3 Ways to Ensure Your Business Grows It’s Online Services

By KK Hart, guest blogger and certified business coach + consultant

 

So, you’ve gone v-i-r-t-u-a-l! Congratulations on taking this big step. I’m sure you can agree after a few months of this new business venture that lead generation and customer retention are going to be the largest keys to your success.

Have you started investing and growing to keep your business online now and for the future? By taking the following suggestions, lead generation and acquisition come with it. This is how you future proof your business, for the now and the future years to come!

1. Understanding the client buying process

Let’s face it, the way people buy products and services these days is completely different from sales processes and set ups of a decade ago. Potential customers are not necessarily attracted to businesses because of flashy and tacky advertisements like they once were. In order to generate leads, businesses need to commit to providing quality content, such as the classes and services you are providing online. It’s that very quality vs. quantity approach to content that can correlate directly with your client needs so the sales process is streamlined and conversion ready!

The goal in going virtual should be to protect and increase revenues, rather than simply to avoid “containing” or “cutting” costs. The first step to success in building a long-lasting online business is to look at your business and determine what is going to drive or sustain momentum. Your products or services are your current driving force.

Four important ways to keep your momentum while understanding client needs are:

1. Reflect on your business’ current growth objectives
2. Respond to your current client needs by creating engaging content
3. Reimagine the sales process to ensure it aligns with your virtual abilities
4. Reinvigorate your community by encouraging them throughout their use of your virtual services, not just when they start using those services!

2. Upgrade your online presence

As a business owner in our social distanced and quarantined world, you are being challenged in the short term, but also getting the opportunity to transform your company for the long term! Now that you are offering services online, your website needs to have a premium user experience. In my marketing agency, at times I have found that fitness business owners often create websites they like instead of thinking about their target audience and how they will navigate the site. Now more than ever, this leaves gaps in the client conversion process and is an important part of long-lasting online growth.

Make sure your website flows

More information is not always better. It needs to be simple and straight to the point, making it easy for clients and potential customers to navigate. Hopefully you’ve spent some time on your website as a user lately. Your website should do more than just have personality, it needs to be functional to lead clients to the action of signing up for the virtual service of their choosing.

Create a site that welcomes users

The entire site should be welcoming and yet also create action with every click. As it relates to your content such as pictures and videos, this is what I can say, after building thousands of websites for boutique fitness businesses, I highly recommend using content that is real to your business.

For instance, stock photos are recognizable, but some customers tend to find them off putting. One way to get around this is to incorporate your social media onto your website as seamlessly as possible. It’s an extra way to connect to your clientele, use images that are native to the business, and to start a conversation to get potential clients into the community expeditiously.

The right online presence = growth in your virtual business

Overall, your entire online presence should be cohesive and encourage clients to dive in and try your services or products. The right online presence leads to growth in your virtual business without any additional staff or brick and mortar locations—that’s a major bonus!

3. Get social, stay conversational

If you’re committing to growing a virtual business, you’ve also committed to investing in better communication. Utilizing social media is one of the easiest and most cost-effective strategies in reaching your target audience.

As you likely already know, your customers are on social media—over 70% of the U.S. population has at least one social media account! Using social media gives you a greater chance of reaching your audience where they spend their time.

Share teasers of your content

To grow your online services, the best practice is to use your social media to showcase teasers and sneak peeks of your premium content, but not to provide that content for free. By providing more brand exposure, the business becomes more accessible and aspirational for your potential customers while driving them to sign up for an introductory offer or first class.

Create a connection with your social profile

While it’s a great idea to start with, your social media profiles should do more than simply point your visitors to your website or link in bio. This is an opportunity to create a direct connection to engaged leads as well as generate coveted website traffic.

Be strategic with socials ads

Investing in advertisements through Facebook or Instagram are the single greatest way my clients rock their revenue! Utilizing experts instead of just trying to boost posts themselves means the ads are strategic, relevant and most importantly, conversational, thus giving your brand more exposure to the right client who is ready to be engaged.

The consistency of your communication on these social media platforms is as important as your ad strategy. If the goal is to gain new live class attendees or grow your on-demand client base, the consistency of your conversational style of messaging will provide the client with clarity on that all important first step and more!

Stay encouraged, fit friends.

If you’re willing to invest into marketing your business appropriately, you will find going online is the best thing you can do for your future growth! It’s no longer about where your studio is based, or the few local competitors you have in your neighborhood.

If you’re willing to put in the work, staying online will be like an insurance policy for your business, allowing you to ensure you can make money no matter what happens to your ability to host brick and mortar classes. Don’t get left behind! Growing your virtual offerings provides you opportunities to build your brand, build your online presence, and build your business revenue. This is priceless! Take these steps today and create an attractive future for your business!

Don’t forget you can’t run your business alone—it takes a team! This is where an all-in-one business management platform can help you streamline and grow your business. WellnessLiving provides the tools—like an automated marketing suite, Zoom integration and FitVID on Demand—you need to manage your business needs! Want to learn more? Book a free, no-commitment demo today!

Book a call with KK Hart TODAY!