Do you want to create an online business or launch a business that already exists on the Internet?
We will review the aspects of design, corporate identity, online presence and positioning. All of this applies both to the sale of products (clothing, footwear, books, cosmetics, etc.) and to the sale of services (photography, legal advice, physiotherapy, etc.).
Once we have decided the type of business and market niche we want to target, whether a business with physical presence or not, we have to follow a process taking into account various factors to ensure success. In Hazhistoria we have helped many of our clients in these first steps. We will analyze which are and the most effective way to start the road.
Subsidies
There are different types of aid, subsidies and loans for entrepreneurs, both for the creation of a company and for the self-employed. It varies from Autonomous Community to Autonomous Community and is usually temporary. It is always a good idea to get information because, although there are none available at the time of consultation, they may be offering it in the near future.
The different types of aid and subsidies are divided into two groups:
- Subsidies for financing investments
- Grants and subsidies for job creation and self-employment.
Corporate Identity | Branding
Once we have all the legal issues clarified to begin with, we have to focus on the creation and design of our brand. The corporate brand is related to the product/service we want to sell. If our brand does not yet have a name, we have to decide after a study of the sector and positioning so that, in addition to representing us, it helps us in our web presence.
The corporate identity is the physical face of the brand. It is an essential part of our business that we have to refer to professionals. The creation and design (or redesign) of a brand and the development of its identity is a more complex process than it seems. It is not to put the name of the company with a striking typography and a “drawing”.
We have to carry out a market and competition study. We have to differentiate ourselves, decide which type of logo is most suitable for us (see our post What is a logo?). It is to make a harmonic design, careful in proportions and shapes, know how to combine typographies, shapes and chromatic. Everything has a visual and perception function.
It has to be functional, be able to scale it, use it in different supports, be adaptive to use on the Internet, stationery, printing, etc… A design that represents us and that transmits the values of the brand and whose design is focused on our target audience.
A design for a nursery (colourful, childish, cheerful, fun) is not the same as a design for a law firm (neutral, more sober colours, which conveys professionalism and trust).
The domain
Once we have defined our brand and the design of its identity, we decide the domain that will represent our online presence.
If we want to position our business, the domain is something to take into account as well as the brand. Although there are many more factors at stake and the domain no longer has the weight it had before, a good domain will always position better than a bad one.
That’s why there are what we call ‘domain farms’ that are dedicated to buying ‘greedy’ domains that are free by cessation of business or failure, and resell them at prices much higher than what a domain is really worth. This happens because a good domain has weight in the positioning.
We are looking for keywords that are not very saturated and that are viable alternatives for very competitive markets. It is preferable to take some time to take the first steps of the business. That they are as firm as possible, and in the right direction.
Web
Today, a business without a website does not exist. We are connected 24 hours a day. Internet, social networks, WhatsApp… We are constantly sharing information. Many times, even without realizing it. When we need something, the first thing we do is go to the search engine to see where we can buy it, compare prices, opinions of other customers …
A business that does not participate in this new business model is as if it did not exist. A small business, from a small town of a few inhabitants, can become known worldwide and multiply its sales to the unimaginable with a good web presence.
There are many examples, such as the famous blacksmith of a small town in Albacete, who started selling his swords and different weapons on the Internet and today has an impressive online sales volume. Or that of another blacksmith who started with tutorials on YouTube and now receives students from all over the world to learn the trade.
There are different types of websites:
- PRESENTIAL WEBSITE: If your strong point is your physical presence (shop, clinic, studio) but you want your business to appear and you want to be able to consult who you are, what you offer, where you are and how to contact you.
- PROFESSIONAL WEBSITE: It is a more elaborate website with different sections to explain what you offer and, by incorporating texts and news, improve the positioning of your business on the Internet. Depending on what you want to invest and your needs, you can go from a professional website of a physiotherapy clinic to that of a language academy with an internal database for teachers and students where you can access notes, notes, forms, etc…
- WEB ECOMMERCE: For e-commerce, there are specific CMS managers, such as PrestaShop, OpenCart and Magento. Which to use? It will depend on the functions required by our business, volume of products, complexity of use, functionality …
Accommodation (Hosting)
Hosting is a service that provides users with a system, through a server, to host mainly web pages, but can also host information, photos, video files, backups … You can find free or paid hosting, depending on the needs of the consumer. You can consult our post What type of hosting suits me best?
Although it may seem trivial, hosting can have a great impact on the functioning of our website, and even on its good SEO positioning.
It is important that the server meets the necessary features to make our website work perfectly such as disk space, email accounts, monthly transfer, programming languages … And a crucial one, the loading times of the pages. Google penalizes pages with high load time and low positions in your search ranking.
