Author: Lisa Douglas-Paul
So yuh see every dog and he bruddah set up an online something and yuh tell yuhself, “Well lemme try a thing too Na”? Ah lil’ Instagram page here, a lil hashtag handle there and yuh set. Wrong!
This pandemic had businesses scrambling to get their online glow-up together faster than Usain Bolt in a 100 meter dash. But, now that things are up and running, your new piece of digital real estate that you thought was worthy of townhouse status in a fancy part of town was really a galvanize shed down behind God back.
I get it. Things hard. Money tight and timelines for turning profits even tighter. But if you want a truly engaging online platform, there are 5 things you should wrap your head around before you jump in hot and sweaty:
- Image is everything- Swap out the pixelated photos for some high res images of your product with pricing and descriptions to match. A smart phone with a good camera is your friend.
- Get familiar with local and regional online payment options – WiPay, SocialPay (and all kinda pay tbh) are just some options for you to collect payments online. Even the commercial banks are changing the game with online payment options via Visa Debit Cards in local currencies.
- Outsource your supply chain – (Totally optional but…) a wider online reach means now you have to figure out how to get the product to the customer. Why not try delivery services so you can stay focused on your business and brand?
- Say it with me: C.M.S! (aka Content Management System) Keep an online database of all your customers and their purchases. Remember, sites only control traffic that comes to you. You want to be able flip that game eventually to actively push those interactions through emails and targeted advertising.
- Websites: Your 24/7 one-stop shop– Ok Insta is popping and so is Facebook, but nothing beats the interactive capabilities of an online shop that pushes your product and processes payments without you breaking a sweat. There are so many Web-builders available with customizable options. And – a website belongs to you. Facebook and Instagram are someone else’s property and they could kick you out at any time.
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