Contrary to the popular belief that creating a sustainable online business is easy, running a successful and profitable online business is not without challenges. In fact, the challenges can be far greater than starting a brick-and-mortar store because of the technical issues involved in it. By this logic, a business owner may easily run a physical store, but starting a website or an app might sound Greek or Latin to him or her. Here are a few ways you can create a profitable online business in four easy steps—fast—with the right combination of a great business idea and software.

Anything, small or great in this world, starts with an idea. As with everything else, you should have a great idea to start your online business that is sustainable both in the physical as well as online marketplace. The e-commerce sector is growing at an explosive rate globally, notwithstanding the slowdown effects of the pandemic which had earlier brought businesses all over to a screeching halt. Industry experts predict that the online retail sales will hit the $4 trillion in 2020, and that mobile commerce will reach a market share of almost 73 percent by 2021. Therefore, it is a huge global market out there for the taking.

Selecting the right technological stack is the next important step. If you’re a startup, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to invest a lot in the design and development front. You can even start out with a basic website or a mobile app, then shift gears towards something more substantial in the form of milestones, based on revenue scale. If you have investors on-board, you can invest in the right tech stack and platform that spells efficiency and usability. Put your customers, clients or users at the heart of digital technology to propel your business forward. Remember usability or user-centric technological stack is as important as your online business itself!

Third, focus on the business revenue stream. It is important to design multiple revenue streams, and structure your online business to accommodate a number of revenue channels. It may require a deeper understanding of the market dynamics and target audience.

Finally, it is important as a business owner to understand the different online promotional strategies including SEO, Social Media, PR, Email Marketing, Video Marketing, Ads, etc. to take your business forward. You can also hire a digital marketing strategist who can support you with online visibility, conversions and leads. Going digital is the way forward for even traditional businesses to compete in the rather tough marketplace and enjoy success against competition.