If you have a reliable internet connection you can run your business from just about anywhere. I am addicted to watching House Hunters and on many shows there are entrepreneurs moving to warmer climates…. to paradise, because they can run their online business from there without missing a beat. The rise of a flourishing digital economy of e-businesses, with the potential for almost anyone with something to sell to launch their very own online business is very common now. However, like all businesses, success is never guaranteed and the right skills will go a long way in turning a business dream into a reality.
Here are 5 essential skills that will serve any entrepreneur well in the digital age:
1. Be a Good Writer
No matter what it is you are selling, you’ll always need to convince people about the value of your products or services. That’s where copywriting comes in. Since most of the web is in written form, effective writing will deliver your most important messages and key selling points in an influential way. Guiding website visitors through a purchase, persuading them about the importance of your product, writing a great description, and convincing them to make the purchase can all be achieved with the right words on your website.
2. Analyze Your Stats & Data
Understanding where your online traffic comes from and how visitors are engaging with your website can give digital entrepreneurs the ability to justify making changes based on hard data. Business owners should familiarize themselves with web analytic platforms like Google Analytics to determine where traffic to their website is coming from, which pages are the most popular, and how long visitors are spending on each page. A good understanding of this data can help a digital entrepreneur track their success over a number of important stats, helping them to monitor how their digital business is performing.
3. Know a Bit About SEO
Every digital entrepreneur needs to market themselves and their business online, and one of the best ways to do this is through a strong understanding of search engine optimization (SEO). This will make their website/online store rank more highly in search engine results pages and create an increase in visitors and conversions. As for SEO marketing, a knowledge of how to set up and run a pay per click (PPC) campaign is also extremely useful for gaining exposure, especially when first starting out.
4. Learn a Content Management System (CMS)
Luckily, it’s no longer required for a digital business owner to be able to develop and code a website via HTML or PHP if they want to make changes to the site’s layout, content and design. A good content management system like WordPress allows any online business owner to change their website’s content, add new pages and posts, and implement design changes from a central dashboard. Plugins can easily be installed to add many functions and features to the website.
5. Have Sales and Business Skills
Any good entrepreneur, even those who sit behind the screen and rarely meet with their customers face to face, need the right skills to close a sale. This includes effective communication and following up all inquiries through emails, call backs, custom quotes and other customer service. A strong business mindset, including being able to identify new opportunities and capitalize on them, is also valuable. For example, a digital entrepreneur selling internet plans could expand their services to include mobile and landline products by partnering with a company like Telcoinabox, purchasing these products, and then reselling them for a profit. Affiliate programs like this are very common among bloggers. This is just one situation where an entrepreneur could introduce new services that would likely be of value to their existing customer base. The skill to be able to see and take advantage of opportunities like this one is essential for a digital entrepreneur.
Are there any other crucial skills that would help a digital entrepreneur succeed online? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Telcoinabox. All opinions are my own.
Leave a Reply