In the fast-paced digital age that we live in; entrepreneurs can easily get stuck in a maze while trying to find the digital solutions that may work for their business. Dimakatso Moloantoa shares digital mistakes to avoid
As with many other things in the business world, there is no blueprint for how to make your business a success. There are, however, definite mistakes that would be worth avoiding.
Here are four of those Digital No- no’s
Relying on organic growth only for digital traction.
Cash flow is normally a challenge for first time entrepreneurs and the use of all available funds need to be prudent. However, investing in online advertising is important if you would like to see results for your business. You can experiment on cost-effective platforms to see which one works best for your business. You can use apps like MailChimp to send emailers about your products or service offerings, open a facebook, twitter or instagram page where you can showcase your business regularly and interact with your target audience; you can also advertise on social channels for greater reach. This exercise does not have to be expensive, or labour intensive- but with careful planning; you will have some positive impact on your bottom line and your brand in no time.
You don’t have a website.
The more things change, the more they stay the same… There is a myriad of new digital ways to reach potential customers and clients, but in all of that, there is still a need to have a central place for them to have a comprehensive look at what your business is about, what you offer, what you have done and how to contact you. The other digital platforms; like Social Media, can be used to drive traffic to your website which will show exactly what your business is about.
It is also very important that your website is optimized for mobile. Research shows that more than 42% of people prefer to access the internet on their mobile phones. This can be accounted for the need to have information on our fingertips and the speed in which decision making needs to take place. You need to be present in this space for your target audience to include you when they make their purchase decisions.
You don’t invest in Google- ads
According to Google live stats, Google now processes over 40,000 search queries every second on average (visualize them here), which translates to over 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide. These are all people that are consuming readily available information to make important decisions. Investing in Good Ads affords you the opportunity to stand out and be the first to be considered and in that way gives you are greater chance to close a sale.
Assuming that a great Social Media following is an indication of business success.
Social Media is a phenomenal tool to use when exploring your brand, interacting with your followers and showcasing your products and services. It is also a great way to find out what your target audience consumes, follows and what competitors are doing to grow their brands. However, a large number of followers does not directly translate into a healthy bottom line.
Engagement and sales are completely different concepts. It is important to learn how to make these two work together so that your time and resources are not constantly used in activities that do not have any monetary rewards.
We live in a digital world and there is no running away from it. The earlier you start exploring the opportunities that the digital world has in store for your business, the better it will be for your brand. Start today!!
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