Prepare Your Online Business for Scaling

By Erica Shaprio

Apr 23, 2020 08:53 AM EDT

Prepare Your Online Business for Scaling(Prepare Your Online Business for Scaling) (Credit: Getty Image)

I don't know about you, but there are two things that would make my life a whole lot easier -- more time, and more money.

Now, traditional thinking would suggest that it is impossible to get both of those things simultaneously. People will tell you that to get more money, you need to sacrifice time. Or if you want more time, then you will have to give up some money.

But I am here to tell you that you can have your cake and eat it too.

And it all comes down to scaling your online business the right way.

1. Get an eCommerce enterprise 

Most online websites work through what is known as an eCommerce platform -- which is basically a type of website that helps you sell your products and services online.

An eCommerce enterprise is essentially an eCommerce website on steroids -- and it aims to make scaling your online business as simple as possible.

It does this by facilitating sales across all platforms (even social media), selling in different currencies, tracking your inventory for you, and automatically organising customer loyalty and reward systems.

To summarise it succinctly, an eCommerce enterprise makes running your online business easier -- which is integral to scale.

There are a number of different platforms available at the moment, but two of the most popular are BigCommerce and Shopify Plus -- however, I recommend you do your research and find one that suits your needs perfectly.

2. Write a blog

But blogging is so 2010, right?

Wrong.

It doesn't matter what product you sell or what service you provide, a blog is a must.

Writing a blog increases the amount of content on your website. 

First and foremost, this actually makes you more likely to come up on the first page of google's search results. Secondly, assuming your content is good, it helps you build a reputation as an authority in the area -- which is pretty important when it comes to attracting new customers.

Aim to put out 1-2 well written, useful, blogs per week, and you will be taking a huge step in the right direction.

3. Don't forget about SEO

SEO stands for a concept known as "search engine optimization" and it is super important.

See, the better your SEO is, the more visible you become to search engines like google and Bing. This means that when people search something related to your area, you are more likely to come up first -- which is pretty damn important.

With this in mind, make sure everything on your website is designed considering SEO.

4. Hop on Quora and answer some questions

I mentioned above how writing a decent blog is a great way to become an authority in your area -- but it's not the only way.

Quora is arguably the biggest question-and-answer website in the world.  It is ultimately a platform where people ask questions about a specific topic, and then people with knowledge of the topic respond with answers.

As a result, you can use Quora to build a customer base by answering questions and engaging with people in a personal manner. 

As an added bonus, this will not only help build your reputation, but also draws people to your site.

5. Hit up some influencers

If you have an online business, then having a social media presence is a given -- but there are ways you can optimise it to help scale your business in a big way.

Like through influencers.

Social media influencers are considered such because they have gone and built a massive audience and a profitable business by being an online presence -- and they can help you do the same.

If you get influencers in your area to support (and advertise) your products or services, then they can help you scale your business very quickly. The best way to approach this is to offer up some of your stuff for free, and then if they like it, they can give it a mention on their platform.

This is a great way to boost your customer base with very little effort.

6. Write some guest articles

The benefits of writing articles for your own website is obvious -- but writing for other people's website is a great way to help scale your business too.

The internet is full of websites that rely on guest writers to produce high quality content for them (Medium comes to mind).  These sites get you to submit articles on certain topics, which gives you heaps of exposure in the process.

These help build your reputation as an authority, and will draw even more people to your site -- which is a win-win if I have ever seen one.

7. Make a lead magnet

Getting people to your site is only half the battle -- once they are there, you want to convert them into loyal customers.

And a great way to do this is through a lead magnet.

A lead magnet is a product that you offer up for free in exchange for an email address. This lets you bring people into your sales funnel, allowing you to turn them into long term customers with very little effort.

The kicker here is that your lead magnet needs to be good, and it needs to offer some serious value. 

I guess, in this manner, it should not look like a lead-magnet, but as a genuine product.

Two of my preferred options are an educational ebook or webinar -- something that people will actually want to download.

8. Create an affiliate program

Finally, if you want to create some serious passive income, then an affiliate program is a must.

Affiliate marketing is a process where someone gets a commission by promoting and selling another person's product or service -- which means that you can get affiliates to promote your products for you.

Although they will take a portion of every sale they make, it still provides a heap of benefit.

Obviously you will take home some money, which is a good thing. But more than that, they help you reach people that would normally sit outside your direct market -- which increases your customer base.

This means more people buying your products and more people coming to your website -- all without you having to do anything at all.

That, my friends, is scale.

The Summary

When it comes to online business, you can absolutely have your cake and eat it too.

That's right, more money and less work is a very real possibility. Well, if you play your cards right that is.

By following the tips outlined in this article, you can seriously expand your customer base and draw in thousands of people to your online business. This is the key to making your business extremely profitable, without any extra effort on your behalf.

So what are you waiting for? Get scaling!

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