Don’t worry!

They say that the first step is always the hardest. However, going online is usually much easier than anticipated and all you need is a bit of hard work, dedication and discipline.

There are various options for easily moving your business online. To untangle any complications, we decided to put together a 30 Day To-Do List which will help your business get traction in the online realm much faster.

LET’S BEGIN

Take this chance to reflect on your company. Ask these questions to yourself:

How has this journey been?

What is my company’s worth?

What can I do to improve it?

Growth starts with questions. Questioning yourself and your professional goals gives you the opportunity to understand your company better.

2. Reflect on your client base

This will give you a new perspective to optimize your client group for progressive growth. Ask yourself:

Which types of clients are bringing you profit?

Which clients are wasting your time? And finally the most important question:

How many clients can you take on financially and emotionally?

3. Visualize it

Create a diagram or a list, which will allow you to map out every detail and give you a better picture — this way you can make sure that there is something to look back to when you lose focus.

4. Should I go online?

Upon deciding on expanding to online consultation, question yourself on why it would give you a better perspective. Keep in mind however, that no matter how hard you fight, you’ll have to offer your services online eventually.

5. Don’t rush it: Weigh in the pros and cons

This is a very simple method that has proved to help many make accurate judgments. Ask yourself on how it’s going to profit your business. Will moving your business online result in more clients? Will it create a discomfort among your former clients ? These questions allow you to weigh the pros and cons which will help you from making any rash decisions.

6. Crunch some numbers

Finances are the backbone for any business. Measure the costs and profit you may incur through this expansion. There’s a possibility that the initial process may increase your company’s expenses in the beginning (e.g. internet bills and a small investment in gadgets). On the plus side, you might cut costs on office space and electricity bills.

The Initial Planning

7. Create a long-term plan

In a long-term perspective, you need to know what the benefits to go online are. This long term approach helps you move forward with the expansion plan with confidence. Having a long term plan also attracts more investors and clients to be a part of your new venture.

8. Ask for advice

Your family and friends are your strength; include them in the discussion as well as keep them updated with the progress.

9. Start to build up your infrastructure

Create your design, dev and tech infrastructure. Having this set up at the start avoids any confusion in the future. If you’re on a small budget then look into Freelancer, UpWork, and Fiverr as they usually feature freelancers who are looking for small projects with small budgets.

10. Don’t be afraid to redesign

Some will tell you that re-designing is the ultimate death sentence. However, sometimes you have to move out of your comfort zone and try something new. It doesn’t have to be rash — just question yourself. As Socrates put it:

The unexamined life is not worth living

11. Create a funnel to optimize client acquisition.

A funnel is exactly what you think it is: a simple pathway which allows you to understand how your clients find you as a business and what steps they have to make in order to become paying customers. Create a clear funnel, understand where your clients are coming from and make it clear for them on what the next step is. Follow this link and learn more about funnels, as they will be the backbone of your online business.

12. Create a logo

It’s important for you to have a branding that represents you and your services. If you don’t have the necessary skills, you can always hire people from one of the many freelancing websites mentioned above, however, if you prefer designing it yourself, sites such as SquareSpace allows you to design your logo for a small fee.

A logo is necessary to represent you and what you stand for. It gives you a chance to be remembered and to create a lasting impact.

13. Create your website

Once you have the logo, you would need a functioning yet manageable website. You can either build one on your own using SquareSpace which is suitable for beginners, or hire a freelancer to help build your website.

A stunning website keeps you ahead of the competition and gives you the chance to explain yourself and your offerings. This will be your online name card. Make sure you spend time, energy and creativity on it.

Social and content marketing

14. Make a video

You earn your living with talking. You should establish your marketing on this fact, as you have the skills and the knowledge to speak to the public, in depth. Visuals speak louder than words, so make a video that communicates your intentions to your audience.

Have you noticed how some consultants prefer using YouTube as a medium of communication? This is because video has become a huge influence in everyone’s lives. One of our personal favorites would be Evan Carmichael, check him out here and make some notes.

15. Facebook, of course

In this era social media is the key to communication. Start by creating a Facebook page that represents your identity and your clients. Invite your friends and family to like your page, then share your page in groups that relate to you, and if you prefer you can also launch a Facebook campaign that can boost your page likes or website visits.

