11.26.05
Back to the Basics: How to Successfully Start an Online Business
As someone who has been running a full-time Internet
business for years, I often have to remind myself that
there are thousands of business “newbies” who are just
starting out. As I get farther and farther into the realm
of online business, I find that the basics for starting
your own business still hold true.
If you begin with a solid foundation, you increase your
chances of success. With that in mind, I’d like to share
some of those truths with you now in an effort to help you
get started on the right foot.
Build a Professionally Designed Web Site
One of the biggest mistakes startups make is to save money
by creating a Web site themselves. Unless you are
graphically talented and have a good deal of experience
with Web design, I would not recommend this.
Your Web site is ALL that your site visitors have to base
their decisions on. Your site’s design simply must give
your visitor a sense of professionalism, trust, security,
and ease. A “homemade” looking site screams “I’m a startup
business who has no money and may go out of business at any
minute!” You don’t want to portray that type of image.
If you can’t afford to hire a pro to design your site, that
leaves you with one of two choices. First, wait and save
some more money. Or wait and learn to do it yourself
properly.
Yes, You DO Need To Know at Least a Little HTML…
Whether you have someone else design your site or you do it
yourself, you’ll need to have a good knowledge of HTML
basics. No… you don’t need to be able to write full-blown
code in HTML, but you DO need to be able to make changes to
your site, load scripts, and handle several other minor
administrative details.
HTML basics are very easy to learn. Once you get a handle
on this language, you’ll be in a much better position to
save time and money when it comes to keeping your Web site
fresh and up-to-date.
Content Is King
The saying may be out of date, but the principle is
definitely still accurate. People come to the Internet for
information. Buyers need to be convinced in order to
purchase. Search engines rank your site based primarily on
the words on the pages. The whole virtual world revolves
around content.
Not to sound like a broken record, but if you aren’t able
to write compelling copy that persuades your visitors to
take action, you would be better off waiting to launch your
site. Just as with Web design, you have two choices. First,
wait and save some money in order to pay a professional
copywriter. Or take the time to learn to do it yourself
properly.
Never Use a Free Host
Free Web hosting companies trade you space on their servers
for pop-up ads on your site. In many cases, the host uses
several pop-up ads. How annoyed do YOU get when you visit a
site and seven or eight pop-up or pop-under windows launch?
Then don’t put your customers through that same aggravation.
There are a multitude of hosts now that charge less than
$10 per month. No pop-ups, lots of features, and good
service, too. Use one of those as opposed to the freebie
hosts.
Pursue Free Search Engine Listings
Search engines (such as Google and AOL) can be an
exceptional way to drive traffic to your site. By
incorporating just a few “rules of the game,” you can rank
quite highly in most engines. It will be VERY worth your
while to learn about search engine optimization basics.
This can be an ongoing source of qualified traffic for you
for years to come.
Above all, don’t rush! The Internet isn’t going anywhere.
Those who hurry to throw a site up quickly find themselves
with all sorts of problems. If you take your time and get a
decent “Internet business education” before you launch your
site, you’ll bypass many of the struggles most startups
have. You’ll also increase your chances of success and find
that profits come much more easily than you thought!
Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful)
Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business
Into A Tower of Profits! ==