by Sharon Jones

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Increasing numbers of us are opting to base our small businesses online. There are various reasons for this. Operating online is much cheaper (as you don’t have to fork out for commercial property costs or energy bills), allows your products to be accessible around the clock (as the web is in operation 24/7), and can open you up to an international audience with the simple addition of international shipping on your listed items. However, when you operate online, you’ll often find yourself struggling to stand out from an extremely saturated market. You also don’t have traditional benefits such as a storefront with window displays to entice customers in. Instead, you’re going to have to put a whole lot of hard work into ensuring people know that you exist and directing them to your site. But not to worry. Here are just a few different things that you can do to achieve this and expose your online business to as many people as possible!

SEO

When people search for something online, they generally make use of a search engine. They will take to Google, Bing, or another engine and input key terms associated with what they want. Nine out of ten will not go past the first page of results. So, you really want to make sure that you appear on this first page of search results. This will see more people click your link and higher levels of traffic passing through your page. The more people who go onto your page, the more people who will be exposed to your stock and generate sales. But how do you place yourself on this first page? The answer is SEO, which stands for search engine optimization. Unless you fancy spending extended periods of time conducting in-depth research into SEO yourself, you should seriously consider making use of professional SEO services. These professionals will know the subject inside out and have plenty of insight and contacts to bring your page to the top of search results.

Social Media Influencers

Chances are that you already use social media yourself and may even follow a few social media influencers. Social media influencers are individuals who have gathered a huge number of followers of subscribers. These individuals can prove to be incredible assets when it comes to your business’ exposure. They may have tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of followers. If they post a picture or message promoting your company or the products that you offer, a huge percentage of these people will take note and are likely to look further into your business and make purchases. So, keep an eye out for social media influencers who align with your brand image and consider collaborating with them. Most will charge to create promotional posts, but there are a few who will collaborate with you for free items from your stock.

Following these two simple steps could help to expose your online business and brand to a much wider audience. More eyes on your product generally means more sales, which in turn means more profit. So, don’t waste any time in incorporating these steps into your business plan!