Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. Significant amounts of business is done online today. Some business owners however have concerns with doing business online. The following contributed post is entitled, Overcoming The Online Phobia.
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Customers and businesses have spoken: the future is online. Yet, not everyone is ready to tackle the challenges of building an online presence. In fact, running an online business can be nerve-racking, daunting, and also plain dangerous. There are significant risks involved that could break your business if you don’t understand how to handle them appropriately. From hackers trying to gain access to your data to competitors leaving intentional negative reviews, online is not always a safe place. However, your fear of building your digital presence could hinder business growth. Here’s how you can learn to manage digital risks effectively and successfully.
Rely on a proven strategy
Innovative, unexpected, novel, these are some of the buzzwords that people wrongly associate with a successful strategy. Does a strategy need to be completely new to drive growth? According to these experts here, no strategy is the result of one person’s imagination. Growing digital sales is all about understanding your data, building your digital brand, and attracting customers using proven techniques. In other words, you don’t need to invent something new when you can rely on established methods that work. While it doesn’t mean that creative marketing is a waste of time — it isn’t —, your strategy follows an established map of actions determined by your goals, situation, and budget.
Take your first step with a partner
The first mistake businesses make is to assume that they need to go through the digital challenges alone. Finding a business partner online could transform your attitude to digital growth. An online business partner can help you update your presence to be noticed by online customers. Additionally, partners share responsibilities, which means that you can work together to protect and defend the brand. Negative reviews are less frequent when you and your partner can respond rapidly. While remaining an issue, cyber security can be enhanced when you combine your IT strategies and budgets.
Build trust rather than convincing
Many businesses worry that an online presence can not replace the sincere connections you build in face-to-face interaction. While a digital presence requires delivering your content without physical interactions, it doesn’t mean there’s no room to create an authentic brand. On the contrary, authentic content builds a connection with your users fueled at an emotional level by your choice of word, the device presence, the culture, and the level of trust customers have. Authenticity transcends the communication medium when the content offers your audience a real experience of the brand.
Accept that sometimes sh*t happens
Of course, nobody wants to think of the worst=case scenario. However, sometimes things simply refuse to work. Whether your server connection is down or customers are not satisfied with your services, your fears could turn true. Yet, mishaps don’t last. Your reaction to problems will linger if you panic. Similarly, a positive and managed response will also have a long-term impact on the brand. Learning to plan for the things you fear the most can help you handle issues and grow.
Online is a fast-changing world. Yet, most people share the same fears about building a digital presence. They are worried about tech safety, reputation, and growth. Should worries affect your digital approach? Yes. But they should not stop you. They give you the nudge you need to find the appropriate support for your business.
