<h2>Scale and Grow Your Online Business</h2>
2020 has seen the world gripped by a global pandemic, and many businesses have sadly fallen victim to the physical closures imposed around the world as well as the changing shopping habits of consumers. There is, however, a light at the end of the tunnel for businesses able to adapt, scale and grow operations to meet the demands of a changing world.

The tips below represent a few of the ways that online business can start to turn around operations and ultimately thrive in today's post-pandemic economy.
<h3>Focus on Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)</h3>
CRO or Conversion Rate Optimisation is the process of removing barriers to conversion or in simple terms, increasing the number of website visitors who perform a desired action.

The great thing about CRO is that it doesn't rely on attracting more visitors to your website to increase profits or desired actions. CRO relies simply on boosting the number of current visitors who take your desired action.

So how do you improve your conversion rate? The answer depends on your goals, but quick wins can include:
<ul>
 	<li>Changing the text on your CTA's (call to actions).</li>
 	<li>Removing unneeded navigational elements from the sales funnel.</li>
 	<li>Including reviews on product pages.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Take a look at Organic Traffic</h3>
Organic traffic is one of the most sought after traffic sources for many websites. Organic traffic refers to visitors who have found your site naturally, without paying to click on or see an ad for your business. Because organic traffic is mostly free and doesn't cost your company any money from a marketing budget, it quite often is the holy grail of traffic sources.

When tasked with increasing organic traffic to their website, most companies have no clue how to start. In reality, the building blocks of this process begin with an audit of your website's content. You must ensure your site resonates with your target audience and speaks to them in their language.

The more high-quality content your website offers, the more relevance Google and other search engines will apportion to your site when a user performs a search on their platform.
<h3>Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)</h3>
79% of people say UGC profoundly impacts their purchasing decisions, with consumers finding UGC 9.8x more impactful than influencer content, so why aren't you utilising UGC on your site?

Using user-generated content throughout your website, social media and marketing channels can be one of the most straightforward and rewarding forms of content marketing you ever perform. With content provided by your users, your task is as easy as placing it in front of potential customers.

For those having trouble getting users to generate content in the first place, actions such as integrating a third-party review platform with your eCommerce software can have a dramatic effect in a very short period. Other ideas include urging customers to post unboxing videos, asking people to take part in surveys in return for a discount on future purchases and interacting more with your users on social media.
<h3>Connect With Your Customer Base</h3>
You can't deny that social media has taken over our lives. As of Q1 2020, there are 2.6 billion monthly active Facebook users and chances are if you take a look at your timeline you'll know more about your friends than anyone would have ever thought possible 20 years ago. But is your business utilising these platforms for your gain?

Social media marketing isn't just about getting more sales or promoting your new product or service; the benefits of social extend much further. If your company spends a significant amount of time on the telephone supporting its customer base, you may find you could reduce these hours and improve productivity by launching support via social media. Not only that, 71% of consumers who have had a positive experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend that brand to friends and family. Something they can easily do with a few extra clicks of a button while using social media but is a lot more complicated with traditional phone support.

The most important thing to remember when it comes to social media is that it helps you to make a connection with your customers in ways traditional marketing media is unable to. The benefits of even small steps into social can have a tremendous impact on your business.
<h3>Invest In Technology &amp; Solutions</h3>
Finally, when it comes to scaling and growing your business, it can be helpful to remember that investing in technology or solutions by trusted partners such as those provided by us here at Actuate Digital can help transform your business.

Navigating the digital world doesn't have to be daunting; it just requires a well-planned approach and sustainable action plan to help transport you to the next level.