Curious about taking your small business online but tight on budget?
Every business owner knows they need to start taking their business online to keep up with the competition. However, digital transformation for small businesses can sound expensive and daunting. Here’s the thing…
It doesn’t have to be.
You can stretch even the smallest budget to make valuable improvements to your business by taking the right approach.
Why Digital Transformation is Essential For Small Businesses?
Digital transformation has become the necessity for businesses of all sizes.
If your business hasn’t gone “digital” yet, you can bet your competitors already have or are in the process of doing so.
Digital transformation is important because…
According to a survey, 92% of SME businesses agreed that digital transformation was critical to the success of their business. With a number that high, you’d think businesses would be jumping on the digital train.
The reality is that digital offers businesses so many opportunities:
- Increased online visibility
- More website traffic
- Improved customer experience
- Streamlined business operations
Small businesses have another advantage too…
They’re small. Think about it. Small businesses have less red tape to cut through and can execute on ideas much quicker than larger businesses. They can adapt faster and take action immediately; however, the difficult part is knowing where to begin with digital transformation for small businesses.
Where Content Management Systems Come In
The foundation of any small business website is a CMS, or content management system.
Essentially, a CMS is what allows you to create, edit, and publish new content on your website without any coding knowledge.
You can think of your content management system as the engine that runs your entire online presence.
If you don’t have a CMS that makes adding, changing, and updating content easy, you’ll constantly be stuck asking your developer to make minor changes to your website.
Not only is this a headache but…
Every time you want to add a blog post or change some content, it takes much longer than it should. Updates that should take minutes can take days.
That won’t do:
Thankfully, there are many affordable and user-friendly content management systems that make it easy for small businesses to have a professional online presence. There are CMS platforms like WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace that allow anyone to create a beautiful website on a low budget.
However, not all CMS platforms are created equal. Picking the wrong platform can cost you more in the long run. It’s important to work with a knowledgeable Website Design Agency that understands content management systems. They’ll help you pick the right platform for your business needs and budget.
With that being said, according to recent research, 45% of SMBs listed budget constraints as a challenge in their digital strategies. This is why selecting the right CMS platform is crucial.
5x Steps You Can Take To Start Your Digital Transformation
It’s great that you’re ready to get started. Here are five steps that simplify digital transformation for small businesses, allowing you to begin the process today without breaking the bank.
Step 1: Get Your Website Right (Before You Do Anything Else)
This cannot be stressed enough. If you don’t have your website built on the right CMS platform, nothing else will matter.
Your website is your foundation. Without a good website, you’re trying to start your digital transformation with your hands tied behind your back.
Focus on building a fast, mobile-responsive website with a clean design on a CMS platform that you can easily manage.
Keep these questions in mind when building your website:
- Does it look professional?
- Is it mobile responsive?
- Does it load quickly on mobile devices?
- Do you have clear calls-to-action on every page?
A well built website will do the heavy lifting for you. It will attract customers, build trust, and establish your business as a professional brand.
Step 2: Set Up Google Business Profile
This step is free and will take about 30 minutes.
Google Business Profile is a free tool that allows you to show up on Google Maps and in Google’s local search results. For local-based businesses, this is a huge opportunity to get found by new customers.
Many small businesses skip this step or give up halfway through. Don’t be that business.
Fill out every section. Add as many quality photos as possible. Encourage your customers to leave you reviews.
Step 3: Start Publishing Content On Your Website
Content is king.
Publishing fresh, new content on your website allows you to…
1. Rank for relevant search terms
The more valuable content you have on your website, the more search terms you can rank for on Google.
2. Become an authority in your industry
When your target audience finds valuable content that answers their questions, they trust you more. When people trust your business, they buy from you.
Start by publishing one blog post per week on your website. Brainstorm topics that would provide value to your target audience.
Keep your content readable. Use plenty of whitespace and write short paragraphs.
Step 4: Utilise Free Digital Tools
There are so many free digital tools that can help boost your business online. Here are a few of the best:
- Google Analytics (website traffic)
- Google Search Console (search monitoring)
- Canva (professional graphics)
Step 5: Optimise For Search Engines
SEO is one of the best things you can do for your business.
Search engine optimization allows you to attract free traffic from Google that will continue to come back month after month.
Here are a few simple tips:
- Make sure every page has a title tag, meta description, and heading hierarchy.
- Use keywords naturally throughout your content.
These are things that a quality CMS platform will allow you to do without having to write one line of code.
Choosing The Right Tools That Won’t Break The Bank
Successfully implementing digital transformation for small businesses doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars.
The goal isn’t to find the cheapest tool. Nor is it to find the most expensive one with all the bells and whistles.
The key is to find tools that will provide you with the most value for your budget.
Content management systems are a great place to start. There are CMS platforms like WordPress that are free to use with thousands of free plugins. Or user-friendly website builders like Wix and Squarespace that have affordable monthly subscriptions with everything included.
Don’t try and do everything at once.
Pick two or three of the tips above and implement them correctly. Once you have those built, come back to this list and start working on the next steps.
Conclusion
Digital transformation for small businesses is easy when you know where to start.
If you don’t have a solid foundation built around you, you’ll always be putting out fires instead of focusing on what’s important.
Remember…
Start with these steps.
- Get your website built on the right CMS platform
- Set up free tools like Google My Business
- Create valuable content on your website
- Optimise your website for search engines
The businesses who take action today will lead the pack down the road.
