Published: May 1, 2021 by Annie Pilon In Startup
Many small businesses go through an early growth stage. But after that, you may need to change up your strategies to take the next step. Members of the online small business community have been through this stage and know how to navigate it. If you’ve hit a plateau in your small business growth, consider these next steps.
Scale Your Startup Beyond Organic Growth
In the early stages of running a business, you’re likely to rely on organic growth. But at a certain point, you may hit a plateau. Martin Zwilling discusses what to do when you reach this point on the Startup Professionals Musings blog.
Start Outsourcing in Your Business
When your business starts growing, there comes a point where you can’t do everything yourself. It’s not always practical to grow an official team. But outsourcing provides a practical solution. This Borderless Mind post by Rishi Khanna includes signs it’s time to start outsourcing. You can also see commentary on the post here.
Use a Blog Planner to Meet Your Goals
Blogging is a popular marketing strategy. And it can even be a main source of revenue for a business. But off-the-cuff blogging can only take you so far. If you want your efforts to get to the next level, you need a plan. Moss Clement of Moss Media explores that concept here.
Take Self Care Seriously
No matter how much your business grows, you remain an important part of it. Many entrepreneurs get burnt out working long hours early on. But if you want your success to be sustainable, you need to take care of yourself. CJ Masciantonio elaborates in this Strella Social Media post.
Integrate Online Features into Your Physical Store Experience
Many local businesses start out by focusing on their in-person experience. But as your company grows, you can integrate more tech tools into the experience. In this Bright Local post, Elliot Mark dives into the options for making these improvements.
Perform a Technical SEO Audit
SEO is an important marketing concept for businesses of all sizes. But as you grow, it’s important to look at the tactics that have worked for you — and those that haven’t. In this Semrush post, A.J. Ghergich explains how to perform a technical audit of your efforts.
Consider Search Engines Beyond Google
Google has long been the top search engines for businesses to focus on. However, it isn’t the only one. If you want your business to get found online, it may be time to include others. Lisa Sicard lists some in this Pixel Productions post. And BizSugar members commented further here.
See How Your Domain Authority Stacks Up
Domain authority can have a major impact on how many customers find your website online. You likely won’t have much authority when you get started. But as you grow, it can be beneficial to check this metric. David J. Brin shares how in this UpCity post.
Use Website Data to Uncover Missed Sales Opportunities
You can’t hope to make every sale — especially when you first start out. But over time, you can learn from your mistakes and improve your overall numbers. In this Search Engine Watch post, Joe Dawson details how to use website data for this purpose.
Create Partnerships That Last
Relationships are an important building block of any business. If you don’t have established partnerships early on, it’s worth investing in these once you get established. Read more about the concept in this Biz Epic post by Ivan Widjaya.