How do I automate my business online?
This question pops into every business owner’s head once in a while. How do you automate your business online? Is that even possible? Does automation simplify your business? Will automating your business online increase your profits? Will automation create more freedom for you?
The answer is simple.
Yes, yes, and yes.
Automating your business online will create a structure for your business that you never knew you needed. If you are new to the automation world or haven’t had the chance to try automating your business, then you are in the right place. Today we are going to be covering the who, what, where, when, why, and how automation.
Let’s get into defining what automation is, and how you can use automation to restructure your business online.
What is automation?
Automation is a process created to reduce the need for human assistance. It performs automated actions that would normally be performed manually. Automating your business would be replicating your business workflow to be done over the internet. You can choose to modify your business workflow as well.
What is an example of automating your business online?
Before automation:
After your customer purchases your product, you send them a digital receipt. You also want to thank them for buying your product so, you send them a thank you email.
After automation:
You can configure your website to send automated welcome emails, thank you emails, and even receipts. So after a customer purchases your product, they will automatically receive a receipt along with a thank you email.
Why should you automate your business online?
- It creates more freedom (time).
- It creates an efficient workflow.
- It creates quality customer support.
- It acts as a virtual assistant.
- It increases lead conversion rates.
- It increases business profits.
For starters, automating your business online decreases the amount of work that you do in your business. Creating an automated process would in turn create more time for you to work on other things. Automation also helps with faster customer support and increases customer retention. Think of automation as your very own virtual assistant. You can also view online automation as artificial intelligence. Meaning, that you can program your website to do what you want it to do. The possibilities are truly endless.
Another benefit to automating your business online is that you can modify your business workflow and structure. Modifying your workflow can increase the quality of your business and its services. Combining your current workflow with automation will create a more efficient way of handling business.
Automating your business online would undoubtedly innovate your business.
How can you automate your business online?
There are different levels of automation, especially when it comes to a website. You have the ability to program your website to perform simple tasks. Like sending out automated emails or receiving automated notifications. The depth of online automation varies on what type of business you have and how your business structure is.
It’s important to know the basics of automation prior to fully automating your online business. Creating simple automation tasks is like setting up the foundation for your business. Many business owners are eager to automate their business online and can forget to thoroughly understand the process. The building blocks to automating your business online begin with step 1.
Step 1 is understanding what automation is and how it can benefit your business.
So, let’s do a recap of what we covered thus far.
What is Automation?
Automation is an automated process that occurs once certain or specified criteria are met. Online automation is like you talking to your website and instructing it to perform specific automated tasks.
Why is automation important for your business?
Online automation is important because it completely innovates your business. When properly automated, your business will essentially manage and sell all by itself.
Should business owners automate their business online?
Yes – If they want to increase their profits while decreasing their workload.
What are the basics of online automation?
The basics of automation are:
- Setting up automated emails.
- Creating automated notifications.
- Setting up an abandoned shopping cart email sequence
- Creating an opt-in email list
- Setting up your blogs to automatically post to your socials.
- Creating automated posts on social media.
- Creating an email campaign.
How do you create automated emails on your website?
Creating automated emails on your website varies on the type of platform or network that you’re working on. If you are working on WordPress then here is a simple tutorial on how to create and modify automated emails on your website.
How to customize automated WooCommerce emails on WordPress:
The first thing you need to do is log in to your website dashboard. The standard URL if you are working on the WordPress network is your domain name then “/wp-admin” at the end.
For example:
www.yourdomainname.com/wp-admin/
If you are working on the Influx Network then the URL is your domain name then “/clientarea” at the end.
For example:
www.yourdomainname.com/clientarea
or you can visit the main site at https://influxentrepreneur.com and click on the blue Login button that is located on the menu.
Once you are logged into your website, click on the WooCommerce settings. To get to those settings you have to look on the left-hand side. You will see a vertical menu. Look through the menu options for WooCommerce.
Click or hover over the WooCommerce menu option. Look for a subdirectory labeled Settings under the WooCommerce Options.
You will then see another menu that has options listed for the WooCommerce settings. Look for the option that is labeled as Emails. Click on that.
Once you are on the email settings for WooCommerce, you will see different options.
The first option you have is to customize your Email Notifications.
Under the Email Notifications section, you will see a list of different automated emails that are sent out on your website. The WooCommerce email notifications are emails that are sent once certain criteria are met. These automated email sequences are created for the products on your website.
Both you and the customer will receive an email depending on what action occurs on the website.
For example,
Let’s say a customer orders your product from your website. Both you and your customer will receive an automated email notification stating that such has occurred.
To manage or customize those automated emails you will need to look on the right-hand side of that list. To the right of each option, you will see a button that says Manage.
Click on that button to customize that email notification.
The second option you have is to modify the Email Sender Options.
Under this section, you will see two options.
You can change the “From” name that your customers see when they receive the automated email. Typically it is labeled as your company’s name. If you wish to change the name, then enter the preferred name in the box.
You can also change the “From” address that your customers see when they receive an automated email. Typically it is labeled as the email address that is associated with your website’s account. If you wish to change the email, then enter the preferred email in the box.
The third option that you have is to customize the Email Template color options.
Under this section, you will see six options.
- You can change the header image that shows up on the automated emails.
- You can customize the footer text.
- You can modify the base color.
- You can modify the background color.
- You can modify the body background color.
- Lastly, you can modify the body text color.
That pretty much covers how you can customize the automated WooCommerce emails on your website. Feel free to modify it as you wish.
What is an Abandoned Shopping Cart Recovery?
An abandoned cart recovery is an automated process that helps remind customers that they didn’t finish checking out on your website. At times people have a busy schedule, or they received a call in the middle of purchasing your product and forget to go back and finish checking out. This automated process helps increase your profits and customer count.
How does an Abandoned Shopping Cart Recovery work?
An abandoned shopping cart recovery is an automated process that is triggered once a customer starts the process of purchasing your product. You are giving your website instructions to send that customer an email. That email reminds them that they haven’t finished purchasing your product. This automated system is created by setting specific triggers in order for the automation to begin. Once one of the triggers occurs then, the Abandoned Shopping Cart Recovery process begins.
Examples of Abandoned Shopping Cart Recovery:
- Automated Email Reminders
- Automated Coupons
What are the best plugins for WooCommerce Abandoned Shopping Cart Recovery?
- WooCommerce Recover Abandoned cart
- Hubspot for WooCommerce
- ELEX WooCommerce Abandoned Cart Recovery
- YITH WooCommerce recover abandoned cart
Conclusion:
There are many ways to automate your business online. I would suggest starting with basic automation first. After you understand the necessity of online automation, then you can begin the process of fully automating your business. This blog is intended for business owners who are just getting started with their websites. Or business owners that want to start automating their business as soon as possible.
What did we cover?
- How do you automate your business online?
- What is online automation?
- Why should you automate your business online?
- Why is automation important for your business?
- What are the basics of online automation?
- How do you create automated emails on your website?
- How to customize automated WooCommerce emails on WordPress?
- What is an Abandoned Shopping Cart Recovery?
- How does an Abandoned Shopping Cart Recovery work?
- What are the best plugins for WooCommerce Abandoned Shopping Cart Recovery?
