Category Archives: Web

SEO and SEM – Promoting your website

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Establishing a website or e-commerce store is just like establishing a physical business; no one knows you exist, to begin with. Just as you would want to drive people to visit a brick-and-mortar store, you need to drive people to visit your virtual store. Similarly, if you’re going to find a website, you use a search engine. But how do you compete with everyone else to get your site near the top of the list? In this guide, we will discuss what SEO and SEM are and how they can help your website become popular.

A search engine is a program that uses a keyword to identify websites on the internet, and Google is a search engine.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is internet marketing that increases a site’s visibility through organic (unpaid search) search engine results and advertising. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is increasing the number of website visitors by making the site appear high on results returned by a search engine. SEM includes SEO as well as other search marketing tactics.

WHY use SEO and SEM?

Imagine we have moved into a retail store on a busy street. We make everything amazing inside the store but leave the outside with blacked-out windows and no signage. Will customers walk by coming in? No!

So you have a new or existing website, now is the time to get more visitors and ensure that it is optimised to give you an advantage over your competition. Put more, and help your small business drive more sales.

The best way to do this is to ensure you appear on a search engine when people are looking for your goods or services. Have you ever noticed how many results come up when you search, thousands if not millions? Your goal is to be on the first page as high up as possible.

WHAT do you need to understand about an internet search?

Search engines like Google make their money from advertising. You will find that the top searches are advertisements a business has paid for. The good news is that search engines also want to be helpful, so they understand that if all they published were advertising, people would not use them. Thus, you will find an organic or unpaid search on this page to ensure they provide the searcher with the best results. Getting your business in this organic search is key, but how the magic formula works at Google is a secret. It is a secret to stop people from manipulating the system and always being on the top of the list.

Google’s formula is considered to consider over 200 ranking criteria that are believed to be segmented into three categories: Technology, Copywriting, and Backlinks.

Technology – refers to how well a website works and includes things like the ability to represent itself just as well on a smartphone as a desktop PC, the speed a page loads, if all the links work, etc.

Copywriting – refers to the words used on the website to describe your business and offerings. Those keywords relating to a topic, the length of information, the context of your content, and even page titles and pictures will make a difference.

Backlinks – this is an incoming link from another site. If you are receiving links from other websites, then others consider your website important; thus, Google makes the same assumption.

HOW do I do SEO and SEM?

You have to decide how much money, if any, you will invest in SEM and how SEM will be integrated into other activities. For example, if you run a newspaper advertisement and the call to action is to visit your website, this is an example of SEM. Investing money can be in advertising or using the expertise of others to improve your website.

The most common form of SEM is to pay to have your site appear higher in a Google search result. The process is as follows:

  1. You select a keyword/s to associate with your business. Think about what someone would type to search for your business. 
  2. Decide where you want your ads to appear. Just your town or the whole state or country.
  3. Create a message around your benefit to the customer
  4. Decide a budget
  5. Decide when and what times of the day you want to be live

 The cost of doing this depends on how many other people want to do it simultaneously and how much they are prepared to pay for that keyword. Thus a bidding process determines the cost. You can also pay based on reaching many people or for results. When someone clicks on your site, the latter is more expensive. Google has many tools to help you spend your money and help drive the best results. The key for you is to review what you paid and measure if you saw a corresponding increase in sales (Return on Investment – ROI). If you did, it worked. If you did not, try something else.

For both SEM and SEO, there are three ways to get it done:
  1. Do it yourself – further research and tools provided by Google and others
  2. Domain Hoster – the firm you have used to host your site that potentially helped you build it via a template or website builder will have additional packages around advertising to help you
  3. Hire an expert – This specialist will know all the tricks and, for a fee, will advise you on your best options.
If we now look at how to get the best out of your website by using SEO, there are several steps you should follow:

Begin with research – Ensure you are optimising for the search terms to attract the best traffic to your website. It would be best if you researched keywords and competitors. A handy tool to use is Google’s Keyword Planner https://ads.google.com/intl/en_au/getstarted/. A free tool that gives you keyword ideas along with information on search volume. Just type in keywords that are relevant to your small business. Keyword Planner will generate a list of keyword ideas, along with information on search volume and competition for each keyword. You want keywords with a high search volume but low competition. The other part of SEO research is looking up your competitor’s SEO activity. You will want to understand the keywords that they are using as well as the websites that are linking to their site. This competitive information will allow you to refine your approach to SEO. Use a tool such as MOZ or SEMRush to find your competitors’ keywords.

