Weighs in On Building an Online Business: 7 Steps to Success

09 January 2019

Building an online business is always challenging, particularly if it’s your first business venture. Competition for customers is high in almost every marketplace, so you need to find ways to stay ahead of your competitors. Planning and preparation are crucial for long-term success

When it comes to online entrepreneurship, the CEO of SMEJapan.com, Joel Devidal enjoys sharing his passion and knowledge for his career with others. He serves as an advisor and board member to companies, helping them create bright futures through decisions around strategy, marketing, and development. His intuition and experience help these organizations eliminate excessive operational costs while still delivering quality to the end users.

Here are seven steps detailed by Mr. Devidal for building a successful online business.

Find a Gap in the Market:

Look for a niche or gap in the market that has not already been filled. This may be as simple as finding an area where your competitors are falling short of customer expectations, or it could mean finding a way to provide extra value or novel additions to your products.

For example, if you want to start a business selling residential smoke alarms, it would be difficult to compete with more well-established companies. However, you could create your niche by making your products from recycled materials and working with a designer to create unique and attractive designs.

Do Your Research:

Proper research forms the foundation for any business, but its importance is often overlooked. Researching your competitors is crucial for planning, starting and growing your business.

Customer research enables you to define and target a specific type of customer, making it easier to market your products and reduce advertising costs.

Create a Platform:

Your website is the storefront of your business; it should contain all the information potential customers will want to know, including your contact details, mission statement, FAQs (frequently asked questions) and any legal notices you need to include.

The design of your website should complement the type of business you’re running. Consider hiring a professional web designer to make your platform attractive and easy to navigate.

Build Your Reputation:

Posting regular content on your website or blog is a simple way to establish yourself as an expert in your field. Create well-researched content that is useful to your customers. Stay informed about developments and important issues in your area. Writing content for trade magazines and other appropriate websites will also help to build your reputation.

Drive Traffic to Your Website:

It takes time to achieve high search engine rankings, but there are other ways to drive traffic to your website.

Social media is one of the cheapest and most effective tools for increasing website traffic, but monitoring several social media accounts can be time-consuming. Focus on maintaining a presence on one main social media platform rather than trying to spread your time across multiple platforms. Alternatively, if your budget allows, you could hire a social media manager.

Paid advertising campaigns can also be highly effective at driving traffic to your website, but you will need to consider whether the results will be worth the cost of running the campaign.

Convert Site Visitors to Customers:

Once visitors arrive at your website, it’s your job to convince them to buy your products. Showcasing your products and services with targeted landing pages will increase your chances of immediate sales. However, visitors often need time and extra information before making buying decisions.

Therefore, the main aim should be to capture the email addresses of your site’s visitors. Once you have their email address, you can work on building a long-term relationship through regular email communication.

Keep Customers Coming Back:

Providing an excellent customer experience is the key to keeping your customers satisfied and ensuring future sales. “Happy customers are more likely to recommend your products to family and friends,” stated Mr. Devidal. Keep in touch with customers by sending regular email updates, exclusive offers, and discounts.

Building an online business is a difficult task, but proper preparation will increase your chances of success. Taking the time to do your research and plan your strategy will make all the difference when setting up a new business.

Read Also:

Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

View all posts

How To Select The Best Catering Service For Your Next Corporate Conference Event?

