The Birth of an Internet Business
The following is a real example of the birth of an internet based business. Anyone trying to make money online is hereby invited to copy this proven cyber-business model. Each step is carefully presented so that anyone can follow this strategy and achieve excellent results.
Summer 1998: A fellow by the name of Harvey Becker sends me an email message looking for some internet marketing assistance. With thousands of self-published manuals sitting at his office, Harvey has been unable to sell a single one. Mr. Becker ships a manual to me and requests my opinion.
After receiving the manual, I'm impressed. The manual teaches people how to buy a diamond. Is it "sellable" online? Absolutely. After all, just about every man in the world will be faced with this daunting task some day. I myself, would have been happy to spend a few dollars for this very manual when I was diamond hunting.
So what's the problem? Well, Harvey is a diamond expert, not a cybermarketing expert. This explains why he was having zero success.
After a few emails back and forth, I got busy.
First, I went to his website. I had lots of trouble connecting to it. When I finally did get it to load, I saw why he was having problems moving those manuals. To put it gently, his web presence needed work.
Like most small business owners, however, Harvey did not want to commit a large amount of capital until he knew if his business could be profitable online. Based on his existing web presence and limited budget, I made my recommendations...
I told him to get off his current server where his URL was a mile long www.user/of/someone/elses/domain/. The slow connect time was reason enough to move. Beyond that, you really need your own domain name to make a business fly online. He registered howtobuydiamonds.com - a URL that in itself, tells people about his site.
Next, I told him that he needed a professional web site that was designed to educate his prospects. If he could share some of his knowledge, folks would surely see how much he knew about the diamond industry and would be happy to part with a few bucks for his manual.
I put him in touch with Lisa Schmeckpeper, a moderator at my CyberMarketing Info Board and a super web designer.
The three of us shared ideas and Harvey contracted Lisa to design a basic, yet professional site. We all agreed that the main focus of the site should be to educate first, and make the actual selling secondary. This is the strategy I've been using for years and I know that it works online.
Lastly, I recommended that Harvey select an "upper echelon" host for his new site. Although this was one area where he could have saved a few bucks, Harvey read my hosting report and decided to steer clear of the budget hosts. Instead, he decided that a speedy server and 24hr. "live human" assistance was the way to go. (Real people actually waiting to help you can be a life- saver, especially when you're a newbie. You can only get this level of assistance from a few hosts.)
Fall 1998: I bowed out and left the next part to his designer. Lisa's been at this a while and knows how to design an effective site without the likes of me hanging over her shoulder.It was a wise move. A few months later Lisa informed me that the site
How to start an online business checklist
I've always been a big "list" guy. Whether it's my daily "to do" list on my monthly calendar, or a piece of scrap paper with a list of groceries, I can put together one heckuva list.
I'm not sure if my memory is really that bad, or if they just put my mind at ease, but lists have always served me well.
Today I'm putting my "master list-making skills" to work for online business owners like myself. Whether you're a newcomer to the online business world or you're already engaged in a cyberbusiness, the following list should be on your desktop. It contains only the key items that make an online business tick.
Take a look at any successful online business. Nearly all of them utilize each and every item on this list. Do yourself a favor and print it. Until you can put a check next to each item, you're missing out on a real key online business component!
A real ISP.
This may sound like a no-brainer, but if you're trying to do business online, you need unlimited, fast access to the internet. Be sure that you are able to use a 3rd party email program (see next checklist item) with their services. You also need an ISP that allows you to send as much email as you want.
A professional email program.
Are you still using AOL email for business? If so, you're missing out on lots of features that many savvy business owners rely on daily. Things like auto message filtering, blind carbon copying, auto-reply, multiple mailbox pickup just to name a few. A professional email program will allow you to utilize the low-cost e-marketing methods that are essential to your online business success.
A professional webmaster or web design software.
A professional-looking website is a must in order to survive online. Unless you can learn to design a professional website yourself, you'll need the help of a webmaster or at the bare minimum a design program. The easiest route is to hire a webmaster with experience and a proven portfolio.