Optimise your website– Take your list of keywords and include them in your page titles and descriptions, headers, web copy, and URLs.

Optimising your site for search is not just about keywords. Characteristics like site speed, usability, and mobile friendliness will affect your ranking. Test your site on your mobile. Get your friends to visit your site and see how fast it loads and give comments on its appeal and usability.

Content marketing – Creating relevant and educational content allows you to engage your customers and also positions you as a trustworthy expert in your space. This content relating to your keywords will boost SEO rankings and encourage others to link to your site. Consider what people want to know, including their questions and concerns. Ask yourself, is this engaging to the customer? (remember you will be biased)

HINTS

If a competitor’s website is appearing higher in the search results than yours, you might find it difficult to rank with the same keywords. In this case, look for other keywords.

When creating content for your site, avoid just using what your supplier/manufacturer has sent you. Instead, come up with engaging copy that will resonate with your audience.

SUMMARY – SEO and SEM to drive sales

For your website to be found, you will need to promote it. This can be done at a cost or organically.

You can start simply and then build on your SEM and SEO activities but ensure you plan from the beginning and use the information contained in this guide to maximise the effectiveness of the design of your new or improved website. Which in turn will help promote your small business and drive sales!

Impact for business post cookie changes

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When we think about cookies, most of us equate that to an American term for a sweet biscuit. In the internet and marketing world, cookies have become a billion-dollar business driving advertising and are a way to spy on an individual’s internet habits. Big cookie changes are occurring, and in this guide, we will demystify what is happening and how it might affect you and your business.

Cookies are small text files with pieces of data (for example, a username and password) that will identify you and your computer. Cookies were designed to improve your web browsing experience. When your cookie is exchanged between your computer and the network server on the internet, the server reads the ID and knows what information to specifically serve to you.

WHY should I care about cookie changes?

Internet cookies are built for web browsers to track, personalise, and save information about your browsing. Your browser stores cookies on your PC, tablet or phone, and a web server will send and read cookie information when you visit a website.

Another way of thinking about it is a trail of bread crumbs (or cookie crumbs) left behind and can be followed.

A session cookie is deleted when you leave a website, however, a persistent cookie may remain on your computer forever.

Personal

Websites use cookies to improve your web browsing experiences. For example, cookies save you from logging into a site every time you visit, personalising how a page appears or remembering a shopping cart if you accidentally close a page.

Business

As a business, you can target customers with personalised advertising. This can take the form of sending ads to an individual on other sites after visiting your site, known as retargeting. Alternatively, you might target someone who has seen a competitor’s website or may be interested in your offering based on their internet browsing.

If you run an online store, a cookie will track items users previously viewed, allowing you to suggest other goods or services they might like.

Why are cookies Bad?

Cookies are bad due to their ability to track your browsing history. There are two types of Cookies:

First-Party Cookie created by a website you are directly using. Collects and saves data directly associated with you using only that website. Assuming you are visiting a reputable website, these are considered safe.

Other 3rd party web servers create third-Party Cookies, generally from advertisements appearing on the page you are surfing. 3rd party cookies let advertisers and analytics companies track your long-term browsing history across the internet on any sites that contain their ads. Thus, your personal information is collected and shared even if you did not think you had given permission.

Security vulnerabilities may allow a cookie’s data to be read, allowing unauthorised access to data or the website to which the cookie belongs.

WHAT is changing for cookies?

Put simply; your privacy will increase with the drop of support for 3rd party cookies by the major browsers.

Announcements so far:

  • Browsers Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox have already blocked 3rd party cookies
  • Google has announced it will restrict 3rd part cookies from the end of 2023
  • Many companies are now asking for permission to use first-party cookies when you first visit their site
  • Apple iOS14 now requires users to opt-in for information to be shared with publishers
  • Apple iOS15, yet to be launched, will hide IP addresses. Users will see how often apps access their personal information, for example, location.
  • Due to these changes, Facebook is asking its users to allow “Facebook” to track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites.
  • The Australian Federal Government is currently reviewing the Privacy Act. In addition, the ACCC is taking submissions to its digital advertising services inquiry – due late August 21.

With the removal of this tracking (remove 3rd party cookies), you will no longer see a creepy advertisement for those shoes that you looked at online two weeks ago. Also, with governments worldwide reviewing their citizens’ privacy policies, your data will remain more secure and more private and require a business to jump through more hoops.