16. Clear call-to-actions

Before we go deeper into social media platforms, I’d like you to think back to your funnel. Facebook and other social media pages will be a part of this. Make sure you channel your visitors in a way that leads to conversions. Use the Facebook call-to-action buttons and make sure you approach every channel by using their strengths.

17. You are a professional, start using LinkedIn

Facebook only gives your clients a glimpse on what you’re doing. LinkedIn on the other hand gives you the opportunity to highlight all significant elements of your professional career. Update your LinkedIn profile with your latest resume, as it is a place for professional communication.

LinkedIn will help you connect with like-minded people and professionals who are looking for consultants. There are several business and life coaches who use LinkedIn as their only traffic source.

18. Do you provide your services for women mostly? Start using Pinterest

Pinterest is never a bad idea if you’ve got a wide range of audience, as it caters as a platform of expression for people in the 20’s to those in their 40’s or 50’s. If your target is middle-aged women or women entrepreneurs, you can easily narrow down your target group through Pinterest. Here are some nice facts and tips.

19. Twitter as your personal journal

Start being active on Twitter. In our modern world, Twitter serves as the news network, where one tweet can spread as a forest fire. Hence, constant updates will help boost your network. In many cases, Twitter helps you directly connect to your target audience with one sentence either through a retweet, tags or direct messages. It’s quick, and it is built for engagement.

Twitter is often fool’s gold: it promises a lot, but in many cases there are no rewards. Always measure your performance and act on it wisely.

20. Creating your own content

Content is important for your consultancy to progress; this is how you really show what you can offer. This goes from Facebook to Twitter to guest blogging. But how do you create great content?

If you’re too busy to create your own blog article or to create your own content, then you can find writers or content curators on the freelancing market looking for a chance to shine. On the other hand, if you don’t mind creating your own content, you can find great non-copyright images on Pixbay, Stock Pictures or even Flickr. A clear and relevant picture boosts your article’s reach and engagement.

The final touches

21. Setbacks

These will happen. Some channels will work and some will not. It’s nothing you should be worried about — make sure you measure your performance and act on statistics.

22. Balance

Balance is key to your business. You need to be able to balance both your professional and everyday life in order to be at the peak of your performance. How do you do it?

Take time off to do leisure activities; it could be with family and friends or alone. Go for a run, read a book, or just watch something. Take the time to relax — it’s important.

23. Invest in gadgets

Transitioning online requires you to invest in good technology. Start with good:

Microphones

Cameras

Suitable computer.

24. Your working environment

Online transitioning requires you to have a comfortable and well lit background, so create a working space that caters for your online consultation. You can work from home or wherever you are. Just make sure you are working in an environment that helps you focus.

25. Package your offerings

Put all your services in different packages and different prices. The best way of persuasion is giving your potential customers the option of choosing. Once you give your clients multiple choices, they will feel more empowered and more likely to choose one of your services.

26. The specifics of your consultation

It’s time for you to figure out the specifications of your online consultation:

methods of payment

when do your clients have to pay

the length of your sessions

when do you give sessions

27. Emails

Now you should collect all your client’s e-mails and contacts; this will help you send out an email explaining your new expansion, discounts and promotions. This will keep your clients informed regarding your progress.

If you feel comfortable, you can create a newsletter service that will help you create a long lead list, whom you can communicate about your latest adventures and offerings. Just to name a couple: Mailchimp and MadMimi are quality newsletter service providers.

28. Good Internet connection

It’s time to ensure you’ve got a great Internet connection. Aim for a 500kbps connection for good video quality. Check out your speed here: http://www.speedtest.net/

29. Telebond

You will most likely use video consultations. The first thing you may think of is Skype. However, Skype isn’t exactly made for video consultations as its sole purpose is to bring the world closer one step at a time. It doesn’t address privacy, security or optimization.

This is why you should consider a software that does everything for you. Meet Telebond, a software that was made for online consultations. It is private, it is secure and it is optimized for online businesses.

30. Need any help? Call Telebond!

We want online consultants to succeed, that’s why we are happy to help you out with any questions you might have. Contact us any time through Telebond. Let’s talk about what you’re struggling with and how we can help you.

https://app.telebond.com/profile/drosner

For other articles from Telebond and advice on how to take your business online, keep your eye on the official Telebond Blog or follow us on Twitter. Or you can sign up here to monetize on your knowledge online.