Is your business online yet? Being online in the digital day and age is key to securing as big a customer base as possible, and it’s why so many businesses are so keen to have a website of their own. However, this is only one step of the way forward. 

Getting a business online takes a bit of effort, and a lot of forward planning. So, if you’re planning to grow your business fast, you might want to slow down a little and really consider just how much you need to get together to ensure your online presence takes the best shape it can. 

In the interest of this, we’ve collected together some of the biggest factors you’re going to need to include on your journey to take your business online, and just why they’re so important. 

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Having a Digital Footprint

A digital footprint involves a lot of things, and it involves quite a bit of time you’re going to have to put in to secure these things. So, do you have a domain name? Do you have a domain address? Are you able to buy up a few URLs similar to your domain address to ensure you’ve got the brand locked down? Have you set up social media pages with the right names, looks, and themes? And the work doesn’t stop here, because your digital footprint needs to be extensive! 

Plenty of In-House Support

If you’ve got an IT department of your own already, this might not be the most relevant information for you. However, seeing as you’re probably just starting out, there’s a good chance you need more help than ever behind the scenes! 

Because designing, publishing, and then running a website is rarely done by just one person alone, and if you have in-house servers to depend on, and cloud storage to keep all of your data secure, you’re going to need some IT experience to guide the way. 

Be sure to check out this website for more details on finding and hiring the right people for the job, if you feel you’re going to need the support to run an online business of the magnitude you’re hoping for. 

Time for a Virtual Desk

Being an online business means you need to provide the illusion of availability; the internet is always online, and you never know when a customer is going to come through ‘the door’, even if it’s 3 am and you’re fast asleep! 

So you need to be able to man a virtual desk; of course, you can rely on virtual receptionists and/or answering machines here, as well as no reply email addresses, but make sure you’ve got the time to filter through every customer who gets in contact with you. 

Getting a business online takes a lot of preparation, and a lot of time to ensure you’re doing the best for the customers who come through your online portal. Make sure you can check these things off the list!