HOW will cookie changes affect my business?

The biggest business change will be the ability to target appropriate customers, as the 3rd party data will not be as readily available.

How should I respond:

Build out 1st party data – This is building your own database of your customers and relevant information. When you have this, you don’t have to pay others.

Use First party cookies to improve your customers’ experience on your website and to provide them with a journey that will benefit them and hopefully make you a sale.

Reward customers in some way for providing their data, like discounts or information.

If you don’t have first-party data to communicate with your customers, the targeting advantages of digital marketing versus traditional media will still be available. Companies such as Google and large media players like Nine in Australia will sell you access to their large private databases.

For a small business that is buying some keywords and possibly doing a few Facebook or Google digital advertisements, it is unlikely you will see a great deal of difference. Still, for those more advanced advertisers, how you take your advertising to market will be turned upside down.

As an individual, you will still have advertisements targeted at you. Still, it is likely to happen more anonymously and less creepily.

HINTS

Cookies can be deleted from your browser at any time. If you surf the web incognito, cookies will not be saved. However, remember not all cookies are evil and can actually be helpful.

Apple refers to 3rd party cookies as Apple’s identifiers for advertisers (IDFA).

Also, read Small Business Answers guide to advertising for better sales.

SUMMARY – Cookie removal changes digital advertising

Cookies enable a web browser to keep track of our user data and activities. From 2023, using this data to track our browsing habits and be targeted will be removed to increase privacy. However, consumers will still benefit from first-party data enabling an improved website experience. Still, businesses will need to look to other means than 3rd party cookies to find and target customers with advertising.

Angus Jones, the author of this guide and all guides on Small Business Answers, is a marketing veteran of more than 30 years and is available for consulting projects. I can be contacted at angusojones@optusnet.com.au

Build a website to boost your brand

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There are certainly some impressive websites out there, and they look like they have been made by a multinational corporation, though chances are a small business is running them just like you. This guide will look at what is required to build your website.

A website is a collection of publicly accessible, interlinked Web pages that share a single domain name. Websites can be created and maintained by an individual, group, business or organisation to serve various purposes. Together, all publicly accessible websites constitute the World Wide Web.

WHY should I have a website?

Do I need a Website?

A website will give you a place to explain your brand and offer your products and services to customers. It may be just an information site or may provide a digital storefront for goods 24 hours a day to a global audience.

This is a place you can promote your business and engage with customers more efficiently.

WHAT do you need to do before you build a website?

Read our essential guide on web domain and email. This will show you how to register a domain name which is your website name. for example, SBanswers.com is this site’s domain name. Once you have secured a name, you can decide what to do with it.

Your next step is to come up with a digital strategy. This strategy will include what technologies you want to use, like a website, social media, e-commerce, video, or email, and what outcome you hope to get. A good idea is to have some sort of roadmap (plan) and who is responsible for the outcomes.

Website type is your next decision:
  • Corporate – Don’t be confused by the name. This site for your small business provides information about your business and lets potential clients or customers know how they can get in touch with you.
  • Blog – This is an online journal or informational pages that is regularly updated. Gadgetguy.com.au, our sister site, is an example of this, with technology news and reviews updated most days.
  • E-commerce – An online store to transact a sale, including accepting money and shipping goods. Our essential guide on e-commerce covers this in detail.

HOW do I build a website?

You can build one from the ground up, which is expensive or as a small business. We expect you will use a readymade template. The site will need to be hosted, and although you could do it yourself, we do not recommend it. Instead, it would help if you looked to the domain/hosting companies that not only host your site but also will provide you templates and web builders that do not require any special expertise to pull together a professional-looking site. E.g. Crazy domains or Go Daddy.

Site content

The next step is creating the site’s content and look and feel. Remember, the site will be available 24 hours a day to anyone worldwide and, for many, will be the first impression a customer will have of your business. So choose designs and fonts that represent you, maybe you are creative, or perhaps you are very serious. They say pictures tell a thousand words, and again this is critical. Pick images that relate to what you do and the messages you want to get across. The most important part of your site is ultimately the words and how you describe your business, products, and services. Including keywords related to your offer will increase your chances of being found on the internet (SEO).

Your website is now built and published on the internet but do not expect people will swamp it on its first day. It will take some time before search engines like Google find it, and it won’t be found organically (without help) as nobody knows your new domain name yet. We cover SEO Search Engine Optimisation and SEM Search Engine Marketing in a separate guide. Put simply. These are ways to make your business found more easily on the web and tactics you can use to promote your business online.

