2020 was a year full of uncertainty for businesses and entrepreneurs. The emergence of a global pandemic forced some of these companies to shut their doors permanently. Others declared bankruptcy. The good news is that not all of them closed down. Several business owners have stepped up and began migrating their brands online. 

Transitioning from the traditional, face-to-face business to uploading products and services online is a step in the right direction, especially in this current political, financial, and economic climate. If you’re a business owner, this is the best route to stay afloat amid uncertainty. Even in the new year, you can’t expect things to revert to how they once were. Instead, focus your attention on how you’ll improve your business’ online presence in 2021. Here are some tips. 

Accept That These Changes Might Be Permanent 

Speaking of reverting to normal. You need to understand that the ‘new normal’ does not mean going back to how you’ve always conducted your business in the past. It means accepting that the changes you implemented in 2020 are now the new processes of your business.  

The new normal should not be limited to moving from a physical store or office to an e-commerce website for your business. It could also be an opportunity to explore a wide variety of products or brainstorming new services you can offer to your potential customers.  

Improve Your Website 

The evolving way that shoppers buy and consume products online will continue to be a trend in 2021. If you haven’t invested in migrating your products and services online, now is the time to do so. Even if you already have a website, make sure it’s up to date, mobile-friendly, and SEO-optimized. 

Optimize Your Website For Mobile Use 

70% of internet users use their mobile phones to look for product websites. Is your website optimized for smartphones? If you’re shaking your head ‘no,’ then it’s time to consult a web designer about bringing your website up to date. 

Websites being mobile-friendly is a crucial factor in generating traffic. It’s important to understand that computers and phones have entirely different screen real estate. Your website won’t look the same on a PC and a phone. If your website is not optimized for smart devices, visitors will bounce away to a different website. 

Conduct A Website Audit 

A website audit is a procedure that seeks to determine how well your website performs across several search engine ranking metrics, such as security, speed, conversion rate, and probably the most important of all, search engine optimization (SEO).

Conducting a website audit allows you to see what else you can improve for your site to rank higher on Google, generate more traffic, and increase both conversions and sales. 

In essence, a site audit lets you answer these essential questions about your website: 

• Why is my website not generating enough traffic? 
• Why are our sales and conversion not increasing? 
• Are there any factors driving visitors away? 
• Are there any technical issues? 

Enhance Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 

If you’re asking yourself, ‘How can my target audience find my business online?’ the answer to your question is SEO. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website and its contents to rank on top of Google’s Search Engine Results Page (SERPs), as well as other sites, such as Yahoo! Search and Bing. 

Internet users utilize these search engines to find the most relevant information about their query. If your website is not SEO-friendly, you’ll be lucky to find your website on page 2 of the Google results. That can have a significant effect on the ability of your website to generate traffic. 

Luckily, there’s are several highly-informative intro to SEO resources available online, so you can get up to speed quickly. SEO guides help you to understand the basics, including Google’s algorithm. 

There’s also plenty of web apps that can test your website for SEO. When you conduct SEO tests, make sure to evaluate the essential pages on your website. SEO tools allow you to see what else you can improve on your content to rank higher on Google. 

Improving the SEO of your website could take some time, but it is definitely worth the investment. Optimizing your website to improve its rank on Google’s SERP is a great way to increase your business’ overall online presence. 

Improve Ease of Access Through UX And UI 

Yes, generating traffic on your website is essential, but so is converting leads into sales.  

Before you leave your website to the gods of the internet to generate traffic and convert, you need to make sure that your site’s interface is easy to navigate. Creating a mobile-friendly site and optimizing it to rank on SERPs is just part of the work. To gain traction and sales, you still need to make everything useful and aesthetically-pleasing, to enhance your client’s experience. 

UX and UI are terms that refer to the user experience and user interface of your website, respectively. On the client’s side of things, this is how they will interact with your business online.  

Why is it important? Well, for starters, you only have 8 seconds of your website visitor’s attention to impress them with your website. If they have a hard time navigating, the chances of them staying will be pretty slim. 

Improve the UX and UI of your website by designing a responsive website that is easy to navigate for users. 

Create Attractive Content 

As far as 2021 goes, content is still king. High-quality content is one way to let your customers know about your brand and keep them loyal to it. But to increase your authority, creating content is not enough.  

To reach a broader customer base, you need to produce content that fits your audience’s context. It has to be relevant and attractive to them, or else they’ll move on to find something that is.  

Some of the platforms you can utilize to post regular content are blogs, YouTube, and social media. Maximize these avenues to increase your brand authority and awareness. Tell your story to create authenticity. Posting engaging content regularly allows your business to stand out amongst your competition. 

Conclusion 

Running a business is already an uncertain prospect. Add the unpredictability of our current situation, and companies need to find different avenues to stay afloat. If you’re a business owner, leverage the tips above to help your business transition online.