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Insiders Tips To Get Your Business Started Online
Online business is not so different from any
other sort of start-up venture; the same principles apply. Think about what
makes an “offline” business successful, and then analyze your Web business in
the same way.
To get you started, I’ve outlined some of the
essential steps you’ll need to take. This Online Business site is organized
along the same lines, so you can get additional information on any of these
steps when you need it. Determine your Business Model Just as in an offline
business, you’ll have to figure out how to make money.
It will help if you create a business plan,
and consider what other successful online businesses are doing. Some options
include: extend your existing “brick-and-mortar” business online; sell products
sell services, sell information, sell advertising, become a reseller. Consider
your competitive advantage. Will you emphasize price, quality, service, or some
other unique selling point?
Find a Good Name
Offline, a good name is usually short, easy to remember, and reflects your
business in some way. It’s the same in the online world. Your domain name is
how you’ll be known on the Web. Customers will have to remember it, spell it
correctly, and type it into their Web browsers. Good domain names are
memorable, short and easy to spell, and usually reflect your business purpose.
(There are a lot of exceptions to the latter rule: think eBay and Yahoo!).
Build an Effective Store
Think of an effective offline store: it is attractive, projects the right
image, and is easy for customers to find what they want. Make sure your online
store has the same qualities. It should be easy to navigate, with a good search
function. The design should reflect the image you’re trying to project:
professional, hip, up-scale, etc. Good offline stores also offer easy
check-out, accept credit cards, and have a good return policy.
Rent from a Reliable Landlord
You wouldn’t want your offline store to lose sales because it was frequently
closed for repairs, would you? Choosing the right Web host for your site is
like renting from a reputable landlord. A good Web host offers uptime
guarantees (always open), can handle a lot of traffic (customers), responds to
your questions quickly, and offers the services you need.
Spread the Word
A store on Main Street is guaranteed at least a little foot traffic. An online
venture might get a few walk-ins as well. But to guarantee traffic, you have to
do some marketing. Online, you can spread the word in a variety of ways:
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Submit to Search engines
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Pay for Search-Engine placement
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Exchange links with other sites
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Advertise
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Use e-mail (don’t SPAM!)
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Develop a PR strategy
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Use promotions
Get Paid
Just like a real store has “back-end” systems in place, an online store needs
mechanisms to accept credit cards and process orders.
To automate even more, you can also
integrate your online store with accounting, inventory, and fulfillment
systems.
Make Your Customers Happy
Successful shops have great customer service. An online store can keep its
customers happy by offering lots of online information, answering inquiries
promptly, shipping quickly, and providing for easy returns.
Refine and Improve
Good offline stores are constantly evaluating their performance and trying new
approaches. They rearrange merchandise, design new window displays, calculate
profit per square foot, and count foot traffic. Make sure you do the same for
your online venture. Use statistics programs to find out where your customers
come from and what they do on your site. If you advertise, make sure you test
ads and measure their effectiveness.
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