Step-by-Step to Your Profitable Web Business
| Category: Net Business Start ups | Date: 2002-05-10 |
Yes, contrary to what some "experts" will tell you, there is still plenty of room for new businesses in cyberspace. Sure, 1999 and 2000 brought many giant dotcoms tumbling to the scrap heap. But running your own small business on the web is still a great way to make a living. Im speaking from experience.
A small businesses on the web can be cheap to operate, nearly fully automated and nimble -- a great combination for success. Ive been operating a successful business, exclusively on the web, and right from the comfort of my home, for almost a full five years now. And like I said, its a great way to make a living -- but only if you do it right.
In this article, Ill share a step-by-step "must do" action list for those of you who are either considering starting, or have already started, a business on the Internet. Every key component youll need to integrate for long-term success is revealed. (If you already have a web business, at least scan this piece for items you may have missed. You really do need every single one of these components if you want your business to grow into a source of financial security.)
10 Key Components to Lasting Success on the Web:
A unique and professional website with your own domain name
Your site will be the cornerstone of your online success. It should look different than the "rest of the pack" and it should have a unique domain name. I could go on and on with this one, but I wont. Just surf the web a while and decide what sites YOU would buy from. That will tell you volumes.
A product line you can control
Ideally you should sell at least one product or service that you own completely. If thats just not possible right away, then make sure you align yourself only with the strongest companies that you can rely on going forward.
A way to accept secure credit card payments on you website
The best solution is to have a merchant account of your own. But if thats too costly for you in the beginning, a solution like CCNow.com at http://www.ccnow.com/ or iBill at http://www.ibill.com/ will do. The one thing to keep in mind is that offering both a FAST and a SECURE way for your customers to purchase from your website with at least their Visa or Mastercard is simply a "must" on the Internet.
A support strategy that keeps prospects and clients happy
There are lots of ways to offer support. The best is simply by offering contact forms at your site and answering email every day. Other solutions include live support interfaces such as those offered at http://www.livehelper.com/ or http://www.humanclick.com/. You should look into them.
An opt-in email strategy
You must always be growing a tightly targeted email list of prospects. Its the only way you can "capture" a percentage of the folks who visit your site and do not buy the first time, which is nearly all of them! An opt-in strategy works best when you give something of value away in exchange for a visitors name and email address. Then stay in touch with these people on a regular basis while providing them value.
I use a combination of tools to perform these tasks. For example, I offer a free book at my site and stay in touch with people through my email newsletter, entitled BizWeb eGazette. In a nutshell, I help new marketers, and many of them purchase a product or service when the need arises.
Sales copy that is proven to sell
If there is one aspect that kills website sales, it is poor sales copy. You may think your website is fine, but tiny details in your sales copy can be costing you thousands of dollars a month. Ive sold tens of thousands of manuals, books and software products over the past few years online, and I know for a fact that if you follow proven, successful "cyber sales formulas" youll be able to sell just about anything online! Find an expert with a proven track record and dont be shy about asking them for help.
An affiliate program for your customers
OK, some may say this is not an absolute necessity, but look around. Nearly ALL successful ecommerce sites offer some form of affiliate program. You can pay for visitors, leads or commission sales, but you need to offer SOME way of rewarding folks who bring you business.
"Recommended products and services"
While were on the subject of offering an affiliate program at your site, on the flip side of the coin you need to join a few affiliate programs yourself! Find affiliate programs that tie in well with what you offer, use the product or service, and if you like it recommend it to your visitors. Youll increase your website income literally overnight. Over the years Ive found that the best programs are the ones that offer residual or recurring income on each sale.
New products or services on a regular basis
If you can create a new product of your own once or twice a year, youll stand a better chance of growing your income continually. And be sure to update your existing products regularly to keep it (and sales) fresh. If youre not able to create your own products that often, then find a product you could get behind and do a joint venture with the owner.
Even if the owner does not offer an affiliate program you can offer to promote their product for a percentage of the sales. More importantly, let them know you have a targeted list of prospects that would love their product, especially if they could get it at a reduced price through you!
A marketing strategy with both free and paid advertising
Lets face it: In order to make money online, you have to get visitors to your website. There are tons of ways to do that on the Internet and Ive tried nearly all of them. But what works for me may not work for the next site. It all depends upon your target market and your products and services. The thing to understand is that you will never know what works best for you, until you try and try different strategies.
About the author:
Article by Jim Daniels of JDD Publishing. Jims site has helped 1000s of regular folks profit online. Visit bizweb2000.com for FREE "how-to" cybermarketing assistance, software, manuals, web services and more. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to their Free, weekly BizWeb E-Gazette: freegazette@bizweb2000.com
:To contact online see details below.