In evaluating the different hosting providers look for the following things:
  • Cost – How much per month
  • Webspace or storage – The size of the website they will host for that plan.
  • Bandwidth – If there is any limit on the amount of traffic the site hosts.
  • Websites – Some plans allow you to have several sites in the same plan.
  • Email – The number of included mailboxes.
  • Templates & Tools – to help you build and maintain your website.
  • Stock images – x number of stock images will be included in your subscription.
  • Speed – some plans offer faster loading speeds. Customers are more likely to stay on your site if pages load fast.
  • Backup – whether a backup is kept of your site in case of failure.
  • DDoS protection – protects against Distributed Denial of Service attacks which can cause outages.
  • SSL certificate – This encryption is needed to keep online sales secure.
  • Uptime Guarantees – represented as a percentage of time they guarantee your website will be available to be viewed.
  • Monitoring – allows you to see statistics on your site and view any issues that arise.
  • Tech support – Hours of service they are there to help resolve issues.
  • UI – the simplicity of the interface to administer your website.

HINTS

When sourcing photos for your site, use your own or those of others but ensure you have permission if you use someone else’s. You may be provided with some “stock” photos free to use, but other photos can be utilised for a small license fee. If you use someone’s photo without permission, they may come looking for payment in the form of a letter from a lawyer.

Remember, when writing content (text), be aware of how you see your business and how a customer may see it differently. For example, your widget with doubled mirrored redundancy might mean something to you, but to the customer, they may not know what you are talking about. Always think about what the benefit to the customer is and explain it to them in their language.

It’s important to test your website before you go live, and this ensures your customers can easily navigate around it and, if you have an e-commerce store, successfully buy your products or services.

A website is not something that should be built and then forgotten. Always look to update and improve it to remain relevant and attract customers.

SUMMARY– Quality website experience

A website will boost your brand and help you sell. Setting up a site with a template is relatively simple and inexpensive. If you are not confident in building your website, many companies can assist you in producing one. Always test your website and always keep it up to date to ensure the best customer experience.

Build an Internet Store

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In 2019 online shopping represented around 10% of total sales and this figure is continuing to explode.  Watch your local suburban street and see the stream of delivery vans parading past.  In this guide, we will look at your various options and what you should consider to build an internet store.

Selling and buying online is known as e-commerce, online trading or online shopping. As a small business, you could offer e-commerce on your own website, someone else’s website, or social media. The good news is to build an internet store has never been easier with various internet providers providing templates and tools for novices to be up and running quickly.

WHY should I build an internet store?

Setting up a brick and mortar store in a good location to attract customers is expensive and has a lot of risks, however, to sell online is the opposite.  Alternatively, to expand the sales of your existing business, online can bring many advantages.  These include:

  • Allows you to sell to a much wider audience than those who could visit your place of business
  • Your business is always open and information is available to hopefully help customers make a buying decision
  • Fewer sales staff should be needed
  • Helps promote your brand and your products and service
  • Increases customer engagement

WHAT are the online store options?

Most of us have bought or sold something personally on eBay and that is e-commerce.  As a business you have three potential e-commerce channels which could be used individually or together:

  1. Online marketplace (eBay, Amazon, Gumtree)
    • Easy to set up and process payment but at the cost of paying commissions
  2. Website (e-commerce on your own website)
    • Can use a template/store builder through to building from scratch
    • More flexibility and no commissions to 3rd party
  3. Social media (Facebook marketplace)
    • Similar to the online marketplace but not as advanced

Before you select an e-commerce option be sure you can answer the following questions:

  • What products and services do you want to sell online and is there a market?
  • What is your competitive advantage?
  • By what methods will you accept payment? (credit card, PayPal, etc)
  • Do you need to collect personal data? What steps will you take to protect consumers’ privacy? (see our guide on Privacy and Protecting Personal Data)
  • What level of customer service will you offer and how can you be contacted?

HOW to choose the right e-commerce platform?

Your choice can make or break your business. So take the time to compare your options.

