The Basics of Starting an Online Business
© Terri Seymour of www.seymourproducts.com
If you are looking to start your own online business,
the first step is to decide what type of business you
want to get into. You need to choose something that
you are interested in and like to do. If the passion
is not there, you will more than likely not succeed!
Ask yourself these questions:
Can I dedicate myself to this business?
Contrary to what a lot of ads tell you, there is no
get rich quick business. If you start an online
business, you will be putting in hours each day to
make that business successful. You will need to be
very dedicated to that business to succeed. Weeks,
months, or even years could go by before you start
making any money. Make sure you are ready for that
kind of commitment before you start your business.
What do I want to accomplish with this business?
Make sure you know exactly what you want to do with
your business. Write out your business plans and
goals. This will help you to realize what you want to
do with your business and how you want to do it.
After you decide on a business, get your goals in
order and make the commitment, the next step is to
build a website or get one built for you. If you
decide to build one yourself, there are tons of
resources to help you learn how:
Building and maintaining a website is a constant
learning process. You need to keep up with ever
changing information. There are lots of online
resources for beginners trying to build a site. You
can also hire someone to build your site for you, if
you have the budget.
You will also need a host ( place to upload and store
your website). This will make it "live" on the net.
One of the best hosts I have come across for beginners
is ICDSoft. They have easy file managing and an
incredible support system.
You will also need a domain, which will be the name of
your site and business. For example: if you are
selling business/office supplies, try to find a name
that really zeros in on what you offer, like -
Affordable Office Supplies or Business Supplies and
More. This would make your domain
AffordableOfficeSupplies.com which would make your URL
- http://www.affordableofficesupplies.com
This would be the link and main page to your website.
Once you get all this set up you are ready to start
networking, promoting, advertising, marketing, etc.
This is what takes the time and commitment. You cannot
build a website and sit back and wait for the
clients/customers to find you. You have to go out and
find your customers.
There are several methods of promoting and networking
online. Remember to advertise and promote your
business offline as well.
Online Promotion:
ad swaps
ezine publishing
forum networking
joint ventures
ezine advertising
directory submissions
link exchanges
contests
and many more!
Offline Promotion:
flyers
bulletin boards
freebies (such as ink pens)
business cards
newspapers
radio stations
and many more!
If you would like more info on these promotion
methods, please feel free to read more of my articles
and/or email me if you have any questions.
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Terri Seymour and her husband Terry offer a no-cost,
non-MLM home business opportunity. They strive to help
you build a successful home business. They also
provide a website building service. Take advantage of
the gifts, resources & more provided for your home and
business at http://www.seymourproducts.com FREE
ecourse at: business-building-ecourse@getresponse.com
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