11 Free or Low Cost Business Set up Services
Category: Net Business Start ups | Date: 2003-06-25 |
Whoever said you need thousands of dollars to start your own web-based business didnt know what they were talking about. If you know where to look your business can be on the web for very little money, and in some cases free.
Free Domain Names:
If you want your own domain name like http://www.sallysshop.com/, you may expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $30 a year. Back when Network Solutions was the only game in town, they charged $70 for the first two-year period. Now that others are allowed to sell domain names, pricing has become quite competitive. Cheaper ones include:
http://www.onestop.net/ $11.00 per year
http://www.joker.com/ $12.00 per year
http://www.dotster.com/ $15.00 per year
But what if I told you that you get your domain absolutely free? Thats right! I have found a few websites that will register your domain at no charge. The catch with most of them is that they set themselves up as the administrator, but will transfer ownership of the domain to you after a set period of time or for a very small fee. Check:
http://www.namezero.com/
http://www.domainzero.com/
http://www.namedemo.com/
Free Web Hosting:
If youre thinking of launching a website but dont want to pay the $20-$40 a month typically charged for hosting it, you dont have to. With a little research, youll find plenty of places that will host your site free.
Before you get too excited, let me tell you the drawback: Most free hosts place a banner at the top of your pages for giving you this courtesy. But believe it or not, there are some web hosts that wont charge you a dime and wont force you to display those pesky banners. Some of them will take the banners away for a small yearly fee, which is nothing compared to paying the standard monthly hosting fees.
Some of the best ones are:
http://www.netfirms.com/
Banners removed for $60 a year
http://www.crosswinds.net/ Free
hosting, no banners required
http://www.doteasy.com/
Free domain hosting, no banners
If you need a shopping cart, check some of these:
http://www.gta-tech.com/
http://www.freemerchant.com/
http://www.bigstep.com/
Product or Service to Sell:
Lets face it. If you dont have something to sell on your site, it wont earn you any money. The best-selling items online seem to be information products and software, because they can be paid for and downloaded immediately.
If you sell a product, you need to factor in shipping expenses, both local and international. If you dont have your own product to sell, no problem. Many Internet companies will be happy to have you sign up and start selling their products for them. While they get increased sales, you get a commission on everything you sell. Online these are called "affiliate" or "associate programs." While most are free to join, you should resist the temptation to sign up with too many.
Stick with one common theme when deciding on what to sell. In other words, dont resell software and dog biscuits on the same website (unless your website specifically targets veterinarians and the software deals with patient records). You need consistency, so pick a theme and stick with it.
To find associate programs to join check out:
http://www.associateprogams.com/
Over 2,000 to pick from
http://www.associate-it.com/
Huge directory of programs
http://www.referit.com/
Many to choose from
Fax Number:
Dont buy a fax machine. Now you can get your own virtual fax number totally free. These online companies will give you your own fax number that will send your faxes directly to your email inbox (called "e-faxing"). And if you travel a lot and need to receive faxes from the office, this service is a godsend.
Easy to sign up and use, like:
http://www.efax.com/
http://www.onebox.com/
http://www.faxwave.com/
Logo:
If youre going to run an online business, you really should come up with a logo. A logo will help to brand your company online. After awhile, folks will come to associate your logo with your products and services. At least, thats the main idea. But what happens if you cant even draw a stick figure? There are plenty of online sites where you can design your own logo for absolutely free:
http://www.freelogos.com/
http://www.cooltext.com/
http://www.thelogocreator.com/
(The latter is a software you must purchase to make your own logo, but it offers a variety of templates)
Refer a Friend:
People love recommending good things to their friends and family. So why not give them the chance to tell someone about your website? This is an easy feature to add to your site. Once you sign up with your chosen service, you paste a few lines of HTML code they give you onto your page and youre done. This is a form of viral marketing, and it works great.
http://www.letemknow.com/
http://www.recommend-it.com/
http://www.bravenet.com/samples/announcer.php
Newsletter or Ezine:
If youre going to have a website you must publish an ezine. I hate to break it to you, but if you want to bring people back to your site and remind them of your existence you need to offer an email newsletter. Luckily, you dont need to set up a tricky list server. Use one of the free services below.
http://www.egroups.com/ (my personal favorite)
http://www.topcia.com/
http://www.listbot.com/
To learn more about ezine publishing go to:
http://www.ezineuniversity.com/
http://www.absoluteezines.com/
http://www.ezine-z.com/
http://www.marketingchallenge.com
Autoresponders:
Remember fax-on-demand? Autoresponders work like that but come directly to your email box instead of your fax machine. There are many uses for them from listing your products or services with current pricing to offering back issues of your ezine. You can even use them to set up a scheduled training course on any topic you choose.