Have you been given the responsibility of planning the next corporate conference or event for your company? Do you know how you can choose the best catering service that will win over your co-workers, bosses, and industry colleagues? Are you looking for some tips and tricks, which can help you zero down on the best caterers for your next event? Corporate Conferences and events can be important milestones for a company’s future. It can be your Annual General Meeting or a Shareholders Meeting, or even something like a Retirement Party for a dear colleague. However, the important thing to note is that the food should be top-notch at all times. Everyone who attends the conference or the event should leave satisfied after tasting the food being served. This is why it is so important that you hire the right catering services for your next corporate event. Hire the best one and you are looking at creating a memorable experience for everyone to remember. Hire the wrong one, and your office colleagues will make sure to keep discussing the ‘what went wrongs’ for a very long time! List of 5 Easy Steps to help you select the best Catering Service for Corporate Conferences 1. Start with In-depth Research and Planning- When it comes to any corporate event planning, catering is right up there in the first or second positions. It is important to understand the budget, get a sense of what the higher management feels, and then start with finding the right caterers. During the shortlisting stage, look for small details like the promptness of the catering company when responding to your requests of quotations, sample requests, and references. This will give you a better idea about their professionalism and help in the selection process. 2. Be Sure about the Food from the Start- Everything that the prospective caterer offers you in terms of food is going to increase the confusion in your head. This is why it is important that you have a set idea of the food, which you can then take to the catering service. You also need to understand that caterers will suggest food options, which are cost-effective for them, but not for you. It is also important to see whether the caterer is taking interest in knowing about your company, its culture, and then making suggestions. 3. Food, Beverage Options, and Service- We often have this misconception about catering being all about the food. What we tend to forget is that it also involves beverages and the overall service experience. This means that the choice of beverages, how good they are or not also matters when choosing the right caterer. Corporate event catering should always take into account the level of service, which is being offered. Smartly dressed catering professionals, polite behavior, and a calm demeanor are what you should look at. Trust us, these things make a lot of difference. 4. The Experience of the Catering Company- When it comes to corporate catering, the experience matters a lot. This is because the inherent nature of the catering experience in a corporate setting is radically different from the one at a wedding, or a birthday party. It is important that you see the number of years of experience the catering service has. You can also ask them specifically for the kind of corporate events they have serviced to. This will help you get a better idea about whether they will be the right fit or not for your conference. 5. Look for Flexibility in the Catering Service- There might be times when things do not go according to plan. For example, an announced client walks in with his entourage of five people as the event is going on. If you are seriously sticking to headcounts, this can cause some problems. This is where a good caterer will be able to help you out. This is what is meant by flexibility in the catering service. These kinds of situations will arise from time to time and you need to be prepared for them. Asking the catering service about such issues in advance will help them and you prepare better for such contingencies. The Final Word It is important that you start planning in advance for your next corporate event. The success of the same will depend in a major way on whether or not you have been able to hire the right catering services for the same. By paying attention to the points in the article, you can ensure that you at least have all the boxes checked to help you narrow down your selections for the best catering services. Read Also: 3 Reasons Why your Corporate Event Entertainment is Important Components of a Successful Business Function

My Google Reviews: How To See, Add, & Edit Google Reviews?