From our three e-commerce options you need to decide if you will sell simultaneously on a website and marketplaces.  If you decide to go down the route of having your own website, it is far easier, faster, and cheaper to use a template/web site builder than to custom design/build.  For a small business starting off we recommend the website builder option available from various hosting and specialist companies (Google search – online store).  When comparing, consider these factors against your needs:

  • Cost- How much per month compared to the features you get? (bundled with hosting can be less than $20 a month)
  • Templates/store builder options?  Do the available themes and structures suit?  Consider how you will integrate graphics, colour schemes, and content (words).
  • If a template is not suitable can you afford a custom build? (a custom build can easily exceed $10,000)
  • Shipping – How does the shipping/delivery process make both your life and the customers’ life as easy as possible. Also see our essential guide on freight solutions.
  • Security? – It is unlikely a hosted e-commerce store will not be secured properly by a vendor but always keep it in mind.
  • Uptime and service guarantees – This refers to the unexpected downtime of the provider.  Do they provide any guarantees and what compensation if any will they provide if you lose a days trading?
  • Marketing your store – Does your hosting vendor offer marketing tools and services to assist you?
  • Discounts and promotions – If you plan to offer these how does the solution align with your plans?
  • Smartphone management of site – Can you administer the site if required from the football game on a Saturday?
  • Market place integration – Is there an automated option to sell across online marketplaces as well, like eBay?
  • Do they offer a payment gateway? How much do they charge as a percentage to accept payment of a credit card?
  • Seamless integration – Can other software applications like CRM or your Accounting Package seamlessly connect to your e-commerce store.

Be sure to take the solution for a test drive by:

  • Trialing the platform – most offer free trials and demos which will enable you to understand what you would need to do to make it happen but more importantly see the experience from a customer perspective. You should upload a few products and see what themes are available then buy something as if you were a customer.
  • Consider calling the company’s sales and support desks and ask them a few questions as this will give you a good indication of the experience you will have if you proceed.
  • Check out any online reviews and if possible talk to someone who is already using the solution.

HINTS on running your e-commerce store

  • If you sell to other stores or end customers today will the way you sell in this new e-commerce store upset your existing customers?
  • Ensure you manage your inventory well.  You cannot sell something out of stock.
  • Offer specials on the slow-moving stock to reduce or clear inventory.
  • Some products may not make sense to sell online, for example, heavy or very large items as the shipping cost may be too high.
  • Make sure your freight partner is reliable otherwise you wear the blame.
  • Existing customers are your most valuable. New customers are the hardest to get.
  • Carefully consider how your website looks.  Is it professional, is it easy for customers to find what they want?
  • Ensure you don’t have anything on your site that might be seen as controversial, such as a seductive man or lady (unless you are in that business).
  • Set up your products or services in categories and have descriptions that are easy to read and appealing.
  • Ensure pages are not too cluttered and distracting.
  • Consider including customer reviews.
  • Technical
    • Fast page load speed keeps customers on your site.
    • Comparisons of products are useful to customers.
    • Enlarged view option lets a customer see your product better.
    • Responsive design enables the site to presents well on a smartphone.

Your internet store is now built and published on the internet but do not expect people to swamp it on its first day.  It will take some time before search engines like Google find it and as nobody knows your new domain name they will not yet find it organically.  In a separate guide, we will cover SEO Search Engine Optimisation and SEM Search Engine Marketing. Put simply these are ways to make your business found more easily on the web and tactics you can use to promote your business on the internet.

SUMMARY – build an internet store to grow sales

To build an internet store can put you in business faster and cheaper than a traditional bricks and mortar store.  If you are already in business, it can grow your sales making your offering available to a much larger audience.

In conclusion keep the customer experience at top of mind — from the ease of use to how it looks —set yourself up to succeed from the start.

Website design for subscribers, leads, and sales

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Website design is critical for your business success. When you open a web page, do you read it or do you scan it? We all want instant gratification to quickly find what we want. A well-designed website will engage readers and help you achieve your goals.  This guide will look at why web design is essential and look at what you should consider to get the best result.

Web design can be defined two ways.
1. Referring to the design of the website displayed on the internet and the consumer experience. The experience of viewing the page includes its layout, the content contained and the graphic design.
2. To create and maintain a website using a process of planning, conceptualising and arranging content. Website design uses specialised software and templates combined with human creativity.

WHY should I care about good website design?

The best layouts for sales are deeply influenced by conversion science (study of converting a user’s interest into a sale). This means layouts are critical for marketers who want more subscribers, leads, and sales.

A visitor’s first impression of your website is critical! Layout and design are what influences that first impression.

More than 90% of first-impressions are design-driven. A visitor will form an opinion of your site in less than a second.

A recent study indicates that nearly 50% of all web visitors will decide if your site is worth their time based on design alone.

