In today’s business world, there is always a need for businesses to grow their revenue simply because the business environment can be very competitive and your importation business cannot be an exception. Whether online or offline, importation businesses can no longer afford to ignore the many strategies that contribute to the growth of businesses across sectors. 

The importance of growing your importation business online cannot be overemphasized because of how important it is for you as a business owner to continue to be in business and generate profit. The goal of this article is to show you how to grow your importation business strategically.

1. Get your business online

In this digital age, you no longer have to rely on just an offline traditional business model. Many businesses are springing up online and this includes your competitors. Therefore, it is expected and more beneficial for you to create your own business presence online too. Social media is one of the best online platforms to position your business. 

Did you know that customers now rely on social media to decide whether to trust you enough to patronize you? Many customers will look up your social media profile before they decide to either buy from you or engage with your business in any way. They do this because both good and bad reviews are online and it only takes some megabytes to discover everything your customers need to know about you. 

The best way to get started with putting your business online is by making sure you are where your customers are. This comes with a little research about finding where your target audience is. Another strategic way is to check where your biggest competitors are online. You can know this by googling up your competitors’ names and finding out where they are thriving. This will show you where you are supposed to be too as an importer.

2. Create your own business website

A strategic way to also grow your business online is to have a platform that you can control. Of course, social media is cool and important for business visibility and sales but having your own website is equally important because you control everything about your business in your own domain.

The question is if Instagram shuts down today, is your business safe? 

If your answer to this is no, then you really need to consider having your own domain name because it is in your control, and not even Instagram can shut down your website.

3. Build your contact/email list

Many people will visit your website but not all will buy. The best way to contact both website visitors and one-time customers is to have a way of contacting them in the future. You can start by building a client list and making sure you get the contact of your website visitors. This could either be emails or phone numbers or both. Going forward, you can start by writing to your contact list through email newsletters or by reaching out to them via other means. The most important thing is to ensure you can always reach out to them strategically to talk about your importation business.

4.  Do your content marketing right

The importance of quality content to the growth of your importation business online is not one to ignore. The right content can contribute to the growth of your business brand, educate your audience, and increase sales! Another way to hack this is to look at the content of your competitors and see what the audience interacts with. This is not to say you should copy everything your competitors do but doing this will guide you in creating your own unique content for your business. Sharing relevant content in the form of blogs, videos, infographics, pictures or podcasts will educate, entertain and inform your audience about your business.

5.  Promote your business online

Although strategically putting useful content online is important to your business, advertising your business also comes in handy if you want to grow faster. From time to time, it is important to promote your business for more visibility, engagement, or outright sales. You can do this on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or any other platforms where your audience is found by choosing the ad campaign objective relevant to your business goal.  Promoting your importation business is another topic we will delve into soon. Stay with us!

6. Partner with relevant stakeholders

There’s no way you won’t need partners along the line to grow your business. After you have positioned your business, now is the time to partner with relevant stakeholders to help contribute to your business growth. These may be influencers who have made a mark in your business industry or other business owners offering a product or service complimentary to your own business.

Now that you have learned the strategic ways to grow your importation business online, it is important to note that these activities will require such investments as time, money and determination. 

Whether you will do this alone or build a team to manage your online business is totally up to you and dependent on your business goal, milestone, and budget. However, whichever way you decide to go about it, ensure you are taking it one step at a time and doing it right.

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If you have any questions, do let us know and we will be happy to provide answers!

Before you go, we have a gift for you. Download the Expert Importation Guidebook below to learn more about importation from China.