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Bootstrapping a New Business

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There was  a post from Julie Chenell somewhere this week that really hit home during this time in my life. I follow her on everything, so can’t remember where it was exactly. I have followed her forever. And love her posts, her story, her passion…I can relate to her on so many levels.

Back to the point of this post…she kind of went off on the internet about how business owners don’t know how to bootstrap it now. The market has changed. What was once a “golden goose” for so many small business owners is evolving. And people are complaining about it and not prepared for it. I see this all over the place.

And in some senses, I am facing it myself as I attempt to re-launch my business. However, I’ve been through it a couple of times. And know that to keep up and stay relevant, my business and I must change. I’ve got to modify what I offer, how I offer it, and even where I offer it. (Phew, that’s a lot of change all at once. Seriously, who does well with change, anyone?!?)

watch this space

Bootstrapping 101

Now I’m going back to the basics. I’ve downgraded all my business tools and I’m exploring alternatives. Would anyone be interested in a serious of exactly how I modify my business in preparation for re-launching. I mean, the nitty, gritty details…tools, costs, services. Just a thought, let me know if you are interested.

But today, I spent some time reviewing the tools I love, their costs (because really everything has changed since I closed down a couple of years ago,) and making a list of what are NEEDS vs WANTS in this endeavor.

Here are a few things I am reviewing:

  1. Scheduling – I love Calendly. Thankfully, they offer a free version that does everything I need at this moment. It integrates with my Google calendar and that is a MUST have for me.
  2. Cloud storage – I have used Dropbox FOREVER, but am seriously considering switching to Google storage instead. Anyone have any experience with this? From the research I’ve done, there would be a cost savings and well, it’s Google so it integrates with everything. Although, I do have to mention that I love the Dropbox password keeper.
  3. Website – Thankfully, because I host so many of my clients’ websites, my own websites are hosted for free. But I do need to refresh and relaunch my site(s) depending on the direction I decide to go. (And yes, they are all WordPress sites that I design myself. What a website? Hit me up!)
  4. Analytics – I make decisions based on numbers, so deep diving into analytics has been important. Since Google launched GA4, I am working on getting certified and up to speed on all the new offerings.
  5. Advertising – For the bulk of my contracting career, I’ve gotten work from sites like Guru and Upwork. But after the last couple of months of investing time and money there…well, it’s not paying off like it used to. So I must explore some other options. Any suggestions, fellow small business owners?

Staying Focused but Open

I am staying very focused on searching for work…hitting up everything I can find. (And yes, I am looking at both contract work and full time W2 employment.) But while I’m doing that…I’m about to bootstrap this relaunch like I’ve never done before. Let me know if you’d like to hear more about how I do this exactly.

Read more from Hope

A Whole Day Off Work – March, 2021

I Got a New Job – April, 2014

Striking Out on Your Own – April, 2014

When Absolutely Everything is Up in the Air…Again – January, 2023

Useful Tips for Creating a Customer-Oriented Website

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Today, all businesses need an online presence. Even if you run a brick-and-mortar business, it’s important to have a website where potential customers can learn more about your operations. That said, creating a website isn’t enough. You have to ensure it’s customer-oriented. That means a website centered on the needs, wants, and behaviors of customers. Take a look at some tips to help you create a customer-oriented website.

Base Your Decisions on Customer Data

Let customer data, behavior, and feedback influence whatever changes or decisions you make on your website. You can gather this information from several places, such as website analytics, social media engagements, and customer feedback. Remember to collect this data legally, ethically, and safely. Most people are concerned about how companies use their data. As research has found, about 70% of adults prefer certain aspects of their digital life to remain private. Therefore, when collecting personal data, inform users how you plan to use it and who you plan to share it with, and allow them to consent.

Make Your Page Easy to Navigate

Ensure customers can easily find what they’re looking for on your website. One way to do this is by dividing your website into different pages. This includes pages like home, products and services, blogs, and contact information. Also, have a search bar on all your website pages so that customers can find what they want with ease.

Ensure Your Website Is Responsive

Most people will leave a website if it loads slowly. The longer a webpage takes to load, the more it affects the purchase decision of the shopper. Ensure your website runs smoothly by optimizing images and videos for quicker downloads. It also helps to pick a website host that can easily handle your business’s bandwidth demands.

Solve Customer Problems Without Trying to Sell

While you may be tempted to hard-sell your products or services, prioritize solving customers’ problems through your content. Hard selling isn’t very effective nowadays because people are exposed to this language on social media channels. If you want to hard sell, it’s better to do it on your social media pages, especially if you’re in industries like fashion, lifestyle, entertainment, and beauty. About 96% of beauty brands have social media accounts. These are platforms you can hard sell. For your website, make it more about educating your site visitors. This can help convert them into customers.

Provide Accurate Information

Inaccurate information is a huge turnoff. This could be the wrong phone number, grammatical errors, or outdated product information. All these are enough to irritate customers. These things may look simple or inconsequential, but they affect customer purchase decisions. Plus, with the competition out there, you have to try your best to provide customers with a good experience. Proofread content on every page and regularly update any information when need be.

Ensure Your Site Mobile Responsive

A customer-centric website needs to be mobile-responsive. Most Americans check out products through their phones rather than their computers and laptops. If your website isn’t responsive on mobiles, potential customers will abandon it and check out your competitor’s site. Open your site through your phone and see if it’s easy to navigate or read through. If it’s not, consult with a website designer on how to make it mobile-friendly.

Simplify the Checkout Process

No one wants to go through a lengthy checkout process. If that’s the case on your website, users will likely get frustrated and abandon the cart. To ensure you make money from sales, ensure you have a simple checkout process. It will motivate users to make purchases. According to Ready Cloud, about 18% of retail sales were completed online, a figure expected to reach 22% in 2024. This presents you with opportunities to grab some of these customers. You can do that by simplifying the checkout process.

Keep these seven tips in mind when aiming to create a customer-centric website. At the end of the day, ensure you’re providing site visitors with a smooth experience when they navigate your site.