<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Taking-your-Business-Online.jpg" alt="Taking your Business Online" width="275" height="183" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9586" />When you run a business online, there are many considerations involved in order to be successful. You have to have your online presence through social media, you have to have a reliable website for your clients, and you have to find ways to market yourself. You have to be capable of being accessed on mobile devices too. 

For some, an e-commerce online store is needed to get the product out there and for bloggers, some freebies like e-books might need to be created.  A great deal of work goes into running your business online but once it’s all setup, it can be a really exciting time and easily manageable. Instead of hoping for clients to find you online, you have to get on top of your marketing efforts now so that you can stay in the competition and be successful. Here is a look at what you need to do now that your business is online. 

<h2>Don’t rely on people to find you</h2>

Many people think they just have to set up their website and a social media page to run their business online. They believe people will find them online through search engines and word-of-mouth. Prospects are not likely to find you and you have to be responsible for finding the right marketing tools to utilize.  First, make sure your site is really ready for promotion. 

<h2>Showing off your brand</h2>

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Show-off-your-Brand.jpg" alt="Show off your Brand" width="289" height="174" class="alignright size-full wp-image-9585" />You need to use your platforms to showcase your product or service. In some cases, you may need to provide price sheets or a portfolio. People will be quick to leave a website if the information they want is not readily available but you can assume people will stay for a minute at most and plan your site accordingly. Is the most important information easy to find or would they have to navigate/scroll excessively to reach it? 

Since your website is going to act as your marketing tool, you’ll want to make it count. Make sure the most important details are easy to find and then hire someone to make a really great design. Skimping on a designer to save a few bucks could hurt you in the long-run as designers know what sells and how to make you look unique.  A poor design could end you up on a design blog about the worst designs on the web. 

<h2>Search engine optimization</h2>

<img src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/SEO.jpg" alt="SEO" width="280" height="180" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-9584" />If you want people to find you through their search engine, you need to become optimized to make the rankings. If you sell goods through an ecommerce site, make sure you are going to show up under common keywords that people search for the types of products you sell. 

Search engines are looking for websites that are following the rules, like those that avoid fluffing their blog posts with keywords, those that have pages that load quickly, and those that are set up to be mobile-friendly. Next, be sure to get on social media because you’ll need to promote yourself, engage with your audience, and give people something to “like,” “retweet,” or “pin” for your name to get out there. 

Once you’ve taken your business online, it’s time to start representing your brand well. Make your website look great and then start engaging with the community to get your name out there. Your online presence and marketing skills are going to be key now that you work online. 
