Part 1: Increase your business’ digital presence – there’s help out there!

In 2002, 23 percent of Australian business had an online presence¹. Ten years later, that number has grown – only just! The latest results of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) annual Summary of IT Use and Innovation in Australian Business  show that in 2011-12, whilst 91.9 percent of Australian businesses have internet access, only 44.6 percent have a web presence.

Creating an online presence for your business can open up a wide range of opportunities. You may just use it as a marketing tool, or you may use it to engage in e-commerce, where you sell your products or services online.

So is your business part of the majority of Australian businesses that are not online? Why not? While entering the digital world may seem like a daunting task, it could be easier then you think - and there are plenty of free resources available to help you! Following are some tips to get you underway.

Planning:
To make the most of your business’ online activities you should look at developing a plan, such as an online business plan or a digital strategy. This should include what you are hoping to achieve through your digital activities, and how you plan to achieve them.

To help you get started with creating an online business plan, download the ‘Online business plan template’  available on the Australian Government’s Digital Business website  or visit the Winning Business Online website .

Creating a website:
One of the simplest ways to get online is to create a website.

The Digital Business website  provides a range of information to help your business create its first website, including:

• helping you understand the costs and timeframes involved;
• registering a web address;
• building the website;
• launching and marketing the website; and
• keeping the content on your website fresh.

One of the key advantages of online business activity, particularly websites, is the capacity to track and measure its performance, such as how many people are visiting, how long they are staying and what they are clicking on. Some website hosting companies provide analytics tools, however there are also other alternatives such as Google Analytics or Yahoo! Web Analytics. Find out more about website analytics .

E-Commerce:
If you want to take your website to the next level, you can use it as a tool to engage in e-commerce.

In an Australian and Communications Media Authority report , in the six months leading up to April 2011, approximately 62 percent of Australian adult internet users purchased a good or service online. E-commerce can allow your business to grow its customer base by tapping into this market, and by giving you access to national or even international audiences. It can also provide a more convenient experience for your customers, with the ability for them to purchase your products or services at a time suitable for them.

The Digital Business website  provides a number of e-commerce resources. The Australian Government’s Business.gov.au website  website also has an Online Business section which includes information on:

• the legal essentials for doing business online;
• making your online activity safe and secure;
• marketing your online goods or services; and
• importing and exporting goods online.

You can also visit the Driving Business Online website  for free assistance on e-commerce. An initiative of PayPal Australia, along with supporting partners, the Driving Business Online website aims to help small business get onto the internet, or make their existing online business more successful. The website provides information on:

• setting up online shopping carts;
• taking payments online; and
• managing the logistics such as delivery and shipping.

There’s a lot more resources and information available to help your business online presence! Make sure you come back to this blog next week to read Part 2.

Is your business already online? Share your tips and stories on our Facebook  or Twitter  pages.

¹ ABS, Summary of IT Use and Innovation in Australian Business, 2005-06