The internet has made trading more accessible than ever to both existing and new businesses

The internet has completely changed the way we do business. Websites can help potential customers easily find your company, whilst ecommerce has opened businesses up to buyers that would have previously been unavailable to them. The number of online shoppers continues to grow, with billions being spent online each year.

We explain the basics of trading online in this post to help you get your business visible on the internet soon as possible.

A Domain Name

When forming your company, it’s a good idea to purchase a domain name matching your chosen company name at the same time. This can be pointed to your website at a later date. If possible, keep your domain name short and memorable, but make sure it’s recognisable as belonging to your business. If you want to prevent anyone from using a similar domain to yours, it might be a good idea to register a few different extensions, such as the .com, .co.uk, .net etc.

A Website

While it’s good practice to register a domain name when you register a company in order to stop anyone else from doing so, you’ll get the most value from domain name ownership if you have a website it points to. Even if you have no plans to trade online, a website is a business essential because many consumers start their buying journey by searching for their needs online.

If you do want to trade online, you’ll need an ecommerce enabled website. @UKplc Company Registrations parent company cloudBuy offers different ecommerce website packages or some of our company formation packages include an ecommerce website.

SEO

In order for your website to have any value, it must be easy to find for potential customers. Implementing good SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) practices is the best way to do this as most people will use a search engine to find what they are looking for online. SEO can be a vast and complex subject, but here is a beginner’s guide.

Online Marketplaces

Online marketplaces are a great alternative to building your own ecommerce website or even supplementing your existing website. Websites like Amazon can be a great way to get your products in front of a new audience. There are also specialist marketplaces; for example, Etsy which caters for businesses offering handmade or vintage goods, or PHBChoices – a marketplace for health and social care-related products and services.

emarketplaces are a great option if you’re not technically savvy but want an easy, affordable way to sell your products or services online. You can reach brand new customers with ease and if you join a specialist marketplace, you know that you will be reaching people who need what you have to offer.

Social Media

Whilst a website used to be the go-to place to find out about a business online, consumers now expect companies to have a social media presence alongside their website. Social media is a great way to allow your customers to get in touch with you, build an online community and increase the reputation of your brand. We recently wrote a beginner’s guide to social media for business you may find useful.

You should now feel ready to start the process of getting your business online. With the number of internet users increasing around the globe, organisations can no longer afford to ignore the web.