Remember: the web is constantly changing at a lightning-fast speed, and you need to keep up with it. The fundamentals of creating and growing a successful online business in Uganda have not changed. If you are new to this, hold on to this order and begin investigating each phase further. You’ll do better.
If you’re a current online business owner, you may want to reevaluate your old model and consider starting over. If you’re trying to launch a small online business and aren’t particularly skilled at generating creative ideas (but you have access to a wealth of online content), you’re not alone.
This is the greatest, if only known, proven internet sequence guaranteed to give you success when launching your small online business. Every business startup article on the internet contains variations of the following list.
1: Identify a Genuine Need and Address It First!
2: Write a direct copy that sells.
3: Create Your First Website.
4: Optimize Your Site for Search. Few people have the patience to browse the full breadth of your website.
5. Begin online marketing to increase your website’s visibility.
6: Leveraging Email Marketing to Turn Visitors into Buyers.
7: Get authority links pointing to your new site
Without further ado, let’s dive right into this quick guide on how to start a small online business!
Step 1: Identify a Real Need and Meet It.
When considering how to start a small online business in Uganda, it is essential to conduct thorough online research to identify a niche with profit potential. That means figuring out what you are passionate about and have spent time in before, building skills and knowledge. Running a small business online is not always a walk in the park. If you are working in an area that you dislike and are not good at, your dropout rate is likely to be even worse.
The internet is a volatile and delicate place. People’s attention spans are short, and there’s always a meme or funny video just a click away. You, therefore, have to be compelling and relevant. Additionally, you have to win people over, or they’ll disappoint you. So, how do you do something that people want? Start with a real problem. Airbnb was born when its founders needed rent money and discovered that other people would pay to rent their space. Many great companies follow a similar playbook: the founders recognize a problem and have a solution for it.
Build something that you use and, optimally, that you’d pay money for. Certain problems still exist merely because none of the few brains far back enough has been over here and had the time and found space to do it to perform an already obvious action.” Think about Google: At the end of the day, the co-founders of Google (Larry Page and Sergey Brin) were able to build in a time when very few people were. To be fair, at the time, there was scarcely anyone smart enough to write an internet search engine and also endowed with the requisite programmers who could write software to crawl and rank the full-size World Wide Web.
Come up with an idea based on a perspective that nobody else has because nobody else can see that potential yet. “It’s not that it doesn’t look like a big thing at first, but that it doesn’t even look like a thing,” as Chris Dixon puts it.
Identify your market. Last but not least, when launching a small internet-based business, it’s essential to identify your target audience first. The key is to identify a group of people who are attempting to solve a problem but are not achieving much success. “Join online forums and see what sort of questions are being asked, what problems people have, and what problems they are trying to solve,” suggests KidData. “Do some keyword research to identify keywords with lots of searches but few websites competing for those searches.” Conduct research on your potential competitors by visiting their websites and determining how they’re fulfilling demand. Then, you will have the ability to apply your knowledge and build your product for an already existing market — and do it better than the competition.
Step 2: Create clear, sellable content.
“Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” That’s what Leonardo da Vinci said, after all, because simplicity sells. The Harvard Business Review recently reported that, as consumers not only follow through on a purchase but also recommend it to others, the most dominant component is “simplicity.“ Why simplicity? Because in a world filled with Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars, and More, it is a must.
So, if you need to “engage your customers online with your business story, inspire, engage, and (pregnant pause) sell, the number one question on the list is “How do I keep it simple?
And so, here are simple steps to write copy that, well, sells.
- Explicit, with a catchy headline.
- Explain the product(s). Describe the problem you are solving.
- Prove you are a solver of this problem.
- Include testimonials from users of your product.
- Discuss the product and its benefits to the user.
- Make offers and promos.
- Make a strong guarantee.
- Create urgency
Always consider how your product or service achieves product-market fit: is it the only solution that solves people’s problems or improves their lives? Make it easy and put yourself in the customer’s shoes.
Step 3: Design and Develop Your Website.
Once you’ve identified your market and product and you’ve refined your selling process, you’re now ready for your small online business’s web design. Remember to keep it simple. You have fewer than five seconds to grab someone’s attention – otherwise, they’re gone, never to be seen again. Some essential tips to keep in mind:
- Select fonts that are clear and easy to read.
- Make your navigation clear, simple, and consistent across every page.
- Only use graphics, audio, etc, if they enhance your message.
- Include a newsletter opt-in offer to collect email addresses.
- Make it easy to buy.
- Your website is your online storefront, so make it user-friendly and accessible.
- Remember, you intend to optimize your website’s business engines, making it easier for customers to find you.
The tips above assume that someone knows the technical steps to get your business website online if you do not want to hire a professional website designer. If you don’t, here’s a guide that can help you get that sorted.
Step-by-step guide to publishing your small online business website in Uganda
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Choose a domain name.
What is a domain name, and how much does it cost?
A domain name is your website name (e.g., www.yourname.ug). That name is the address where Internet users can access your small online business website on the Internet. Just as your name identifies you among the population, a domain name identifies your business online, among many others.
A domain name would cost you about $14 (USD 50,000) from most domain registrars. Most domain registrars offer free domain registration when you purchase web hosting with them.
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Host your online business domain on the web
A web hosting provider that stores your small online business website on its web servers and makes it accessible on the internet for other people to see. If you are serious about building an online business in Uganda, the best thing you can do is purchase web hosting that includes all the features you need for your business now and as it grows. When selecting a hosting company, look for options that provide numerous helpful resources and support the site you will be using. And don’t get tempted by that cheap web hosting that sounds too good to be true. There are numerous disadvantages to cheap website hosting. I have had clients who were enticed into hosting for around $27 (approximately UGX 100,000) per year and later discovered security vulnerabilities, no customer care, and very slow websites. Be cautious when selecting a web host.
