The age of online selling and Internet-based businesses reached its peak after the COVID-19 pandemic showed the world the value of staying connected. Moreover, the use of smartphones and other devices, as well as the Internet and social media, has permanently changed the way consumers make their purchases today.

If you want to succeed in whatever business venture you’re planning, it will do you good to learn how to make it digital. After all, online business is no longer seen as the future – it is now the present reality people are facing.

To help you thrive in this increasingly digital era, here are five practical tips you need to know about doing business online:

1.Keep Your Operating System and Anti-Virus Software Updated

Internet security is imperative when you launch an online business. With new malicious programs emerging time and again, you have to make sure that your Internet security software database is up-to-date.

While anti-virus and other computer security programs cannot protect your system against every single cyber threat, these can detect and remove most malware so long as they are updated regularly.

The same goes for your operating system. If a new security patch becomes available, make sure that you and your employees set aside time to download and install it. Any delay can leave your business vulnerable to new threats.

2.Have a Separate Business Email

While using your personal email address may be the fastest way to go, it isn’t recommended for online business use. In fact, experts strongly advise against using your personal email for business operations for your own security. This is where email hosting service providers can help.

Having a separate business email has various benefits, including:

Building credibility

A business email address lends an official impression, especially when tagged with a company or brand name. In fact, an email address exclusive to your brand adds credibility to your business and reflects your professionalism.

Establishing customers’ trust

Often, customers don’t take businesses with an anonymous or random email seriously. After all, anyone can get a free email account, leaving recipients with lingering doubts about the source of an email.

With professional and branded emails, you have a better chance of gaining your customers’ trust. It is arguably the simplest way to establish your credibility and create a trusting relationship with your target audience.

Ensuring data security and storage flexibility

Besides spamming, email services continue to be the primary target of malware and hacking attacks, and free emails are most susceptible to this. Plus, free email addresses tend to have limited storage space, which means you’ll eventually have to delete some data you’ve accumulated over the years.

With a professional business email, you get a more secure network and the option to upgrade to a package with high storage limits if the need arises.

3.Get Secure Payment Channels

There are plenty of payment methods you can try for your business, but your focus must be on offering both convenience and a sense of security to your customers. Besides credit and debit cards, people today are looking for an easier way to pay for their goods without having to worry about getting their banking information compromised.

Fortunately, there are plenty of payment channels you can use to give your customers the freedom to choose. Aside from Paypal and device- or network-specific payment methods, you can also offer shop now, pay later options that provide customers with a flexible payment method. This also gives them more leeway when using their money, thus making them become more open to purchasing.

Among the benefits you can look forward to in buy now, pay later (BNPL) programs are:

• Boosted sales – BNPL providers discovered that merchants can get between 50 to 70 percent more sales after offering buy now, pay later options to customers.
• Better conversions – About 55 percent of shoppers don’t proceed with their purchases because they find it too expensive or burdensome to pay up all at once. With buy now, pay later schemes, you can say goodbye to abandoned carts and hello to better conversion rates.
• Reduce refunds​ – BNPL also helped online sellers reduce their refund rate by as much as 30 percent.

4.Keep Customer Data Secure

As an entrepreneur, it is your responsibility to keep your customer data secure. In fact, it is your legal obligation to protect any critical information that you obtain from customers online.

To accomplish this, you must have separate storage, and multiple secure backups to keep the information protected.

You should also implement controls and updated security software that will impede any unlawful use of such data. It is also a good practice to restrict access to only a handful of employees and implement measures to destroy data like credit card details when they are no longer needed.

5.Invest in Fast Internet

While this may be obvious, having a reliable and speedy Internet connection is still worth mentioning to newbies in the online business. After all, not everything seasoned online business owners consider obvious is as apparent to those who are only starting to learn the ropes of the industry.

For example, some start-ups may choose to sacrifice good Internet to save money, only to realize that it is crucial to accommodate important orders and inquiries.

Without a good Internet connection, you could miss out on customer questions and orders that might have a significant impact on your sales and business as a whole.

Don’t Get Left Behind

Beginning an online business is a big-but-necessary leap as consumers today seem to turn more to digital platforms than physical stores. With the global pandemic forcing companies to embrace the Internet, it is crucial that you start learning the ropes of online business management to avoid getting left behind.

AUTHOR BIO

Sharon Mallorca is the Sales Manager at Create IT in Dubai. Established by innovative digital agency Create Media Group, Create IT has rapidly become the Middle East's leading IT Support and IT Solutions company, providing the highest quality IT support and services to a growing portfolio of global brands.