Colours and graphics contribute to a website’s design. Still, it is the layout that is most important when it comes to user experience and digital conversions.

WHAT makes a good website?

Simple to use – users should not have to work out how to use it
Intuitive – makes information easy to find
Streamline – marketing fluff or clutter is removed
Engagement – convince readers you are worthy of their time
Easy to read – simple text and layout means lazy readers will absorb
Consistency – colours, fonts, and imagery are consistent and on-brand helping visitors connect with you
Responsive – ensures superior experience no matter if consumed on a desktop, tablet or a mobile
Fast – our patience is stretched if a web page takes too long to load

For information on steps to create a website refer to our guide to building a website to boost your brand

HOW do I ensure my website design is effective?

Let’s face it, not all of us are creative, and if we are, we may not then have the skill set to briefly explain a product or service.  The net result is web design takes a specific set of skills that may collaborate with several individuals with different abilities.

Web design has become much simpler with the availability of user-friendly software tools and the availability of template-based building tools.  You have many options to do it yourself or completely outsource the project to something in the middle, like getting some help with some graphics. See our guide on graphic design.

Some key practical attributes of a good website:
  • Use lots of white space to highlight the headline and call-to-action
  • If the visitor wants to learn more, they can scroll down
  • Simple (cut-down) menu that makes finding what you need simple and intuitive
  • Show an example of the solution at work
  • Visitors can understand why they would need the solution, which helps to push the conversion
  • Have a call to action that is static – it’s always prominent, even as visitors scroll down and continue to read
  • Keep the menu static, so readers always have access to other content
  • Ensure the layout is pleasing and easy to read so visitors will be engaged
  • Use clearly marked headings with simple explanations and links for more info
  • Have information to learn enough to drive a conversion based on someone skimming
  • Use words and images that will draw attention
  • At the bottom of a page list out links that make it easy to navigate the site with minimum clicks and scrolling
  • Put essential information above the fold requiring little visitor input (landing page info on screen)
  • Ensure your menu items are simple to understand, and you should have a practical website layout to drive more sales
  • Video can be an effective way to tell a story quickly.  Ensure the video is short and clearly explains a customer benefit
  • Use pop-ups to collect customer data and consider an exit pop-up to reignite interest in your site

HINTS

Good web design is only part of the equation of having a successful business.  If you have a product that no one wants or your pricing is not right, the best website is unlikely to solve this.  For more helpful info see our guide on marketing to grow your business.

You need to be credible.  The design will get you eyeballs, but you will never see them again unless your content is of high quality and relevant to the reader.

Don’t be afraid to use offers. This offer could relate to price, availability, bonuses etc.  There is a reason year after year, retailers use sales to boost sales.

Test your new site.  Ask family friends, business associates etc. to look at your new site and give their frank feedback.  Don’t accept the answer “Good” ask them specific questions.

SUMMARY – Website to drive sales

Having a website and something to sell is a start, but that website must be engaging to attract a buyer to look further and persuasive to help you close a sale.  You can do some simple things with the website layout, content, and graphic design to give your site an unfair advantage over your competitors.

Business Technology for set up

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As a small business owner, you need to be a jack of all trades.  One of the hats you need to have is head of IT or Information technology.  In this guide, we will look at what technology you will need to buy to establish a small business.

Information Technology or IT is the use of computers and telecommunications for storing, retrieving, analysing and to share information.

WHY should I invest in business technology?

Technology will allow your business to run efficiently and make your business look more professional.

It will enable you to communicate via a mobile phone and email.  You will have the ability to create documents and print them.  IT will allow you to control your finances and time. You will be able to safely store and share information and lastly be found and possibly sell on the internet.

So, put simply, what phones and computer stuff do I need to buy then set up to help run my business !

WHAT business technology do I need to buy?

Below is a checklist of technologies you will need to consider for your business and a link to find more information on selecting the right option:

What technology do I need for my business?

Mobile Phone. Features that will help make a difference in running your business.
Mobile Phone Plan. Consider coverage, data inclusion, & value for money.
Computer (PC). Demystifying the jargon to help you buy the right computer.
Computer monitor. Size vs cost vs quality for your business type.
Office Productivity Software. For producing documents, presentations, spreadsheets, databases, charts, and graphs.
Cloud-based software. Solutions to help you run your business, like accounting, payroll, staff scheduling, databases etc.
Internet Plan and Provision. Reliable broadband at a speed and capacity that suits your small business.
Internet security. Take precautions against a cyber threat to your computers.
Network or WiFi.  Allows your office to share resources like the internet or a printer.
Storing and sharing files. Collaborate with staff, customers and suppliers.
Backup. Protecting your data if the worst should happen
Printer. The cheapest one may cost you more!
POS System or terminal. If you are in retail, a café or restaurant you will probably need one.
Website domain and email. Creating an identity and allowing you to communicate on the internet.
Build a website. To boost your brand and help you sell.

