With each New Year the power of technology increases and with the reliance so many people place on the internet, there’s never been a better time to ensure your business has a growing online presence.
Not only can websites do more with each passing year, but they are relied upon by more people for more functions, so here’s a few reasons why 2017 needs to be the year you take your business’ online presence seriously.
Google is How People Decide on What to Buy
Regular marketing, word of mouth and a physical shopfront still have a part to play in the success of your business. But, with the increased dominance of Google, the importance of these mediums starts to dwindle. Google has become the number one way anyone searches for new products or services, and the advertising choices of small and large businesses is steadily shifting from traditional print or television ads to Google Adwords campaigns and other online marketing options.
What does this means for your business in 2017?
Basically, if you’re not promoting your business online, you’re missing out.
Every business, big or small, needs a website. And you don’t just need a website; you need to be making the most out of Google to actively drive people to your business. With the ever increasing number of people searching for products and services, having a strong online presence will give you the opportunity to bring in some of this business.
Better Technology Equals a More Responsive Website
The websites of the early 2000’s were unattractive and clunky, they offered very little in customer experience or real benefit to your business. Over the last decade this has changed drastically, and the online capabilities of websites and e-commerce platforms will only continue improving in 2017.
A website isn’t just an online business card anymore – though, depending on your business, this type of website may actually suit you – websites are capable of a myriad of functions that make your potential customers’ lives easier. From the basics of online shopping to customised booking calendars and responsive functionality, there are a lot of things a modern website can allow you to offer customers. In the end these adaptable features allow for a better customer experience and a better chance for you to sell your products or services.
With websites constantly allowing you to do more, it’s essential your business is online in 2017. Don’t get left behind, make sure you’re making the most of the online market place in the New Year.
Globalisation and the Need for Immediacy
The internet has brought every product imaginable within our reach, and all with just a click of a button. This is nothing new, but the ongoing trend of increased online sales points to one thing – this isn’t going away.
The modern consumer shops online at a whim and will spend hundreds of dollars on products online. Technology has given us immediate access to products all over the world… and we love it. As a business you need to be taking advantage of this. Online stores can make sales at midnight from the other side of the world, all while you’re fast asleep, and this is what the modern consumer looks for – the immediate supply of a product, minus shipping time of course. By making your products available online you can drastically increase sales to a whole new demographic.
While there are a lot of pros and cons for globalisation, for small Australian businesses it opens up huge market that simple wasn’t there ten years ago. To take advantage of this, you need a powerful and effective online presence or you’ll be left behind like so many other businesses.
Big Businesses Want to Work with Small Businesses
2017 will be the year of the small business! With improved conferencing ability and cloud based sharing systems, the need for “in-office” staff is steadily dropping and this opens up the space for small businesses and freelancers to fill the place traditionally taken by these employees.
To take advantage of this trend though, you not only need to be online, but you need to be engaging with updates in technology. This means being on top of developments in cloud based technology as well as conferencing and communication solutions.
As a small business this may sound a little daunting, but a lot of this technology has been designed with you in mind. Professional services can now be completed more and more via online portals and applications, and this means big businesses are looking to outsource roles like accounting and administration to more affordable professionals. Identify the role your business can fill and ensure you’re making use of the platforms that will let you deliver your services directly to big business.
Keep an eye out for the tech updates in 2017, but also make sure your online presence is bringing in these new potential clients, otherwise you’ll miss out on an increasing trend.
Dreams are Shifting
The concept of the Australian dream is shifting.
The house with the white picket fence and the big back yard isn’t what everyone strives for anymore, for a lot of people it’s simply out of financial reach. People are now looking for experiences, looking for products and services that add to their quality of life, and this is great for small businesses.
With so many people no longer focusing on saving for a home, they have disposable income that is itching to be spent on services and products. Some of this disappears in travel, but a lot gets spent on ‘luxury’ items.
And guess where people are looking for these products?
Online of Course
So if you’re a small business with something to offer, you need to be findable by this burgeoning market. This means you need an up to date website that’s naturally ranking highly on Google or being promoted through a PPC campaign. If you don’t jump on this market in 2017 you may find your niche has already been taken.
The Economies Looking Up
It may not seem like it with all the press around debt and deficit but both the B2B and B2C markets are looking up.
2017 may just be the beginning of a steady economic recovery or it may not, but getting a business up and running now gives you the best chance to make the most of an improving economy. And for 2017 a new business needs a strong online presence, so if you really want a business to take off, get online as soon as you can.
At Sites n Stores we’re looking forward to a big 2017, and hopefully you are too.