Do you want to know the answer to “how to find my Google reviews?” if your answer is a YES, then you have reached the right place! Google reviews are by far the most genuine and trustworthy source of online feedback on a physical or online business's service or product. Before purchasing a product, customers from all over the world read the review section. A report from a survey says that before buying a product or service online, 8-10 reviews are read. One thing is certain: a company's online reputation can be made or broken by online reviews. However, many individuals and business owners have difficulty viewing their Google reviews. And if you are one of them, this article is the best one for you. Keep reading to find out more about Google reviews… My Google Reviews: What Are Google Reviews? Google Reviews are reviews and comments left by people who have used or interacted with a business or establishment and want to share their experience with others. These reviews are created by Google users. Anyone who searches for the company or reads its listing on Google Maps or Google Search will be able to access these reviews because they are published on Google's platform. Google Reviews have a significant impact on a company's credibility and reputation. They offer useful insights into the quality of the products, services, and customer experiences, as well as customer satisfaction with the company as a whole. Users can express their opinions, provide specific details about their experience, and offer recommendations or cautions to potential customers in the written comment section of each review, which includes a star rating (ranging from one to five stars). Businesses can manage and respond to reviews, interact with customers, and address any concerns or issues raised in the feedback by claiming their Google My Business listing. Businesses can demonstrate their dedication to customer satisfaction and earn the trust of potential customers through this interaction. Because they provide first-hand insights from actual customers, Google Reviews are widely used by consumers to make informed decisions about where to spend their money. Because experiences can vary, it is important to take into account multiple reviews and evaluate the overall consensus rather than relying solely on individual opinions. How To See My Google Reviews? To see Google reviews for a specific business, you can follow these steps: Open a web browser and go to www.google.com. In the search bar, enter the name of the business you want to find reviews for. You can include the city or location for more accurate results. Press Enter or click on the "Search" button. In the search results, look for the Google Knowledge Panel on the right-hand side of the page. The Knowledge Panel typically includes information about the business, including its address, phone number, and reviews. Scroll down the Knowledge Panel until you find the "Reviews" section. Here, you will see a summary of the overall rating (in the form of stars) and the total number of reviews. To read individual reviews, click on the "Reviews" section, and you will be presented with a list of reviews left by customers. You can scroll through the reviews and click on each one to view the full review and any accompanying comments. How To See My Google Reviews Through Google Maps? Alternatively, you can also access Google reviews through Google Maps: Open a web browser and go to www.google.com/maps. In the search bar, enter the name of the business you want to find reviews for. Again, you can include the city or location for more accurate results. Press Enter or click on the "Search" button. In the search results, click on the business listing that matches your search. The business's Google Maps listing will appear, including its location on the map and various details. Look for the "Reviews" section on the left-hand side of the screen. Here, you will see an overview of the business's rating and the total number of reviews. Click on the "Reviews" section to view the individual reviews. You can scroll through the reviews, click on each one to read the full review, and see any accompanying comments. Please note that you may need a Google account to leave reviews or interact with the reviews section. However, you can typically read reviews without having an account. How To Add My Google Reviews? To add your own Google review for a business, you can follow these steps: Make sure you have a Google account. If you don't have one, you can create a Google account by going to accounts.google.com and clicking on "Create account." Open a web browser and go to www.google.com. In the search bar, enter the name of the business you want to review. You can include the city or location for more accurate results. Press Enter or click on the "Search" button. In the search results, find the business listing you want to review and click on it. The business's Google Knowledge Panel will appear on the right-hand side of the page. Scroll down until you find the "Write a review" button and click on it. A pop-up window will appear, allowing you to rate the business using a star rating system (ranging from 1 to 5 stars). After selecting your star rating, you can provide a written review by clicking on the text box provided. Here, you can share your experience, provide feedback, or offer recommendations to others. You can also include photos or videos related to your experience by clicking on the camera icon or the "Add photos" button. Once you are satisfied with your review, click on the "Post" button to submit it. Your review will be published on Google, contributing to the business's overall rating and providing valuable feedback to other users. Remember to write a fair and honest review based on your personal experience with the business. How To Edit My Google Reviews? To edit a Google review you've previously posted, you can follow these steps: Open a web browser and go to www.google.com. Click on the "Sign In" button located at the top right corner of the page and log in to your Google account. Make sure to use the same account you used when writing the review. After signing in, enter the name of the business for which you want to edit the review in the search bar. Include the city or location if needed for more accurate results. Press Enter or click on the "Search" button. In the search results, find the business listing associated with your review and click on it. The business's Google Knowledge Panel will appear on the right-hand side of the page. Scroll down until you find your review. Under your review, you should see three dots or an "Edit" button. Click on these options. If