A practical, no-fluff playbook for getting your small business set up online — accounts, website, payments, search, ads, social, and analytics.
Going digital used to be optional. Now it's how customers find you, pay you, and review you. The good news: most of what you need is free or low-cost and takes a weekend to set up.
This guide walks through the seven essentials in the order most owners need them. Tap any chapter to expand the steps and recommended tools.
Before anything else, lock down a clean set of business accounts and protect them. This avoids mixing personal data and keeps you compliant.
A website is your 24/7 storefront. It doesn't need to be fancy — it needs to load fast, work on phones, and tell people what you sell and how to reach you.
Accepting digital payments is non-negotiable today. The right processor depends on whether you sell in person, online, or both.
A free Google Business Profile is the single highest-ROI thing most local businesses can do. It controls how you appear in Search and Maps.
Paid ads are powerful — and easy to waste money on. Start small ($5–$10/day), measure results, then scale what works.
You don't need to be on every platform. Pick 1–2 where your customers actually spend time, then post consistently.
If you don't measure, you can't improve. Free analytics tools tell you what's working and what's wasting time.