HOW do I decide what technology to buy

All of the 15 items on the checklist above have their own Small Business Answers Guide to help you make the right decisions on what to buy. Be sure to click on those links.

If the whole process is still too much for you, we suggest you speak with an IT retailer or engage the services of an IT support person or organisation. See our guide on IT Support – help with technology

HINTS

Now I know you want the latest and best smartphone and computer but carefully consider how much all this will cost before you go crazy with the credit card.  Also, consider exactly what you need as you don’t have to buy everything on the first day.

If you believe you will expand and hire more staff, you can always pass technology down and invest in an upgrade for yourself.

The reverse of this, be careful of buying something that does not suit the job. For example, a cheap printer that is not up to the volume means you will be back out purchasing a higher specified printer.

Reviews of specific products can be found at our sister website Gadget Guy

SUMMARY – Setting up your office tech

Buying technology can be a very daunting experience, mostly due to the cost associated with it. It will, however, allow you to operate more efficiently and professionally.  The 15 step checklist and the associated 15 guides will give you the confidence to make the right decisions.

Cloud based solutions

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It is in the cloud, but what is the cloud and why is it useful to me?  There is so much confusion around exactly what cloud-based solutions is so in this guide we will break it down into simple terms and help you understand what it can do for your small business.

Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage and computing power, without direct active management by the user. The term is generally used to describe data centres available to many users over the Internet.
A cloud application, or cloud app, is a software program where cloud-based and local components work together. This model relies on remote servers for processing logic that is accessed through a web browser with a continual internet connection.
Wikipedia

WHY should I care there is a cloud?

The cloud has enabled computing power and applications to be accessible to small businesses that previously only large enterprises could afford to own. So what might have cost you upfront tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars before is now available for a low monthly subscription.

Not only can you get access to computing ability cheaply the other big development that has made this all so accessible is not cloud-specific, it is the improvements in the user interface.  Users no longer have to be super technical instead we have user-intuitive ways to take advantage of solutions that help us in our businesses and lives.  The best example here is thinking of using a smartphone now versus using a dumb phone more than 10 years ago.

WHAT is the cloud and a cloud application?

The cloud is a real thing and literally is a whole bunch of computers sitting in large purpose-built buildings that you can essentially hire usage.  For any computing solution to work, you need a computer that runs an operating system and then application software to run a solution.  A solution might be to share/store files, to act as a post office for email, to keep track of how much money customers have in their bank accounts, to bill customers for electricity, to manage inventory, or keep track of the finances.

Traditionally a business would own this computer know as a server and manage it in house – many still do. The cost of buying this, keeping it running, and securing it is expensive. These servers might be busy for certain times of the day and do almost doing nothing other times of the day.

What cloud computing does is enable servers to be shared amongst many users meaning that each server is better utilised thus reducing costs.  It also allows businesses to only pay for the time they use.  The internet provides a means to use this computer power sitting anywhere in the world.

A Cloud Application is the same concept but rather than just buying computer power and storage, you are renting the use of an application to do a job.  Similar to the computers, to create an application is expensive but if you can share that cost with many more users it will dramatically reduce the cost.  Thus business applications that traditionally could only be afforded by the biggest businesses are now via the internet made accessible to small businesses for low monthly fees.

HOW do I take advantage of Cloud-based solutions?

The following essential guides are available on this site for common business solutions including:

Depending on your industry there are many more cloud solutions which if used correctly could save you time and money allowing you to do more to improve your business.  An internet search will help you find them.

Other advantages that cloud computing provides other than the specific solution and cost savings include:
  • Fast integration of the solution.  No hardware setup or software loading required.
  • Access from anywhere you have internet.
  • Application software is always the latest version.
  • Backup solution normally provided.
  • Better reliability of the hardware. Cloud vendors will guarantee less downtime of solution.
  • Expandability of computing or storage as you need it
  • Enables easy collaboration with others, for example, accountant
Disadvantages can include:
  • Performance can vary by vendor
  • You have no control of technical issues (also an advantage)
  • Security of your data not being in-house (also an advantage)
  • No control of downtime
  • Relies on good internet connectivity
  • Increases your internet allowance usage
  • Support may not be to the level you need

HINTS

A consideration you should have is where is your data being stored.  Is it in Australia in the USA or maybe China?  If this is important to you, possibly from a security perspective, you should ask this question before committing.