you see three dots, click on them and then click on "Edit review" in the dropdown menu. If you see an "Edit" button directly, click on it. A pop-up window will appear, allowing you to make changes to your review. Edit the rating, text, or any other information you wish to modify. Once you've made the desired changes, click on the "Save" or "Update" button to save your edited review. Your updated review will then be published on Google with the changes you made. It's important to note that you can only edit your own reviews, not those written by others. How Can My Google Reviews Make A Difference? Now that you know almost everything about Google reviews, let me tell you how it can help and make a difference. Take a look at some of these points below: 1. Influence Potential Customers When people are researching a product or service, potential customers may be directly influenced by your reviews. Your positive review can boost their ; and influence their decision in favor of that company. Your own personal experience and advice can have a significant impact on other people's decisions. 2. Impact The Business's Reputation Your reviews contribute to the overall reputation of the business. Positive reviews provide social proof and enhance the credibility of the business. Conversely, negative reviews can have a detrimental effect. By sharing your positive experiences, you can contribute to building a positive reputation for the business. 3. Provide Feedback To The Business Your reviews offer valuable feedback to the business owners and management. By highlighting what you liked about their products or services, you provide insights into what they are doing well. Additionally, if you mention areas for improvement, it can help the business identify areas where they can enhance their offerings or customer experience. 4. Encourage Improvement Constructive feedback in your reviews can motivate businesses to make improvements. When they see specific suggestions or areas that need attention, it can inspire them to take action and make necessary changes. Your review can contribute to driving positive change within the business. 5. Help Small And Local Businesses Leaving reviews for small or local businesses can have a significant impact. These businesses often heavily rely on positive word-of-mouth and online reviews to attract customers. Your review can help them gain visibility, stand out from competitors, and thrive in their community. 6. Foster A Culture Of Quality And Customer Service By praising businesses that deliver excellent products, services, or customer experiences, you contribute to fostering a culture of quality and customer service. Your positive reviews encourage businesses to maintain high standards and prioritize customer satisfaction, benefiting both the business and future customers. 7. Create A Sense Of Community Engaging with businesses through reviews creates a sense of community and connection. Your reviews can foster a supportive environment where consumers share their experiences, provide recommendations, and contribute to the collective knowledge base. This helps create a vibrant online community that values transparency and shared experiences. Remember, your reviews hold power, and sharing your genuine experiences and opinions can make a difference not only for the businesses but also for other consumers seeking reliable information. Bonus: What Are The Benefits Of Google Reviews For Business? Google Reviews offer several advantages for businesses as well as consumers. Here are some key advantages: 1. Increased Visibility Positive reviews can improve a business's visibility in Google Search and Google Maps. Higher ratings and a greater number of reviews can enhance the business's online presence, making it more likely to appear in relevant search results and attract potential customers. 2. Trust And Credibility Reviews from real customers help establish trust and credibility for a business. Positive reviews act as social proof, assuring potential customers that others have had positive experiences. This can encourage them to choose the business over competitors. 3. Customer Engagement Google Reviews provide an avenue for businesses to engage directly with their customers. Responding to reviews, whether positive or negative, demonstrates attentiveness and a commitment to customer satisfaction. It allows businesses to address concerns, provide clarifications, and express gratitude for positive feedback, fostering a positive brand image. 4. Customer Insights Reviews offer valuable insights into customer preferences, opinions, and expectations. By analyzing the feedback, businesses can gain a better understanding of their target audience, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions to enhance their products or services. 5. Competitive Advantage Maintaining a high rating and positive reviews can give a business a competitive edge. Potential customers often compare businesses based on their ratings and reviews, and a positive online reputation can attract more customers, even in the presence of competitors. 6. SEO Benefits Google Reviews contribute to search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Positive reviews can improve a business's local search ranking, making it more likely to appear prominently in relevant search results. This can drive more organic traffic to the business's website or physical location. 7. Word-Of-Mouth Marketing Positive reviews act as digital word-of-mouth recommendations. Customers who have had positive experiences may share their reviews with friends, family, or colleagues, potentially expanding the business's reach and attracting new customers. It is worth noting that while positive reviews offer numerous advantages, negative reviews can also provide opportunities for businesses to address issues, improve their offerings, and showcase their dedication to customer satisfaction. Responding professionally and constructively to negative reviews can help mitigate any potential negative impact. Wrapping It Up! In case you were searching about My Google Reviews and the ways in which you can edit, see, and add them on the internet, I hope that this article has been of help to you. If there are any other queries related to the same, feel free to let me know. All that you need to do is scroll down till you reach the bottom of the page. Then leave your comments and queries in the box below. And I will be there to answer them all for you! Learn More About: How to Market a Small Business in a Big City Can You Buy Google Reviews? Know The Answer Here The Future Of VoIP Technology And Its Impact On Business Communications

