Innovations in technology within the past few decades have allowed the average entrepreneur to create their own online business for almost no cost. However, success does not come from simply creating a website and putting your products up for sale. A variety of components need to come together in order to achieve a certain level of success. Therefore, we’ve compiled the four basic components to creating a successful online business.

Test, Refine, Repeat

Once you begin to see customers trickle in, you will also have the luxury of collecting their spending habits as well as their navigation through your website. How long they stay, what pages they visit, and ultimately, what they buy can provide you with incredible data. The best way to utilize this data is to test new products and marketing strategies, refine them, and repeat the process as a way to keep your customer’s wants at the forefront of your business.

A Vibrant Social Media Presence

So, all your ducks are in a row, and you’re ready to set your website to go live, but there is one thing missing. That’s right; you need to create a vibrant social media presence for your business. This means understanding who your target audience is and what would catch their attention. Simply posting about your next product won’t do much to entice people to come onto your website. People don’t come on social media to be sold; they come on to socialize. Therefore, it is vital that your post is engaging (starts a conversation) as well as vibrant (catches someone’s attention).

Somewhere to Receive Mail

Every established business needs a physical address, no matter if you’re a brick and mortar business or solely online. This is because you will no doubt need an address to receive important legal forms as well as any customer returns. If you’re not comfortable putting your home address on public communications, virtual mailing addresses offer the benefits of a PO box, but without having to go to the post office. Sure, you’ll have to pay for the service and visit the post office every few days, but many find it worth it as it provides total privacy from your customers and other organizations.

Overdeliver but Don’t Overpromise

One of the most common mistakes by new business owners is overpromising their customers. They’ll say that they will have a certain amount of product at launch, but when launch day comes, they suddenly underestimate the amount of demand. People become angry and lose respect and trust for the business. Our view is that in order to build a successful online business, you can only promise what you are 100% confident about. Then and only then can you begin to over-deliver on that promise. One of the best ways to do this is to offer expedited shipping or simply adding a bonus item to each order.

No matter the size of your online business, whether small or large, the reality is that all companies must follow a certain set of criteria to become and remain successful. Beginning with these four basic rules will no doubt set you up with a strong foundation for future growth.