business plan
  3. Management/ Operations Plan:  Covers details like structure, registrations, premises, products/services.
  4. Target Market:  Where you will provide the information in regards to your knowledge about your target market, here you can touch base on some marketing techniques and strategies.
  5. Predictions: Your future predictions, goals, and milestones.
  6. Financial Plan: How you will finance your business, outgoing costs or expenses, projections.
  7. Documentation: Any documentation to support your business plan.


Once your business plan is complete, you can put it away. But not too far from reach because you should regularly check that you are on track, adjust any changes accordingly and generally use this document to track your progress in comparison to your initial predictions.

Business plans do change quite frequently, and your initial plan is just used as a guide to get started.





Related topics:


-Haven't found your niche yet? Visit our "how to find your niche" blog 






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Tuesday, 3 April 2018

April 03, 2018

Finding your niche








One of the things that holds entrepreneurs back from first starting their business is finding their niche. Hours upon hours of thinking, creating lists, and delving deep inside your mind can lead to disappointment if you don't hit the nail on the head right away.

 This type of pressure can sometimes be too much especially in the early stages of business. We have probably all wondered to ourselves on numerous occasions, if the niche we have chosen will be viable in the ever changing market, or if anyone else will share the same interests.

 Sure its important to research and do your due diligence when selecting the niche, however if you don't act upon it quite quickly, you will go around in circles.

 There are still many aspects that need to be done when you first start your business, such as testing the market, collate ideas, create a marketing plan, and learn from the initial mistakes and successes. This way, regardless of the outcome; you can learn and improve your skill sets moving forward.

 If you are struggling to get the brain into action and need a little guidance, follow our steps below to help you with finding the perfect niche for your new business.

Brainstorm
So you may be scratching your head at this point, because you have already spent hours working on lists, and ideas for your business.  But business has it's up's and downs, it will push you to your limits, and knowing you have a passion for the industry you are about to embark on is extremely important for the longevity of your business.

If you don't have a passion for the industry in some way or another, you will very quickly lose interest. The passion within is what drives us to succeed and push our business, and there will be many times when we hit a speed bump in the road, that this very passion will provide the persistence we require to keep on going!


Start thinking about:
  • What are my hobbies and interests
  • What do I have background knowledge on already
  • What topics do people generally ask me about 
  • What do I enjoy learning. 




Research


Competition is everywhere, especially in business. Now most new business owners will stray away from competition as much as possible. But this is not necessarily something to be worried about, if an industry works, then it works. You may have just hit the nail on the head in finding a profitable industry to work in. Your main concern should be having the ability to do it better than the rest. What can you offer customers that your current competition isn't already offering them.

By simply analyzing your competitions website, ad formats, advertising techniques, and general service or product; You will start to create an information pod that can be used to generate a better plan for your own business.

Now this research should not only be on your competition but also on aspects of your own business module, product or service that will be beneficial. Are you going to hire a web developer to create a website for you and is this something that you have the budget for? Or will you create your own website for free or for a small fee. If you have the skills to do it on your own, then this could be the option you are looking for.

There are many popular web building sites online that can create a sense of ease, even for people like myself who are not very tech savvy.

Two very popular website building sites are:

  •  Wix  offers a free plan if you are happy to use the domain address http://yourwebsite.wix.com/yourwebsite. The paid plans are focusing on storage and features. The prices are quite competitive especially for start up companies. Wix does create a sense of ease with creating your website. No technical knowledge is required.





  • Shopify is the the number one E-Commerce platform currently available. They also have an integrated system for those running a drop shipping business. 





Like mentioned above, research is key and looking into the method that best suits your business needs is the most important key.



Identify Problems


Once you have collated your brainstorm ideas as well as the research you have collected, you can now start looking into any possible issues that may arise for customers with their current methods, and figure out how you are going to solve these issues for them

Another important aspect to running a business is the either solving an issue, or creating ease within a current issue.

  • Are shipping lengths an issue?  (How can we ship faster)
  • Is pricing an issue (How can we be more competitive)

Testing


Once you have gathered all your information together, you are ready to hit the market. The only thing left to do is TEST.  A very simple way to test the market is with Pre-Orders, figuring out the customer demand by setting up a landing page. 
Another great way to test the market is to send out a large mail out to your current data base, to test the reaction to your new launch. Companies like Ninja Outreach or Mailchimp are used to create fantastic looking email flyers that you can send out in Mass to your current audience or data base.



To Summarize


If you believe in your product/service and you believe it is viable enough to start grasping your target audience then you are ready to rock and roll ! 
You will want to look into marketing techniques, social media marketing, paid or organic traffic sources, creating a blog and various ways to boost your website.

There is no ONE way to find your niche, sometimes we just test the waters until something sticks.

If you have have a strong passion, a positive mind set, and determination, then you are ready to create the business of your dreams. And remember dreams don't work unless you do! So do your homework!



Start a Free Plan
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Sunday, 1 April 2018

April 01, 2018

How to: Create your own website using Wix





How to create a Wix website

"It all starts with your stunning website" claims  website company Wix who offer an easy to create, DIY styled website. Wix provides a template in which you simply change headings, information, images and tech. This website claims to be a breeze for newbies.

So you have just thought of the perfect business idea, and now its time to see it come to life. It all may seem easy, but you really just need a step by step guide on the basics of setting up a  Wix website. 


Step 1- Sign up to Wix for free. All you need to sign up is an email address, and of course have your business name ready too.





Step 2- Choose a template that fits your needs. There are many templates available, and you can select these based off the category of your needs. 







