Nikita: Namaste and welcome from the beautiful city of Pune, to all our listeners from around the globe.

Sheril: Kia Ora and Namaste everyone from Auckland, New Zealand. Gosh, the world is becoming smaller thanks to technology, isn’t it { talking to nikita}.

Nikita: Sure is Sheril, I remember it feels like just yesterday when we used to wait to schedule a video call over the weekends in the pre-WhatsApp and zoom era..and now we can pretty much video call or talk long distance anytime and from anywhere.

Sheril: Rightly said, my friend cum sis cum colleague! Wow..how we have grown and so has the increasingly changing face of business these days. While growing up it was only our childish play that used to keep us hooked pretending to be businesswomen. Now, it’s our reality.

Nikita: I agree, what used to be only a dream has now become such an integral part of our lives. Not Only for us though, but for so many other entrepreneurs and fempreneur these days.

Sheril: I like the sound of that Niki, Fempreneur..has a ring to it {..chuckles..}

Nikita: Seth Godin very rightly said that “There’s no shortage of remarkable ideas, what’s missing is the will and the right way to execute them.”

We all know what it takes to bring up an idea, execute it and start your own business. However, many people find it very challenging to reach their target audience and elicit responses in terms of conversions and sales.

So here we are hosting our very first podcast for ‘IWD aka..Immersive web designs’ that has helped many small to medium size businesses to grow their online presence and improve conversions by revamping their websites, writing purposeful conversion copies by understanding the needs of the clients and website optimisation.

Sheril: Nikita I get you when you say many new business owners don’t have a clue what entails setting up and running a successful online business.

Nikita: That would include brick-and-mortar stores looking to reach more customers too!

Sheril: Definitely, it does Nikita.

Transcript

Nikita: So, share with our listeners when was IWD founded and how did you decide to pursue this career?
Sheril: Well, well where should I begin ..it’s been a long drawn-out journey, to say the least. I think somewhere in mid-2017 when we started developing it as a business before which it was just me freelancing. It basically grew from there and is flourishing.

Nikita: Well-deserved success I must say. Oh..wow! It’s been like 5 + years already. That’s commendable Sheril.
We see that people struggle to increase their conversion rates, especially newbies in business although they have business websites they don’t know what’s working or how it should be working.
Where do you think new businesses go wrong at times, I have heard a lot of sob stories and it literally breaks my heart each time I hear a business owner has given up under 1 year.
Sheril: There can be many things to consider while setting up a new online business or digital presence for an established brand. It goes all the way from basic groundwork on the product/ service offering, to market research, testing the feasibility of the idea and analysing the pain points of the target audiences.
Developing and structuring online assets like websites, social media channels, branding, copy, and marketing strategy comes after that. You won’t believe Nikita. I have worked with clients who were in such a hurry to launch their business that they missed out on actual market research and testing of their offering, which is so important. We have had to rescue many such businesses over the years.

Nikita: So how does one know what’s working for them and what’s not?

Sheril: Well, it’s important to stay updated with your online assets performance metrics, analytics and data can reveal many facts you would otherwise have no clue about. For example, one of the clients that came to us recently for improving their conversion rate didn’t have a clue that their website had fundamental operational issues! That was unbelievable for them.

We conducted a CRO audit and prepared a report informing them about where their biggest challenges lie. This has indeed been an eye-opener of sorts which has brought forward technical fails previously ignored by other agencies they worked with.

Nikita: We have read very encouraging and excellent reviews for IWD on Google. Do you think that’s one of the reasons for many of your clients being fans of your work { chuckles}
Sheril: { chuckles} they don’t call me Ms dependable for anything..haha. Thanks, Nikita yes, the reviews and personal recommendations from our past/present clients always motivate and delight us. But that’s teamwork with ‘you included’. Since you have been on board with Copywriting and content marketing skills, I have had it much easier and more effective to say the least. Thank you for being part of our small team Nikita.
Nikita: Social media is a buzz nowadays. We see millions of businesses running on Social media platforms since it has a vast reach. Is IWD also helping businesses gain visibility on these platforms?
Sheril: Of course, how can we miss out? We do it as part of our overall marketing strategy for businesses and help them start or grow with the right tools.
Nikita: Organic marketing is another term that we have come across recently. Does it work? What does it mean?
Sheril: It’s literally the promotion of your business, product, and services content that comes organically think social media reach, SEO, referrals etc
Yes, it works and it works more and better than paid advertising at times. This is especially true for new businesses with smaller pockets.
Nikita: I know, you work with clientele across the globe, do you work with small businesses in India too?
Sheril: Well, yes and not as yet. What I mean is yes, I get to work with businesses across Australia, NZ, the US, UK and Canada but I have not had a chance to connect with Indian businesses. I would love to though
{ smiles}
Nikita: Indian businesses if you have tuned in and are listening we want to work with you..contact us
{ chuckles}
You have come a long way in the last 5 years and running a successful business. What would be your suggestion to the new entrepreneurs, what should they focus on?

Sheril: focus on your core business operations first and foremost. do not try to DIY everything as that can fall back on you in the long run. invest in the right advice and professional help and budget it while drawing your business plan. This will help with long-term business success and longevity.

Nikita: That’s wonderful!! You have given us a very informative and deep insight into things related to business more online businesses. We hope it will help many who have recently ventured into or are thinking of starting an online business.

Sheril: Stay connected with us guys and gals, visit our website at iwdesignz.com
Follow us on this podcast, our socials are linked on the profile or write to us at info@iwdesignz.com

Nikita: In our next episode, we would like to know more about the projects old and new. Sheril and I would dissect some of the most fun projects to date and keep you entertained with our chit-chat along the way.