You can create a beautiful and functional small online business website without a web design background by using a cheap, off-the-shelf solution like those available through free platforms like WordPress or Shopify. With these sites, there is no need to be familiar with (or master) any code, HTML, or design to have a good-looking, functional website. You also have the option of hiring a website designer to build one for you.
Hiring A Website Designer: What To Ask Before. As a startup, your website should look good, be easy to use, and help users find what they need quickly. Save money for marketing your business online. Don’t forget to optimize your site so that search engines can identify your pages and present them to users; this is further discussed in the next step.
Step 4: Use Search Engine Optimization to drive targeted buyers to your site.
The number one challenge faced by brand-new small online business owners is a lack of traffic. If your website isn’t getting any traffic, you’re not generating any sales. And what’s worse is that without traffic, you can’t test the key components of your sales process. Search engine optimized websites attract more traffic because people searching for specific keywords matching your focus phrase on the optimized pages are directed to your online business website. Get free traffic from search engines like Google. Now that you’ve bid on keywords for a strong showing in the PPC search engines, it’s time to tackle the organic search engines and directories. Search engines like Google and directories like Yahoo! can still be a great source of free traffic for your website. The trick is to achieve a competitive ranking for your top keywords.
Step 5: Launch online marketing to increase your website’s visibility.
People use the internet to find information. Provide that information for free to other sites, and you’ll see more traffic and better search engine rankings. The secret is to always include a link to your site with each tidbit of information. Even just two or three well-written articles can generate truckloads of traffic as long as they don’t contain a sales pitch.
You want to include rare, hard-to-get information that’ll lend your articles automatic value–the kind of information that establishes you as an expert in your field. Be sure to choose sites that receive attention and visits from your target market, and invite them to use your article on their site or in their newsletter at absolutely no cost. Alternatively, if you have an online shop, offer free samples and seek reviews and feedback from established brand influencers or sites.
- Give away free, expert content. Create articles, videos, or any other content that people will find useful. Distribute that content through online article directories or social media sites.
- Include “send to a friend” links on valuable content on your website.
- Become an active expert in industry forums and social networking sites where your target audience congregates.
You’ll reach new readers. But even better, every site that posts your content will link back to yours. Search engines love links from relevant sites and will reward you in the rankings.
Step 6: Use the power of email marketing to convert visitors into buyers.
Getting lots of traffic to your site is great, but if you aren’t collecting the contact information–the names and email addresses–of visitors, you’re wasting every single click. If visitors leave your site without purchasing your product, there’s a good chance they won’t return, and you’ll have no way of following up with them.
Remember: It can take up to seven points of contact to make a single sale, so you’ll want to begin collecting visitors’ contact information from day one using an opt-in form on your home page. Then, send them email messages to follow up and keep them thinking about your site. You could send opt-in newsletter signups to subscribers, try these ideas:
- Monthly or bi-weekly newsletters that include tons of tips and information
- Free reports on topics your market would appreciate
- Answers to common questions people ask about your product
- Offers for products similar or complementary to ones you may have already offered them
- Free product trials that give potential customers a taste of what you have to offer
- A “downgrade” offer for a product that’s less expensive or robust than your featured offer
Following up with the addresses you gather is quick, easy, and simple with email management and automation software. You can create email messages called “autoresponders” that potential customers receive automatically as soon as they opt in on your site, within seconds, regardless of the time of day or whether you’re available to respond. This is a process you can put on autopilot from the very beginning. When you build an opt-in list, you’re creating one of the most valuable assets of your online business. Your customers and subscribers have permitted you to send them emails. That means:
- You’re giving them something they’ve asked for.
- You’re developing lifetime relationships with them.
- The response is 100 percent measurable.
- Email marketing is cheaper and more effective than print, TV, or radio because it’s highly targeted.
Anyone who visits your site and opts into your list is a very hot lead. And there’s no better tool than email for following up with those leads.
Step 7: Get authority links to your new website
Engagement and interaction can take you a long way. However, you need a foundation of links. Blogging is a proven method for acquiring high-quality links. According to HubSpot, businesses with a consistent blogging habit get up to 97% more inbound links. However, if you’re a new blogger, you may wonder how to obtain authoritative links for your blog. There is no one “right way” to obtain links, but I can show you some proven techniques that have been proven to work.
Some of the link-building strategies that worked in 2013 are no longer effective. You could be penalized if you attempt some of these methods, such as forum and directory submissions. The links you want are those that come from great content that helps people. You need links to rank highly on Google. Here are some effective ways for new bloggers to get high-quality incoming links.
- Create Free Valuable Resources. The word “resource” can be defined as “something (or someone) that is a source of help.” For our purposes, it means a piece of content that provides benefit to your users. If you can create valuable resources in the form of blog posts, ebooks, short reports, whitepapers, or videos, people will link to them.
- Get Involved in Online PR (Without Spending a Dime). You can also use PR techniques to position your brand for media attention. There are several techniques for getting other people to share your work. Of course, blogging is very effective if you’re consistent. But I’ve found press releases can also work well. If your press release gets picked up by media experts, you can expect other authority sites to link back to you.
- Fill the Content Gap. Another simple yet effective way to acquire authority links is by filling the content gap. By reaching out to your target audience where they are, you’re making it easier for people to talk about and link to you. In other words, find something that other bloggers have missed and take advantage of it.
I could go on and on in this post with more tips on the success of your online business in Uganda, but what you should keep in mind is that the internet is constantly changing at unimaginable speeds, and you must keep up with it.
Good luck!