How to Start a Business Online

There is a proven sequence of steps you can
follow to guarantee your success when
you're starting a small business online. I've
seen thousands of people start and grow
successful businesses by doing the
following:
1. Find a need and fill it.
2. Write copy that sells.
3. Design and build an easy-to-use
website.
4. Use search engines to drive traffic to
your site.
5. Establish an expert reputation for
yourself.
6. Follow up with your customers and
subscribers with e-mail.
7. Increase your income through back-
end sales and upselling.
Anyone, from newbie to seasoned online
entrepreneur, can benefit from this process
in learning how to start a business online.
Content Continues Below
Step 1: Find a need and fill it
Most people who are just starting out make
the mistake of looking for a product first,
and a market second.
To boost your chances of success, start with
a market. The trick is to find a group of
people who are searching for a solution to a
problem, but not finding many results. The
internet makes this kind of market research
easy:
Visit online forums to see what questions
people ask and what problems they're
trying to solve.
Do keyword research to find keywords
that a lot of people are searching, but for
which not many sites are competing.
Check out your potential competitors by
visiting their sites and taking note of what
they're doing to fill the demand. Then you
can use what you've learned and create a
product for a market that already exists--
and do it better than the competition.
Step 2: Write copy that sells
There's a proven sales copy formula that
takes visitors through the selling process
from the moment they arrive to the moment
they make a purchase:
1. Arouse interest with a compelling
headline.
2. Describe the problem your product
solves.
3. Establish your credibility as a solver of
this problem.
4. Add testimonials from people who have
used your product.
5. Talk about the product and how it
benefits the user.
6. Make an offer.
7. Make a strong guarantee.
8. Create urgency.
9. Ask for the sale.
Throughout your copy, you need to focus on
how your product or service is uniquely able
solve people's problems or make their lives
better. Think like a customer and ask
"What's in it for me?"
Step 3: Design and build your website
Once you've got your market and product,
and you've nailed down your selling
process, now you're ready for your small-
business web design. Remember to keep it
simple. You have fewer than five seconds to
grab someone's attention--otherwise
they're gone, never to be seen again. Some
important tips to keep in mind:
Choose one or two plain fonts on a white
background.
Make your navigation clear and simple,
and the same on every page.
Only use graphics, audio or video if they
enhance your message.
Include an opt-in offer so you can collect
e-mail addresses.
Make it easy to buy--no more than two
clicks between potential customer and
checkout.
Your website is your online storefront, so
make it customer-friendly.
Step 4: Use search engines to drive
targeted buyers to your site
Pay-per-click advertising is the easiest way
to get traffic to a brand-new site. It has two
advantages over waiting for the traffic to
come to you organically. First, PPC ads show
up on the search pages immediately, and
second, PPC ads allow you to test different
keywords, as well as headlines, prices and
selling approaches. Not only do you get
immediate traffic, but you can also use PPC
ads to discover your best, highest-
converting keywords. Then you can
distribute the keywords throughout your
site in your copy and code, which will help
your rankings in the organic search results.
Step 5: Establish an expert reputation for
yourself
People use the internet to find information.
Provide that information for free to other
sites, and you'll see more traffic and better
search engine rankings. The secret is to
always include a link to your site with each
tidbit of information.
Give away free, expert content. Create
articles, videos or any other content that
people will find useful. Distribute that
content through online article directories
or social media sites.
Include "send to a friend" links on valuable
content on your website.
Become an active expert in industry
forums and social networking sites where
your target market hangs out.
You'll reach new readers. But even better,
every site that posts your content will link
back to yours. Search engines love links
from relevant sites and will reward you in
the rankings.
Step 6: Use the power of e-mail marketing
to turn visitors into buyers.
When you build an opt-in list, you're
creating one of the most valuable assets of
your online business. Your customers and
subscribers have given you permission to
send them e-mail. That means:
You're giving them something they've
asked for.
You're developing lifetime relationships
with them.
The response is 100 percent measurable.
E-mail marketing is cheaper and more
effective than print, TV or radio because
it's highly targeted.
Anyone who visits your site and opts in to
your list is a very hot lead. And there's no
better tool than e-mail for following up with
those leads.
Step 7: Increase your income through
back-end sales and upselling
One of the most important internet
marketing strategies is to develop every
customer's lifetime value. At least 36 percent
of people who have purchased from you
once will buy from you again if you follow
up with them. Closing that first sale is by far
the most difficult part--not to mention the
most expensive. So use back-end selling and
upselling to get them to buy again:
Offer products that complement their
original purchase.
Send out electronic loyalty coupons they
can redeem on their next visit.
Offer related products on your "Thank
You" page after they purchase.
Reward your customers for their loyalty and
they'll become even more loyal.
The internet changes so fast that one year
online equals about five years in the real
world. But the principles of how to start and
grow a successful online business haven't
changed at all. If you're just starting a small
business online, stick to this sequence. If
you've been online awhile, do a quick
review and see if there's a step you're
neglecting, or never got around to doing in
the first place. You can't go wrong with the
basics. https://younginfopreneurs./2015/04/21/21-ebooks-that-will-make-you-an-internet-master-build-a-business-now/