VAVE Cost Reduction in Business – Its Importance & Benefits

VAVE stands for Value Analysis and Value Engineering. This is actually the method of eliminating costs in any process development process. But from where this engineering comes in, or what are its major roles? Actually, the regularly increasing price and cost pressure are encouraging product development towards innovative options. Now, businesses are also searching for ways they can improve their process and reduce unwanted costs through the help of value analysis. Let’s discuss this below in detail. What Is VAVE? - All You Need To Know Value Analysis and Value Engineering ( VAVE or VA/VE) is a problem-solving methodology that uses two effective processes for optimizing the value of goods or services. Value Engineering is sometimes used as a synonym of Value Management, and both promote the planning and delivery of projects. The rewards of Value Engineering can extend to supply chain improvements; it enhances revenue and increased manufacturing efficiency. Moreover, this engineering is sometimes taught within architecture, industrial engineering, or project management. This analysis varies from one project to another, and there is no solution that fits all. It also covers many levers for EBITDA improvement: product teardown, product benchmarking, Voice of Customer (VoC), cost of poor quality (COPQ), direct supplier participation voice of the shopfloor (VoS), level of vertical integration, value proposition heat map, competitive landscape, market analysis, etc. Why Is VAVE Important? VAVE is vital for businesses because it helps reduce costs and improve the quality of the products. It also allows the company to increase its effectiveness and efficiency in the long run. VA.VE can also be defined as a tool to improve cost efficiency by evaluating the functionality of a product. The best thing about this analysis is that it reduces unnecessary costs without compromising its efficiency and quality. You can also evaluate your performance and can obtain a clear picture of the components that are not truly important and remove them in order to decrease costs. VAVE Benefits Value Analysis and Value Engineering (VA/VE) is important as it identifies possible problems and suggests improvements that should be made in the company. Therefore, let’s discuss some of the top benefits of VAVE for your business. Improve design Improve brand image Encourage new ideas Minimizes costs Maintain high quality Develops fresh technologies to use new technologies Value Analysis Vs. Value Engineering - Differences Between Them Value engineering and value analysis play an important role in a business. This analysis simplifies the process, but you must be creative and specific. So, let’s now discuss the difference between this analysis and engineering. Value Analysis Value Engineering This implies analyzing existing products This appears during the development of new products This is actually a cost reduction before a product that is already in production This is actually a cost reduction of a product before production. This technique is used to identify the functions of a product and provides them with the lowest cost. This process refers to the design stage. VAVE Cost Reduction Steps You Need To Know There are some VAVE cost reduction steps that you need to know and to save your time and effort, we have discussed the same below. i). Prepare For Long Lead Times The first step is to prepare for the long lead times because, in the future, there might be a component shortage that can extend for another year or two. Actually, value refers to the ratio of the function of cost, so you must maximize the value of the product by minimizing the value of the costs. ii). Optimize Your Bill Of Materials Another way to reduce your costs is to optimize your bill of materials. However, you need a team of experts here to look at your product BOM and optimize it for mass manufacturing. You can generate new ideas for improvement and find great alternatives so that the project can perform the same functions. iii). Present Improvements It is very important to present improvements to your head. The improvements will help the company in its growth and development. Furthermore, this can improve the sales and revenue of the organization to a great extent. For this, you need to determine the areas of improvement and aim that your team understands the process. iv). Generate New Ideas The last step in VAVE is to generate new ideas for improvement. For this, you must develop new improvement ideas and find great alternatives. You must also identify the primary and secondary functions of the project and determine ways to improve the same. The Final Verdict VAVE is an important term of the cost reduction process of a company. By doing this analysis, a company can understand the useless business practices and how to replace them with new approaches that will bring the desired results. Besides, let me know your doubts in the comment section below if you have any regarding Value Analysis or Value Engineering (VA/VE). Read Also: Guide on Choosing the Right EQMS Solution How Brands Use Net Base for Deep Social Media Analysis Gait Analysis: What It Is, And Why Every Runner Needs One 5 Tips For Transport & Logistics Business Owners Before Investing In Insurance 7 Rules of Effective Ecommerce Web Design

Weighs in On Building an Online Business: 7 Steps to Success

Find a Gap in the Market:

Do Your Research:

Create a Platform:

Build Your Reputation:

Drive Traffic to Your Website:

Convert Site Visitors to Customers:

Keep Customers Coming Back:

Trading Contracts for Differences

How to Choose Insurance When Launching Your HHA Business

Tags

Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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How To Select The Best Catering Service For Your Next Corporate Conference Event?

My Google Reviews: How To See, Add, & Edit Google Reviews?

VAVE Cost Reduction in Business – Its Importance & Benefits

Weighs in On Building an Online Business: 7 Steps to Success

Find a Gap in the Market:

Do Your Research:

Create a Platform:

Build Your Reputation:

Drive Traffic to Your Website:

Convert Site Visitors to Customers:

Keep Customers Coming Back:

Share this Article

Trading Contracts for Differences

How to Choose Insurance When Launching Your HHA Business

Tags

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Popular

Follow Us

Recent

Related