Most cloud solutions offer a free trial period so you can test drive the solution.

Always make an extra backup copy of your cloud data in your home or office.

SUMMARY – affordable solutions to drive your business

Cloud-based solutions have allowed enterprise technology to be available to small businesses affordably.  By sharing resources to many customers, prices have fallen.  Competition has ensured vendors provide easy-to-use solutions that will benefit your business.

Website domain and email

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As a small business, you have the option to have your own website and email address and the cost of doing so is not excessive.  This guide will help direct you on how to obtain your fist website domain name.

A domain name is your website name. Domain name is the address where Internet users can access your website. A domain name is used for finding and identifying computers on the Internet. Computers use IP addresses, which are a series of numbers.

I hope that when you registered your business name you also considered if the name you chose was also available as a domain name on the internet.  One of the disappointing processes of starting a business is someone is already using or has registered the name you want.

WHY do you need a website domain?

In this internet age most businesses will benefit from having a presence or being able to be contacted via the internet.

As a minimum we recommend you have an email address you can be contacted on.  This could be as simple as registering an email address free via Google or Hotmail.   For example on Gmail you can visit https://accounts.google.com/signup and choose a name like mybestnewbusiness and end up with an email account mybestnewbusiness@gmail.com which will enable people to email you and you to receive them and reply.

WHAT is involved in getting a Domain name?

The most common method for businesses to have their web presence is to set up your own website domain.  For example, Small Business Answers bought their domain sbanswers.com and then subsequently used that domain to establish a website and create multiple email accounts.  There are many websites that allow you to register your domain and some of the more popular in Australia include godaddy.com and crazydomains.com.au . The easier your domain name is to recall the better but unfortunately most of the good ones are taken. Your chosen name should ideally be easy to remember, short, and represent your business.  

You will find you will be presented with a search box to enter your proposed name. After you enter it you will be presented with the cost if it is available, the option to backorder, or some suggested alternatives.  The first thing, you will notice is the extension can be different after your name.  It might say xxxx.com or xxxx.com.au, xxxx.org, or xxx.net.  .com is the most common and is the global extension, .com.au is the Australian equivalent. Our advice is to try to get .com or .com.au if you only do business in Australia.  If for example you have .net someone might hear about you type .com instead of .net and you do not get the business. Note that if you use a com.au domain name you must also have registered a business in the same name.

If you cannot get the name you want, do you have any options?  Yes, someone who simply wanted to make money from it may have bought the name you want.  In other words, they bought it in the hope one day someone would pay more money to own it. Thus, you may be able to either pay extra if they are willing to sell it, or  wait for their subscription to that name expire and hope they don’t pay to hold it anymore.

HOW do I put my new domain name to work?

You want your customers to reach you via email and the company that sold you your domain is most likely also going to offer you email and website solutions for a set amount each month.  The cost of this is not expensive and they own all the equipment to facilitate the process.  This means you do not need expensive computer hardware running behind the scenes to make it all work and do not have to worry about reliability and security. Once you have subscribed to an email solution you will have a simple-to-use administration screen to set up the appropriate email addresses for your business like boss@yourbusiness.com or enquiries@yourbusiness.com then associate a password. Your provider should also make available support services and tutorials that will guide you through the process of setting up your email on your PC or mobile phone.

The next step is to create a website for your business. The easiest way to do this is to select a template from your provider and fill it out.  The even easier way is to pay someone to design a website for you, which is a great option if you have the cash and lack confidence.  See our essential guide for building a website.  Remember this site for many will be how your business is seen, so its design, pictures, and content is all critical to your success.

HINT

Your website is now built and published on the internet but do not expect people will swamp it on its first day.  It will take some time before search engines like Google find it and as nobody knows your new domain name yet, they won’t find it organically.  In a separate guide we will cover SEO Search Engine Optimisation and SEM Search Engine Marketing. Put simply these are ways to make your business found more easily on the web and tactics you can use to promote your business on the internet.

SUMMARY – A domain name is your website address

Having a domain name gives your small business an address on the internet where customers can find you and communicate with you by email.  You will need to register your domain name and then build out a site as appropriate.