York is an attractive place to live and work, and it turns out it is also one of the best locations for businesses. Its unique blend of historic charm and modern enterprise stand out as its main attractions for entrepreneurs. Once you have established a business in York, the next logical step is to take it online. So, what steps should you take to ensure this endeavour goes smoothly?
Create Your Digital Assets
At this point, we will assume you have already registered your business and it is already running. The only thing it needs at this point is the online component. The first step in taking your business online is putting together your digital assets. You can start with a company logo design because this will be used on all the other material you create or use online.
At this point, it is also a good idea to pick the colours and fonts you will use for your website, digital marketing material, and everywhere else. Doing this will help you establish a cohesive brand identity early and make things much easier in the future.
It is also a good idea to consider what types of photos and imagery you will need for your online platforms, including your website and social media accounts. Some businesses choose art, while others opt for photos of real people and their locations.
Regardless, you should pick the option that best aligns with the character and personality you are going for.
Consider Your Web Development Options
Your York business website is a crucial part of your digital presence, so it is important to take time and the required care to ensure you get it right. The good news is that there are several options to consider depending on factors like how you will use the website, how much time you have to spend on it, and your budget.
Many businesses will be happy with a WordPress website. WordPress remains the most popular content management system because it makes it easy to build feature-rich and fully-fledged business websites.
Another benefit of using WordPress is its vast ecosystem. It is very easy to find themes and plugins that give your business website the look and functionality you are going for.
If you are a strictly retail business, you can opt for Shopify. This is an excellent platform for retailers looking to sell without getting into the intricacies of managing the underlying platform.
Service-based businesses can go with a simple WordPress website, Squarespace or Wix.
Choose Your Preferred Social Media Platforms
Social media remains a powerful and cheap online marketing option for businesses of all sizes. Several social media platforms could align with your business. However, it is always a good idea to consider each to ensure you end up with a few (at least to start) that you can manage well and that will have the most positive impact and best return on investment.
Many businesses choose Facebook to start, but you should also seriously consider platforms like TikTok, X (Twitter), and Reddit depending on the type of business and target demographic.
Craft Your Marketing Strategies
Many businesses in York sell to the local population, so it is a good idea to also consider local online marketing. If you are seeking to attract customers from the rest of the UK, it would be a good idea to broaden your marketing horizons to capture customers outside your immediate radius.
Whether you focus on local marketing or not, you should also seriously consider leveraging York’s tourism economy for your business online. York attracts about 7.8 million visitors annually, so proper online marketing can help some of these tourists end up on your business before or during their visit.
There are also a lot of seasonal visitors to York, so it is also a good idea to plan seasonal content for your website and social media platforms. You can highlight local events and festivals that people want to learn about, or post historical facts and stories that increase traffic to your online platforms.
You can use these to funnel potential customers to your platforms, after which your other marketing strategies can take over.
Businesses in York that do not have an online presence should seriously consider getting online. Doing so is the best way for people to find your business, and it can lead to tremendous growth when done right. Getting your business online starts with your website and social media platforms. After that, you can craft your marketing strategies and decide what content you need to create to ensure York locals and visitors become customers.
