Bring your business online

Building your own website might seem like a daunting task. However, there are many companies who offer services to simplify the process. Many solutions use templates with drag and drop layouts to get your website up and running in hours.

If you’re looking to create an e-commerce website, it’s common for these companies to offer the functionality to include an online store in your website.

A quick web search can help find a provider that’s right for you.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) makes your website easy to find when people type questions into search engines. It’s important to optimise your website SEO to help it feature higher up in search engine results. This will make it more likely that people making related searches will see it.

Check out these 4 key steps which you can take to improve your SEO.

From Facebook and Instagram advertising to Google Ads, the digital media landscape is constantly growing. 

Social media can help businesses engage with customers and advertise their products and services. If you haven’t created a social media profile for your business, now could be a good time to start.

Read about getting to know your customers here

As your business moves online, ensure you’re doing everything you can to protect your business. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has produced a guide for small businesses looking to transition online.

NCSC guide to making the move to digital

Find out more information on how Royal Bank can help you protect your business from fraud.

Visit our security and fraud page.

Before making any changes to your business model it’s important that you update your business plan. This will help ensure that you’ve considered the impact of any changes.

A thorough business plan allows you to have a clear mission and specific goals. These are vital to building a successful business.

Not got a business plan? Download this free business plan template from the Prince's Trust Website.

Key considerations:

• Define a strategy
• Calculate shipping rates
• Packaging options
• Insurance and tracking
• Customers declarations (if shipping abroad)
• Labelling your packages
• Fulfilment warehouse

Accepting card payments is never a bad idea for a growing business and might help you to grow your customer base too. 

Tyl by NatWest can help you take card payments as well as accepting remote or contactless payments. Eligibility criteria and fees apply.

More about Tyl by NatWest

Online events can be useful to continue engaging customers. Including these events on your website and social media can also be a great way to supplement your advertising.