An online platform connects demand and supply in an intelligent way. It involves trading a product, a service or initiating a new collaboration. Digital platforms enable businesses and platform administrators to constantly develop themselves.
Setting up an Online Platform
What is important when establishing an online platform:
- Create your registration process
- Create or have your logo created
- Determine your corporate style
- Create profile pages
- Determine your memberships and indicate who can use which functionalities on your platform.
Registration form for platform
Interested members can register with your platform. The administrator of a platform determines which data is required from a member. The fields for these data are then added in the registration form by the administrator. Keep the threshold for the registration form as low as possible by not requesting too much data at once. This will increase the conversion on the registration form and ultimately result in more members on your digital platform.
Determine the revenue model for the platform
Establishing an online platform is usually done to generate passive income. A good revenue model for your digital platform is therefore important. Think about it carefully. For example, the following revenue models are possible in a digital platform:
Advertisements on the platform
Companies approach you to advertise their business on the platform. This can be a referral to the website of the company placing the advertisement on the platform, or it can promote a product or service.
Subscriptions to the platform
Customers subscribe to use your platform. In most cases, automated payment is used. This payment will be automatically debited periodically and, in most cases, monthly.
Product orders
Earn an income with a digital platform by selling your product or service on your platform.
Develop profile pages for the online platform
Users have their own profile on an online platform where they can display information. The platform administrator must determine which information is displayed on the profile. In addition, the platform administrator may determine which contact options are provided on a profile. Think of sending private messages, chatting, adding a profile to favorites or sending a connection request.
Design the homepage for the online platform
What is important when designing an online platform is that administrators can determine the layout of the content themselves. For example, should members display content in rows or blocks. Which information exactly will be shown in the overviews? Which information is prominently displayed and which information is subtle? The complete homepage can be configured via Start-platform software by the platform administrator.
Write content pages
Write content only when you talk about your field of expertise and are able to share knowledge. It is easy for you to write this way, and it produces texts that visitors will find helpful. By combining easy and high-quality writing, your platform will be well found. You need to create good content. Content that informs, inspires and appeals. This way, every visitor understands what the text is about, and you are less likely to deal with people who click away in the middle of your story.
Establish a domain name for the online platform
It is important for your platform to be easily found online. A domain name enables people to find you online. A domain name is a naming system that identifies you on the web. A domain name is also personal. Therefore, it is important that your company name is included in your domain name. When people are looking for your platform, they only have to search for your company name to end up on your platform.
Focus on user-friendliness
If you want your visitors to stay on your platform for a long time, you need to ensure that the platform is user-friendly. Especially to motivate visitors to buy or to come back another time. It is also important to have your logo and corporate style appear on your platform. The most important information you want to share is on your homepage, and the remaining information is on your subpages. All this is for an orderly platform.
Determine and attract the target audience
An important question to ask yourself as a platform owner is how to attract visitors quickly and effectively. As a platform administrator, you should think from the perspective of the needs of your members and provide solutions for them. What are the services your members want to offer to other members on your digital platform? Your goal is to bring demand and supply together for your target audience so that they can then enter into a collaboration. Also consider what problem your users or members have and what they are looking for. Many platforms use social media for this. Research which social media platform your target audience is most active on. Get started on the most popular social media platform of your target audience. Then advertise on that platform and address your target audience.
Build your own network on social media
Use social media platforms to get in touch with your target audience. By using social media, you strengthen your platform, increase your number of visitors, and it ensures better name recognition.
Optimization for visibility
You are not finished with just an online platform and content. People must visit your platform. For this, you will have to work hard, as visitors will not simply come to your platform. You have to get your visitors to your website. You can do this via Google by search engine optimization. This will ensure that your website becomes more visible online. You can outsource this to experienced people, but applying search engine optimization yourself is also an option. If you want to establish an online platform, it is a priority that you are easy to find.
Provide standalone value
Standalone value is a way to determine the value of a company in its current state. If platform companies attract few visitors, platform companies should look for other ways to provide value to individual visitors. Providing standalone value can also cause problems. For example, when additional features or additional hardware are required, it is easy to add functionality to a platform.
Focus on a specific niche
A good approach for many platforms is to focus on visitors in a relatively narrow market, making it easier for the platform to get a grip by focusing on a smaller sector. By focusing on a smaller sector, you have a chance of a stronger bond between the platform and the customer.
Build credibility with customers
If you are dealing with competing platforms, visitors need a reason to be convinced that your platform is worth becoming a member of. Especially if this entails a significant investment. To attract visitors, a new platform must meet credible expectations with its future success. To build credibility, it is important to attract visitors with highly desired products or services. Exclusivity can stimulate growth.
Keeping up with the platform
To attract new visitors, it is necessary to keep your online platform's information up to date. This means that you will need to write something for your digital platform from time to time. This will keep your platform active and will attract more new visitors as a result. And new visitors are a possibility for new customers. setting up an online platform. setting up an online platform.