Step 3- Customize or add anything like text, images etc. The Wix platform, uses a easy to understand drop and drag system, so once you have selected the template in which you are happy with. You can simply change the preset information and images. Wix also provides quite a large amount of stock photos available for you to use to customize your website to suit your business needs. Don't forget to change the buttons, header, and footer.






Step 4- Publish your site to share it with the world. When you are happy with the finished product, you simply click "publish" in the top right hand corner of your screen. This will then set the website to "live" and potential customers can now see your site on the world wide web.





Step 5- Manage your entire business online with domains, email marketing etc. There are many options available to suit your business needs, and using the wix platform is free, however if you are an online store, selling items you will need to purchase an E-commerce package. This allows you to add product to your site that is ready to sell. There are various packages available to suit your requirements.  






Ready to create your website? Click Here  and get started today.


Still a bit stumped on the information required to start a business? We have created a very simple 5 step process which explains our top picks for the 5 Fundamentals of business. You can read this blog too by simply clicking here 



*Prices listed above are as of March 2018. These are subject to change, at the discretion of wix via  terms and conditions

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Friday, 30 March 2018

March 30, 2018

The 5 fundamentals for starting a business

So you have thought of a show stopping idea and now you want to start a business. But have NO idea where to start?

 The first steps to creating a successful business begins with a simple idea, this may be something that you have been dreaming of on a daily basis for years now, or simply popped into your head last night. Regardless you are ready to rock and roll, and need the basics.

 With times changing so rapidly and internet becoming the main advertising tool of the future, you are probably going to need some guidance. Traditional methods of course still apply, but how on earth are you meant to run a healthy business without the foundations set in place first. 

 Whatever your situation might be, you need a structured plan of action. Which of course brings us to the first fundamental of starting your business.

Passion

 Slow and steady wins the race, have you ever heard this term? Well that's because it seems to be the step that most first time business owners lack. Sure it can be exciting, starting your own business; And we are sure you are extremely eager to move forward and get selling! BUT first you need to figure out if you have a true passion for what you are about to venture into. Having a passion for the product or service you are about to promote is important for the future of your business. I mean, why would anyone buy off you, if you don't believe in the product/service yourself? But this alone will not suffice, having knowledge of your industry and doing research is a key tool to implement to ensure the longevity of your new venture.


Business Planning

The single most important tool in creating a business is having a plan. You may of heard people talk about a "business plan", well this is an overall document which highlights your company predictions, and the actions required to get you there.

Some of the things you will generally go over in your business plan are:
  • Target Market
  • Marketing 
  • Finances 
  • Strategies
and any other predictions you may have about your business. It is so important to remember that your business plan will change a number of times over the duration of your business. The initial setup of this document will ensure you have direction. Business plans are often used when approaching banks for business loans, or investors. This is the perfect place to SELL your business, explain the ins and outs of what you have to offer, and the exact method you will use to get there.

It is also of course a great tool to look on as the months go by, to analyse if you are on track.

Strategy

You have no put together a business plan, and it is time to execute. By now the information you have collated should potentially spell out the exact strategies your business will follow, however again this can change like the wind. 

The sister to strategy and the main tool used to create it is research. A term that many newbies dread to hear, yet it will become your most valued tool over time. Knowing your competition, and what they have to offer is extremely important, thus helping you decide how you plan to execute it better!

Or you may simply want to learn more information in regards to the product/service you are offering to better implement your ideas.

Knowledge is like gold, especially in the business world. You can never have too much information.


Finance

Business costs money. You may be looking at a low start up cost, but it is time to start thinking about the places you may potentially spend your money within this business.
Some examples are:
  1. Stock: Will your business hold stock, and if so, how much? Clothing business' for example will need to hold items in various sizes. Some suppliers also have minimum order quantities.
  2. Business Registration: Depending on your countries requirements, you will need to register your business name.
  3. Website, Domain and hosting: Most business have a website, and there are various ways you can go about this. Are you going to hire a web developer to create this for you? Or will you use the "do it yourself" websites. 
  4.  Yes, there are many ways to promote your business for free. But if you are looking to scale the business, you will eventually be paying for some form of advertising. 
Initially you will need to understand the start up costs of your business, and how you will pay for these. Will you use your saved cash, or fund this money, possibly a loan from a bank or an investor?
All things that you will need to determine prior to launching your new company.

Marketing

The world of marketing is a giant land of colorful advertisements, actors and songs right? Wrong.
Without marketing, people do not know your business exists. And along with your website comes the first type of marketing, that you may be oblivious to. That is SEO otherwise known as Search Engine Optimization. In other words, you are optimizing the content on your website to become easily searchable on the internet. When people use search engines such as google, and they are looking for your products/services; you want to be the first website to pop up.

Free advertising: There are many places you can advertise your business for free, social media being the number 1 source of it, forums, directories, and word of mouth being other popular sources.

Paid advertising: When you have tried the free stuff, and its just not cutting it. You will look at turning to paid advertising. Social media websites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube all offer paid advertising options. Another huge source of traffic comes from google searches as mentioned. Which is where Google Adwords comes in. They offer a paid advertising technique to help you scale your business adverts to a larger audience.

For local business the key may be simply advertising in your local newspaper. But when you start tapping into world wide services you will need to target large volumes in short periods of time.



To summarize everything; the most important fundamentals to starting a business are knowledge, dedication, consistency and planning. A successful business does not always happen over night, and having a clear knowledge of your industry and exactly where you are going as a business, is the first step to success.



We will be providing in depth articles in relation to each of these topics, and our best picks of websites you can use to start your business. So to get notified of the releases of these, simply hit the subscribe button.



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