Jim@bizweb2000.com
http://bizweb2000.com
A small businesses on the web can be cheap to operate, nearly fully automated and nimble -- a great combination for success. Ive been operating a successful business, exclusively on the web, and right from the comfort of my home, for almost a full five years now. And like I said, its a great way to make a living -- but only if you do it right.
In this article, Ill share a step-by-step "must do" action list for those of you who are either considering starting, or have already started, a business on the Internet. Every key component youll need to integrate for long-term success is revealed. (If you already have a web business, at least scan this piece for items you may have missed. You really do need every single one of these components if you want your business to grow into a source of financial security.)
10 Key Components to Lasting Success on the Web:
A unique and professional website with your own domain name
Your site will be the cornerstone of your online success. It should look different than the "rest of the pack" and it should have a unique domain name. I could go on and on with this one, but I wont. Just surf the web a while and decide what sites YOU would buy from. That will tell you volumes.
A product line you can control
Ideally you should sell at least one product or service that you own completely. If thats just not possible right away, then make sure you align yourself only with the strongest companies that you can rely on going forward.
A way to accept secure credit card payments on you website
The best solution is to have a merchant account of your own. But if thats too costly for you in the beginning, a solution like CCNow.com at http://www.ccnow.com/ or iBill at http://www.ibill.com/ will do. The one thing to keep in mind is that offering both a FAST and a SECURE way for your customers to purchase from your website with at least their Visa or Mastercard is simply a "must" on the Internet.
A support strategy that keeps prospects and clients happy
There are lots of ways to offer support. The best is simply by offering contact forms at your site and answering email every day. Other solutions include live support interfaces such as those offered at http://www.livehelper.com/ or http://www.humanclick.com/. You should look into them.
An opt-in email strategy
You must always be growing a tightly targeted email list of prospects. Its the only way you can "capture" a percentage of the folks who visit your site and do not buy the first time, which is nearly all of them! An opt-in strategy works best when you give something of value away in exchange for a visitors name and email address. Then stay in touch with these people on a regular basis while providing them value.
I use a combination of tools to perform these tasks. For example, I offer a free book at my site and stay in touch with people through my email newsletter, entitled BizWeb eGazette. In a nutshell, I help new marketers, and many of them purchase a product or service when the need arises.
Sales copy that is proven to sell
If there is one aspect that kills website sales, it is poor sales copy. You may think your website is fine, but tiny details in your sales copy can be costing you thousands of dollars a month. Ive sold tens of thousands of manuals, books and software products over the past few years online, and I know for a fact that if you follow proven, successful "cyber sales formulas" youll be able to sell just about anything online! Find an expert with a proven track record and dont be shy about asking them for help.
An affiliate program for your customers
OK, some may say this is not an absolute necessity, but look around. Nearly ALL successful ecommerce sites offer some form of affiliate program. You can pay for visitors, leads or commission sales, but you need to offer SOME way of rewarding folks who bring you business.
"Recommended products and services"
While were on the subject of offering an affiliate program at your site, on the flip side of the coin you need to join a few affiliate programs yourself! Find affiliate programs that tie in well with what you offer, use the product or service, and if you like it recommend it to your visitors. Youll increase your website income literally overnight. Over the years Ive found that the best programs are the ones that offer residual or recurring income on each sale.
New products or services on a regular basis
If you can create a new product of your own once or twice a year, youll stand a better chance of growing your income continually. And be sure to update your existing products regularly to keep it (and sales) fresh. If youre not able to create your own products that often, then find a product you could get behind and do a joint venture with the owner.
Even if the owner does not offer an affiliate program you can offer to promote their product for a percentage of the sales. More importantly, let them know you have a targeted list of prospects that would love their product, especially if they could get it at a reduced price through you!
A marketing strategy with both free and paid advertising
Lets face it: In order to make money online, you have to get visitors to your website. There are tons of ways to do that on the Internet and Ive tried nearly all of them. But what works for me may not work for the next site. It all depends upon your target market and your products and services. The thing to understand is that you will never know what works best for you, until you try and try different strategies.
About the author:
Article by Jim Daniels of JDD Publishing. Jims site has helped 1000s of regular folks profit online. Visit bizweb2000.com for FREE "how-to" cybermarketing assistance, software, manuals, web services and more. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to their Free, weekly BizWeb E-Gazette: freegazette@bizweb2000.com
:To contact online see details below.
Jim@bizweb2000.com
http://bizweb2000.com
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