Starting a new business in the modern online environment is faster than it used to be before the development of the Internet.
You can register a new venture, open a business bank account, and launch a business website in a matter of hours. If you have a potentially profitable business idea, you hold the world in the palm of your hand.
However, this is only one side of the medal. These flexible business conditions are the same for everyone, meaning that the global competition is fiercer than ever before. There are dozens of rivals starting the same business journey on a global scale.
In that light, we’ve prepared the five top considerations for new SMB owners in 2022 to help you kickstart your business without any dead ends along the way.
Social networks are changing
Social media aren’t famous for boosting our attention span. However, the growth of mobile website traffic and the emergence of new social networks (think TikTok) are narrowing our focus even more.
So, when you’re creating your social media business campaign, bear in mind the diversification of social media.
For instance, Facebook should be considered the general store among social media. Every business needs to have a Facebook business page, because it’s the most populous network in the world.
However, if you’re aiming at a younger audience, Instagram and TikTok are the two main options. Especially pay attention to TikTok, which has developed quickly in the last three years and is increasingly popular with teenagers, as well as with people in their 20s and 30s.
Finally, don’t forget LinkedIn and other similar business networks. Start presenting your business and its services there, but first get familiar with LinkedIn’s own tips for business page promotion.
Mobile-first approach wins
We’ve already pointed out that mobile website traffic has risen tremendously in the last few years. The development of this kind of web search didn’t affect only the way people use social networks.
It has shaken the entire ecommerce market and opened new opportunities for developing businesses.
Instead of going down the traditional digital-business lane – do the market research, start a business website, generate leads, start selling goods or services – there are shortcuts now. For instance, you might not need to launch an entire business website in the beginning. Try with a mobile app first, especially if you’re an ecommerce business. If things go well, you’ll start making money and have a website built afterward. Make sure to protect this app and your customers by implementing the key ecommerce security features.
Enhanced online payment security
Online security is one of the main features in the contemporary online business surroundings.
When starting a new business, here’s a security checklist for every new owner:
- Choose a reliable hosting provider. The hosting provider will keep your website and business data on servers. This fact raises numerous questions. Are those servers physically protected? Are data on them encrypted so that third-party intruders can’t access them? Do you want to keep your information on a shared or dedicated server? The latter costs more but ensures that your business doesn’t become collateral damage of a hacker attack. Do your homework and go for a top-notch and secure hosting provider.
- Keep your security features updated. If you’re the admin of your business website, make sure to have all the updates automatically and regularly updated. If not, check out with the hosting provider or website designer who built the website to keep all the security features up to date. Moreover, go for the best antivirus and antimalware tools out there to protect your office computers and stay safe 24/7.
- Ensure proper identity and access management. It’s important to understand that many security risks may be caused by internal business factors. Bad password management, inadequate identity and access management, and lousy onboarding are only some of the causes of data theft and hacker attacks. Keep an eye on all these features and make sure to control them properly.
- Work with top–notch payment processors. New business owners need to learn how to receive and send money in the online environment. Setting up a merchant account in a bank can be time-consuming and inconvenient for a fresh entrepreneur. Instead of that, find an experienced and trustworthy payment processor who will handle all your payments and keep your money safe.
Visuals get more diverse
Today business owners need to use an entire palette of visuals to satisfy their audience.
For starters, be aware that it’s authenticity now that counts. While stock photos are acceptable for some content forms, if whenever you’re planning to publish your success stories or client case studies, make original visual content, from photos and illustrations to HD videos. The more visuals you create in the house, the more authentic you’ll be in the clients’ eyes.
Businesses that want to launch their own products must take care of their brand details. For instance, they can use 3D rendering to make quality photos and get advantage over their rivals.
Also, all the visuals you upload to your website need to be properly optimized in terms of the resolution and size. That way, you’ll avoid overloading the website with too much information that could slow it down and endanger its conversion rates.
Starting a business is never easy and the conditions in the digital business market are constantly changing. Nevertheless, today you have more options, tools, and strategies at your disposal than ever before. So, use the tips above, take the plunge, and join the online business community in 2022.
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Author Byline: Liam Collins is a tech pundit and Web enthusiast working at TuiSpace.com. He spends most of his time reading and writing about the current affairs in the world of information technology. When he isn’t working, he likes going for long bike rides and walks in nature.
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