If you are wanting to grow your business in 2020, follow these easy steps you can take today to scale your online business! I know that the idea of setting up processes and automating systems may terrify you. But don’t get scared and put it off yet again. I’m going to break it down into small, actionable steps that even you can take.
We all know that once we have a business that is doing well, we should begin think about scaling. It’s one thing to grow your business. You add to your team. You offer more products or services. But to really scale your business, you need to set up your systems and processes to work as efficiently as possible.
Why? So you can remove yourself from the backend of your business and focus on making a difference in the lives of your clients. Unless you automate systems, you will spend the majority of your time managing the backend of your business. Is that why you started your business? So you could run the backend? Absolutely not!!!
You started your business so you can impact the lives of others. So it’s time to set your business up to scale so you can get back to doing the things you love.
Where do you begin? In the rest of this post, I will address four easy steps you can take today to scale your online business. These are the areas that I focus on when I start working with a new client.
Is Your Website Accurate And Easy To Navigate?
The first area you’ll want to focus on is your website. We’ve all been to a website that was hard to navigate or the message was confusing. You can’t wait to move on – and typically you do. Likely, you will never go back or even consider purchasing what they were selling. To make sure this isn’t happening to your business, you need to do an audit of your website.
Your website is often the first point of contact you will have with a potential client. You want your website visitors to have a positive experience and linger awhile so you can have the chance to explain to them why your product or service is something they can’t do without. And you know what they say about first impressions, right? If you can make a good first impression, the potential client will be more likely to browse through your website and you’ll end up with a sale.
First, take some time to really read through your website. Does your messaging still speak to your ideal client? Over time our message can start to get stale or out of date. Maybe your offerings change. Or possibly you have a new achievement you want to list. You want to make sure that your website visitors are clear on who you serve and the services or product you offer.
While you read through your copy, ask yourself if it’s clear what a potential client should do if they want to work with you. Are your calls-to-action well placed? If your website is hard to navigate leaving your visitor confused on what the next step is, you will lose out on a potential sale.
This is also a good time to check the links to make sure they are still working. If you have pop-ups on your website, make sure those are still accurate as well.
Don’t let your website become tired and something that people try to avoid. Take time to make sure your message is accurate and your website is inviting to those who visit.
Are Your Systems Being Used Efficiently?
As your business grows, it’s important to have systems and processes in place that will make the best use of your time. If you feel like you are doing the same tasks over and over and you aren’t making progress, that’s a good indicator that your business is in need of some help.
Start documenting how you are spending your time. Write down everything you are doing in your day so you can start to identify the recurring tasks and gaps that need to be filled. This will take some time, but it’s a great place to start so you can begin to move forward.
Every business has recurring tasks. It could be a part of your onboarding new clients process or how you take care of the financials each month. For every recurring task in your business, you need to have a standard operating procedure or SOP. A SOP is a documentation of the software you use and each step taken to complete a recurring task. They do take time to create, but they save you so much time in the long run. SOPs can even be used while training new hires.
Another area to check is your project management tool. If you aren’t using one, you needed one yesterday! Project management tools are vital to the success of any business. This is a place that every task should be listed and given a due date. If you have a team, you should also note who is responsible for the completion of that task. Personally, I use ClickUp* because I can set it up to give me reminders, collaborate with team members, and attach documents or links. It is an amazing tool that saves my business.
It can take some extra time to get systems and processes in place. Make it a priority to start putting those in place today so your business can be more efficient tomorrow!
Do You Have A Marketing Strategy?
Marketing is key in any business. If you don’t market your products well, it’s unlikely you’ll get sales in order to stay in business. This can also be the most challenging area for businesses.
One method of marketing is to offer an opt-in on your website. We’ve already discussed how your website is usually where people go first to check out your business. Offer them a piece of content that is full of valuable content in exchange for their email address. Once you have their email address, you can market to them through regular emails you send your list.
It is easy to get discouraged with marketing efforts. You feel like you are selling all. day. long. Don’t give up. Studies have shown that 80% of sales take place after the 5th contact with your potential client.
That being said, you also don’t want to be known for sending a massive amount of emails. When I get on a list that sends me numerous emails over the course of a day or week, I unsubscribe. Think about how many emails a week you would actually read from a person that was marketing to you. One suggestion is that you send no more that 2-3 a week. Personally, I think one email a week is plenty.
However you do decide to market your business, be sure that your call-to-action is super clear. Be very specific in telling the potential client what they should do to take the next step. You don’t want them to walk away confused because they don’t know if they should send you an email or set up a discovery call. If you ask them to send you an email, make sure they know what that address is.
Marketing can take a good portion of your time when first getting started. But once your name gets out there and your clients have a good experience, they will also help with marketing your products and services.
Is Your Marketing Leading To Sales?
You invest time and money in your marketing because you want to make sales. That’s the whole point of a business, right? You have to make sales to keep your business running, pay your team, and pay yourself. If your marketing is working, it’s leading people to your product or service.
Once you have a potential client looking at your product or service, you need to explain why they need your product or service. Depending on the cost of the item, you may also encourage a call with the potential client so you can speak with them directly and answer any questions they may have.
However you communicate with your potential client, make sure you are doing it on a regular basis with a consistent message. If you want your potential client to have faith in what you are promising, you have to be confident and consistent with your messaging.
And remember, you may not make that sale right away. But stay in their inbox and keep nurturing that lead.
Don’t Delay, Get Started Today
It’s important to start these easy steps you can take today to scale your online business. You may find that it’s hard to squeeze some of these things into your already busy schedule. However, if you start by making a list of things you want to accomplish, set a goal of checking one thing off your list each day. For a more comprehensive list of things you can do to scale your business, check out my free resource, “The 4 Keys Areas To Scale Your Online Business”. I hope you find these suggestions to be as helpful as they have been in my clients’ businesses.
P.S. If you have a deep desire to improve your business, but you are struggling to find time to tackle these tasks, set up a free discovery call with me to discuss some options.
(*This post does contain an affiliate link to ClickUp.)