Youll find plenty of free autoresponders, like:
http://www.sendfree.com/
http://www.freeautoresponders.net/
http://www.getresponse.com/
Promotional Items:
Once your website is built youll need a few items on hand to help you promote it.
a) Press Release: Keep it short, newsworthy and to the point, typically no more than 4 paragraphs in length
b) Descriptions of your Website: Required for search engines, indices and directories (and other sites)
c) Banners: Both animated and static banners, 468 pixels long by 60 pixels high, and maybe a button banner
d) Classified Ads: Write a few short ads, about 4 or 5 lines in length and about 60 to 65 characters wide, to use for online advertising in email newsletters
e) Signature Lines: Write a few good signature lines and use them on every piece of email that you send out -- try to include a free offering in it, like an ezine.
If youd like all of these things made for you in one step, visit http://www.mcpromotions.com/getreadytomarket.htm for a complete package. Also, business cards can be made for just the cost of shipping at http://www.vistaprint.com/.
Toll Free Number:
If you dont want to add another phone line in your house for your new business, dont! There are many online companies ready to give you your own toll free phone number. Many of them can be configured to ring on your land line or transferred to your cell phone, if you prefer. You can even set the hours and times you want the calls to transfer to your other phone number, all done seamlessly. Many of these types of services will also notify you by email when you have a message waiting.
http://www.ureach.com
The best one online in my opinion
Ability to Accept Credit Cards:
No merchant account? No problem! Lets face it. If you want people to order from your site you need to make it easy for them to pay you and that means accepting online payments. Of course, merchant accounts can be costly to set up, especially for a new web business. There are plenty of third party processors you can use who will take a small percentage of each sale in exchange for offering you this service:
http://www.ibill.com/
Takes a higher percentage of sales
http://www.ccnow.com/
Must be a tangible product, not a service
http://www.propay.com/
Low rates, and your email address appears on the customers credit card statement, not the processor
http://www.clickbank.com/
Allows you to affordably take international payments
http://www.paypal.com/
Another ease way to accept online payments (to send or receive money) -- its free to register and cheap.
So there you have it in a nutshell. Dont put off starting your online business one more day because you think you cant afford it. You can! By implementing these 11 suggestions into your new business, youll have a site that not only makes the sale but also doesnt cost you an arm and a leg to own.
About the author:
Merle (just Merle, thank you) is an experienced Internet Marketer/Promoter. She knows what it takes for business websites to be successful. She has been online for over four years and has two other websites to her credit: MC Promotions - http://www.mcpromotions.com/ and Merles World - http://www.merlesworld.com/
merle@mcpromotions.com
http://www.marketingchallenge.com/
Free Domain Names:
If you want your own domain name like http://www.sallysshop.com/, you may expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $30 a year. Back when Network Solutions was the only game in town, they charged $70 for the first two-year period. Now that others are allowed to sell domain names, pricing has become quite competitive. Cheaper ones include:
http://www.onestop.net/ $11.00 per year
http://www.joker.com/ $12.00 per year
http://www.dotster.com/ $15.00 per year
But what if I told you that you get your domain absolutely free? Thats right! I have found a few websites that will register your domain at no charge. The catch with most of them is that they set themselves up as the administrator, but will transfer ownership of the domain to you after a set period of time or for a very small fee. Check:
http://www.namezero.com/
http://www.domainzero.com/
http://www.namedemo.com/
Free Web Hosting:
If youre thinking of launching a website but dont want to pay the $20-$40 a month typically charged for hosting it, you dont have to. With a little research, youll find plenty of places that will host your site free.
Before you get too excited, let me tell you the drawback: Most free hosts place a banner at the top of your pages for giving you this courtesy. But believe it or not, there are some web hosts that wont charge you a dime and wont force you to display those pesky banners. Some of them will take the banners away for a small yearly fee, which is nothing compared to paying the standard monthly hosting fees.
Some of the best ones are:
http://www.netfirms.com/
Banners removed for $60 a year
http://www.crosswinds.net/ Free
hosting, no banners required
http://www.doteasy.com/
Free domain hosting, no banners
If you need a shopping cart, check some of these:
http://www.gta-tech.com/
http://www.freemerchant.com/
http://www.bigstep.com/
Product or Service to Sell:
Lets face it. If you dont have something to sell on your site, it wont earn you any money. The best-selling items online seem to be information products and software, because they can be paid for and downloaded immediately.
If you sell a product, you need to factor in shipping expenses, both local and international. If you dont have your own product to sell, no problem. Many Internet companies will be happy to have you sign up and start selling their products for them. While they get increased sales, you get a commission on everything you sell. Online these are called "affiliate" or "associate programs." While most are free to join, you should resist the temptation to sign up with too many.
Stick with one common theme when deciding on what to sell. In other words, dont resell software and dog biscuits on the same website (unless your website specifically targets veterinarians and the software deals with patient records). You need consistency, so pick a theme and stick with it.
