 |
Further
Reading ...
|
|
Writing Tips for Your Website - Jennifer Ryan Article Title: Writing Tips for Your Website Contains 637 words, 60 characters per line Contact email: jennifer.ryan@sbcglobal.net You may reprint this article in its entirety in any media. Please include the resource box. Please email a copy...
Sales secrets you can use - Roy Bartell Sales secrets you can use You don’t have to be a salesperson to use techniques of persuasion that work. After all, most of us have to present ideas to committees or Boards of Directors, lobby for a promotion, or even talk someone into trying a...
No Degree, No Problem - Brett M Stevens According to a recent survey, 52% of job candidates polled lied on their resume about having a college degree. Here are 3 brief horror stories: A new Director of Logistics and his family were actually loading the moving van provided by his...
Business Building Ideas - Terri Seymour With this article, I am going to provide you with some of the best ways to build your online business. There are many ways, some not so good and some excellent! The ideas I have listed below are the ones that have helped me the most. 1.Answering...
|
|
|
Are You In a Position to Start an Online Business?
|
 |
Written By:
Angela Wu
|
|
|
When I first started my online business, I did everything I could to save a little money -- I didn't want a domain name, not even for a mere $35/year (it was expensive back then!), and I certainly didn't want to pay recurring monthly fees for a web host.
That was a mistake. What I came to realize was simply that if I wasn't willing to make these small investments -- well, I just wasn't in the position to be starting a business. Sometimes the truth hurts!
I came to accept that I could learn from the experiences of successful online entrepreneurs. From them, I learned that it just doesn't help to try to 'cut corners' on certain things. So what are some of the things you need to get started on the 'net?
= Your own domain. At GoDaddy, http://www.godaddy.com/ , you can register a domain for a mere $8.95/year. There is NO excuse not to have your own domain at these rock- bottom prices! Your own domain will help your business build credibility -- plus, it's easier to remember a simple www.yourcompany.com then something like, www.afreedomain.com/userpages/~yourname/homedir !
= Web hosting. Don't skimp on it, but don't get a whole bunch of features you don't need, either. Be willing to spend money for a reliable web host with a great uptime record, one that can offer you excellent customer service. Start your research at TopHosts, http://www.tophosts.com/ .
= Website stats. Knowing who your visitors are, how they're finding your site, which pages they're viewing most, etc. will help you to refine your site and your marketing efforts. Check with your web host first to see what type of website stats or demographics they offer with your hosting package. Other options include the AXS Visitor Tracking System, http://www.xav.com/scripts/axs/ , and WebLog, http://awsd.com/scripts/weblog/index.shtml Both are currently free.
= Ad tracker. An ad tracker will help you to see which one of your marketing campaigns is giving you the best results. For example, how much response are you getting from your ad on a website? How much interest did your article generate? You can then focus your efforts on the marketing techniques that are giving you the results you want -- and dump those that aren't. - continued below ...
|
|
|
continued ...
'AdTrackz' is one excellent ad tracker, and is available from http://buildyourhomebiz.com/rd/adtrackz.html .
= Autoresponders. These excellent tools help to automate customer follow-ups (you *do* follow up with your prospects, right?) and other tasks, such as mailing out articles or reports to visitors who request them. They typically run about $20/month... but WorkYourLeads offers unlimited autoresponders for $10/month, http://buildyourhomebiz.com/automate.html . Other good choices are GetResponse, http://getresponse.com/ , and AWeber, http://www.aweber.com/ .
= List hosts. You may already know that capturing your prospect's email address is the one of the most important things you can do -- it gives you the ability to build a credible and trusting business 'relationship' with them, and you'll be able to market to them repeatedly. Many Internet businesses offer a newsletter to keep in touch with their customers. To deliver your newsletter you can use either an autoresponder (see above) or a list manager. Two popular list hosts are Yahoo Groups, http://groups.yahoo.com/, which is currently free; and Topica, http://www.topica.com/ .
Note that free tools aren't necessarily either the best or worst choice, and they're not guaranteed to be free forever. Please don't use price as your only criteria.
And finally, don't forget about investing in two more vital keys to success: education (for example, copywriting manuals, Internet marketing courses, etc) and marketing. All of the best tools in the world won't do you any good unless you can get interested prospects to visit your site and make a purchase.
The old saying, 'You have to spend money to make money' is true of businesses everywhere... and that includes the Internet. Fortunately, starting a business online can be very affordable, even for the 'average' person.
About the Author Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, a practical and down-to-earth guide to building an Internet business on a beginner's budget. See why it's received so many rave reviews! Visit http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/article.html Or request a series of 10 free reports to get you started: mailto:businessbasics@workyourleads.com
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
| _Additional Resources ... |



|
How To Find Focus And Turn Your Talent Into A Thriving Professional Business - Kendall SummerHawk There are tons of books and articles available to help professionals start up their business, but few that give practical insights on how to nurture your business once it's out of its infancy. At some point, every self-employed professional reaches...
What is Google AdSense? - Jakob Jelling In the mid 1990’s websites used to earn income by receiving money from advertisers by publishing or allowing companies to deploy a banner ad campaign on your website. Usually these banners would be brilliantly designed to catch the eye of the...
Will You Make These Mistakes When You Buy Retail Point of Sale Software? - Jeff Haefner If you're like most retailers, you're worried about making a mistake when you choose point of sale (POS) software. I don't blame you. Buying POS software is a big investment. Not to mention, POS software can have huge impact on the efficiency and...
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|