How to modernise and grow your business in six weeks

Running a business can be daunting at the best of times. However, growing a business against the backdrop of the pandemic and faced with a cost-of-living crisis, interest rate hikes and increasing inflation is another story entirely. Many local businesses and startups want to modernise and grow today, but it can be difficult to know where to start. That is, until you break your pursuit of them down into smaller, manageable and short-term steps.

Here’s how to give your business the digital foundation it needs and deserves — in just six weeks. 

Week one: SWOT analysis

Start with a simple SWOT analysis of your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The new financial year is an opportune time to put your business under a microscope, and especially its approach to digitisation and technology. During your SWOT analysis, put yourself in your customers’ shoes; try searching for, finding, and interacting with your business online. This allows you to see what does and doesn’t work, and, therefore, what you should prioritise over the coming weeks.

Week two: Reviews

In week two, investigate your online reviews. Considering that, according to Podium data, 84% of Aussies are influenced by online reviews and one in four will read reviews while standing outside before deciding whether to enter a business, you shouldn’t underestimate this contemporary, digital word of mouth. Look at the quantity and quality of your reviews, where they’re coming from and how customers rate you on each platform.

When you have a better understanding of this, it’s easier to know when and how to encourage customers to leave reviews, and where you want them posted.

Week three: Customer engagement

When interacting with businesses today, consumers crave convenience. During week three, therefore, you should focus on customer engagement. How do customers reach you? What interaction options are you giving them? Do your competitors make it easier for customers than you do?

Email can be slow, and most people prefer avoiding phone calls, so consider how you can capitalise on our reliance on, and affinity to, our smartphones. SMS has a 98% open rate so is an incredibly effective channel; as is online web chat and direct messaging via social media. 

Week four: Website

In week four, think about your website. Most local businesses today have a website, but it’s important that yours is used strategically, for example to convert leads into customers. There’s only so much you can achieve through a static website that doesn’t engage and analyse its visitors, and being involved in the digital age is key to modernising your business. The average website converts just 3-5% of traffic, so at least 95% of visitors leave before you can convert them.

Through Webchat, for example, you can engage visitors immediately when they visit your site; answering questions, directing them to the right page or facilitating a purchase, payment or call back. Webchat can deliver 11x more leads, turning your website into an asset that works as hard for your business as you do. You should also set up Google Analytics, a free tool that tracks traffic and provides useful insight to help you evaluate its efficiency, strengths and weaknesses.

Week five: Local SEO

Aussies love supporting local so create your local SEO (search engine optimisation) strategy. Start by working on your Google Business Profile, which is an essential online hub that can be set up in just a few steps. Ensuring your business appears on Google Maps will boost your local footprint too. Then populate your website with keywords or phrases that people might search for, like ‘Melbourne mechanic’ or ‘Family-friendly Byron Bay dentist’.

The more you ‘optimise’ your website for SEO, the easier it is for people to find your business online. Claim your listings on other local directories — whether that’s general business or industry-specific — and ensure your contact information and business name are consistent across all listings. 

Week six: Marketing

By week six, focus on marketing through technology. First, assess how tech can be integrated into your existing marketing strategy. Consider how your potential clients behave when searching for your products or services. Then think about how you capture leads, track those leads and how you report on your marketing success.

Finally, determine whether you’re present on the right channels based on your audience, your product or service and your business goals.

Today, every local business or startup needs a digital strategy. Getting started can be a daunting process but through this six-step process, and a commitment thereafter to evaluating and refining your approach, you’ll be well-placed to modernise — then grow — your local business in no time.