5 pieces of advice for new business owners

Starting a business today without online marketing is going to be very hard going. Out of the many practical, proven pieces of advice I have picked 5 that will help you get off to a decent start and prepare the ground for future growth. All of them also came up in my talk at the Štartups event in Trenčín, but I promised to put them into a short article as well. So, let us get to it!

1. Nothing will ever be 100%

When it comes to online marketing, a perfect result is more utopia than reality for a young company. That goes for the website, the graphics, the promotional materials, the copy and much else besides. You do not need a DSLR or a professional photographer for people to like your photos on social media. Nor do you need a bespoke e-shop build for people to order, or the newest campaign types to win valuable conversions.

At the start a smartphone for photos, a templated WordPress site that we can recode into a custom theme whenever we like and a boost on Facebook will do you fine. The main thing is not to get stuck. There will be time for the rest later, once things get going — because if your product or service is worthless, professional photos and campaigns run by the best agency will not save it.

It is also enormously important to follow trends and keep learning. What worked in online marketing yesterday need not hold today, and what worked for a large brand need not work for a new business owner. There is no universal recipe for success; you simply have to try things and test them.

2. It is all about data

We live in a "data age", when everything can be measured and evaluated. Running activities purely on a hunch and on assumptions is too much of a gamble. It makes no difference whether you are just starting out in business or the whole country knows you. Perhaps that is why data is spoken of as the new oil.

There are several free analytics tools that collect data about your online activities. Many are free of charge and to implement them you often need to know no more than their name. So even if you do not understand exactly what they are or how they are used, I definitely recommend implementing Google Analytics and the Facebook Pixel on your site right at the start. The agency that can put all that data to effective use in setting up your online campaign will appreciate it later, too.

You should also define your goals and set up measurement for them, at the very least in Google Analytics. Every online activity should have a point and fulfil some goal. That is why things need measuring — but effectively and sensibly. Here too, less is sometimes more.

3. Planning things pays off

From experience I know that a plan saves time and cuts out stress. It lets us prepare for things in advance rather than giving in to needless pressure. What I mean is that we do not start planning the Christmas promotions in mid-November, and the post that is meant to go up on Facebook today should have been scheduled for publication a few days ago.

Various tools help with this, though very often an Excel sheet or Google Calendar is quite enough.

4. Multi-everything

Online has become more than mixed up enough of late, and that has to be accounted for — above all the fact that people no longer have just one computer and use several channels to reach your site (multi-channel). One time they arrive by phone, another by computer (multi-device), and it is no exception for someone to be playing with a tablet while watching television (multi-screen). This is exactly why we cannot rely on a single device or channel. It is essential to build an interlocking mix that steers a person towards the goal across channels and devices, and then, at the end of the day, to attribute the results correctly.

5. Be yourself

Do not make yourself or your business into something you are not. Rather find your own advantages and make use of what you are. If you are starting to sell electronics through an e-shop, do not pretend to be Alza. On the contrary, turn it into a competitive advantage that you are an enthusiast who installs Windows for the whole family. More than ever before, people today value a personal approach and authenticity. If you play at being something you are not, people will see through you and will not trust you. And it is well known that business is hard without trust.

In closing

This advice is certainly no universal recipe for business success, but it is worth thinking about. And if your business brings you joy, it is natural to try and test new things, to keep learning and to keep moving forward in the search for solutions. I am rooting for you.

And what practical advice would you give people starting out? Share it in the comments below the article.