To find associate programs to join check out:
http://www.associateprogams.com/
Over 2,000 to pick from
http://www.associate-it.com/
Huge directory of programs
http://www.referit.com/
Many to choose from
Fax Number:
Dont buy a fax machine. Now you can get your own virtual fax number totally free. These online companies will give you your own fax number that will send your faxes directly to your email inbox (called "e-faxing"). And if you travel a lot and need to receive faxes from the office, this service is a godsend.
Easy to sign up and use, like:
http://www.efax.com/
http://www.onebox.com/
http://www.faxwave.com/
Logo:
If youre going to run an online business, you really should come up with a logo. A logo will help to brand your company online. After awhile, folks will come to associate your logo with your products and services. At least, thats the main idea. But what happens if you cant even draw a stick figure? There are plenty of online sites where you can design your own logo for absolutely free:
http://www.freelogos.com/
http://www.cooltext.com/
http://www.thelogocreator.com/
(The latter is a software you must purchase to make your own logo, but it offers a variety of templates)
Refer a Friend:
People love recommending good things to their friends and family. So why not give them the chance to tell someone about your website? This is an easy feature to add to your site. Once you sign up with your chosen service, you paste a few lines of HTML code they give you onto your page and youre done. This is a form of viral marketing, and it works great.
http://www.letemknow.com/
http://www.recommend-it.com/
http://www.bravenet.com/samples/announcer.php
Newsletter or Ezine:
If youre going to have a website you must publish an ezine. I hate to break it to you, but if you want to bring people back to your site and remind them of your existence you need to offer an email newsletter. Luckily, you dont need to set up a tricky list server. Use one of the free services below.
http://www.egroups.com/ (my personal favorite)
http://www.topcia.com/
http://www.listbot.com/
To learn more about ezine publishing go to:
http://www.ezineuniversity.com/
http://www.absoluteezines.com/
http://www.ezine-z.com/
http://www.marketingchallenge.com
Autoresponders:
Remember fax-on-demand? Autoresponders work like that but come directly to your email box instead of your fax machine. There are many uses for them from listing your products or services with current pricing to offering back issues of your ezine. You can even use them to set up a scheduled training course on any topic you choose.
Youll find plenty of free autoresponders, like:
http://www.sendfree.com/
http://www.freeautoresponders.net/
http://www.getresponse.com/
Promotional Items:
Once your website is built youll need a few items on hand to help you promote it.
a) Press Release: Keep it short, newsworthy and to the point, typically no more than 4 paragraphs in length
b) Descriptions of your Website: Required for search engines, indices and directories (and other sites)
c) Banners: Both animated and static banners, 468 pixels long by 60 pixels high, and maybe a button banner
d) Classified Ads: Write a few short ads, about 4 or 5 lines in length and about 60 to 65 characters wide, to use for online advertising in email newsletters
e) Signature Lines: Write a few good signature lines and use them on every piece of email that you send out -- try to include a free offering in it, like an ezine.
If youd like all of these things made for you in one step, visit http://www.mcpromotions.com/getreadytomarket.htm for a complete package. Also, business cards can be made for just the cost of shipping at http://www.vistaprint.com/.
Toll Free Number:
If you dont want to add another phone line in your house for your new business, dont! There are many online companies ready to give you your own toll free phone number. Many of them can be configured to ring on your land line or transferred to your cell phone, if you prefer. You can even set the hours and times you want the calls to transfer to your other phone number, all done seamlessly. Many of these types of services will also notify you by email when you have a message waiting.
http://www.ureach.com
The best one online in my opinion
Ability to Accept Credit Cards:
No merchant account? No problem! Lets face it. If you want people to order from your site you need to make it easy for them to pay you and that means accepting online payments. Of course, merchant accounts can be costly to set up, especially for a new web business. There are plenty of third party processors you can use who will take a small percentage of each sale in exchange for offering you this service:
http://www.ibill.com/
Takes a higher percentage of sales
http://www.ccnow.com/
Must be a tangible product, not a service
http://www.propay.com/
Low rates, and your email address appears on the customers credit card statement, not the processor
http://www.clickbank.com/
Allows you to affordably take international payments
http://www.paypal.com/
Another ease way to accept online payments (to send or receive money) -- its free to register and cheap.
So there you have it in a nutshell. Dont put off starting your online business one more day because you think you cant afford it. You can! By implementing these 11 suggestions into your new business, youll have a site that not only makes the sale but also doesnt cost you an arm and a leg to own.
About the author:
Merle (just Merle, thank you) is an experienced Internet Marketer/Promoter. She knows what it takes for business websites to be successful. She has been online for over four years and has two other websites to her credit: MC Promotions - http://www.mcpromotions.com/ and Merles World - http://www.merlesworld.com/
merle@mcpromotions.com
http://www.marketingchallenge.com/
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