Your own domain name.
Although it seems cruel, the bottom line is this... If your company won't spring for a domain name at $35 a year, many potential customers will think twice before they even click to your site, let alone buy from you.
A merchant account and secure credit card ordering.
In order to make a serious income online, you MUST have a merchant account so that you can accept credit cards. Additionally, secure credit card ordering must be enabled at every business site. Every product or service you offer should display an "order" button that links to your secure order form.
To start an online business you need to know where to begin
By Jim Daniels
This tutorial is for folks who do not yet have a web site of their own. It will explain how to put your own custom web site on the web without paying big bucks.
Have you been contemplating having your own web site but keep putting it off for one reason or another? Maybe you're marketing a few affiliate programs and promoting those affiliate URLs. Well, as you learned from the article in the last issue of my BizWeb E-Gazette, your own custom web site is the first step in promoting ANY business online, even those affiliate programs.
Okay, so what are you waiting for?
If you think that setting up a custom web site is expensive, think again. The total cost can be less than a few hundred bucks and some of your time. Once your site is up, the only ongoing costs are monthly web hosting charges, which can be as low as $20 - $40 per month plus yearly domain fees of just $35. Now that's cheap!
Here's a step-by-step tutorial on getting your own custom site up...
1. Lay out your basic design.
Do this step on paper first. Draw out what you want your main entry page, or home page to look like. Keep it simple and uncluttered. Be sure it includes a short description of how your site will help your web site visitors. (These are the folks who you'll be targeting the site to -- take some time and figure out who they are before you start!)
Then, draw out a few more pages to link that home page to. A few examples would be a page that describes your company or yourself, a page that offers free information about your area of expertise, and a page with your best product/ service/opportunity that you plan to promote.
2. Once you have a basic layout of what your site will look like, you need to design it on your computer.
There are many ways to do this. You can go out and buy one of those 800 page books on html, the code used to design web pages, or you can go the easy route. The easy route is to purchase a WYSIWYG (stands for What You See Is What You Get) web design program. There are many programs to choose from in today's market. These programs are the easiest way to design a web site, especially for the first time. Most of these programs cost $100 or less.
Here are a few examples of such programs...
I used this program to design my www.bizweb2000.com site and it is a solid choice for new webmasters.
This popular design program is now the choice of many webmasters, as it produces clean html despite its WYSIWYG interface.
3. Once your site is laid out on your computer, you'll need to decide on a domain name for your site.
Registering your own domain name means that web surfers will be able to connect to your web site by entering www.yourname.com. Here are a few tips to help you select your domain name.
a. Avoid using any character that is not a letter or number. Many newbies do not know where to find the "-" or "_" characters, for instance. You want the name to be easy to type.
b. Avoid using the numeral "1" or "0" in your domain name. Many people will confuse these with the small letters "l" and "o". The last thing you want is someone getting frustrated when they are trying to connect to your site.
c. Use a domain name that is easy to remember and has something to do
Business Sites on the Internet
There are now over 35 million Internet users in the U.S. and that number is expected to grow to well over 165 million by the end of 1999. In the year 2000, it is expected that $9 billion will trade hands over the Internet. In 10 years, 20% of all household expenditures will be over the Internet. The Internet IS the future of commerce and your business can be a part of it.
Having a web site now will get your business in on the ground floor. Being the first business of its type in your area to be on-line has nothing to do with bragging rights. It has to do with getting a head start on the competition. Everybody else will be playing catch up and wishing they had your foresight.
Web sites aren’t just for companies that sell products, they’re also for companies that sell services. For example, let’s say you have an insurance business and a new family moves into town. This family, like more and more families all across the country, first turn to the Internet to search for a local insurance agent. If you have a well designed web site, one that’s informative and helpful, chances are that family is going to pick you as their agent. If you don’t have a web site, or if it’s poorly designed, you could lose a potential client.
Virtually any business that sells products or services can profit from an Internet site, including yours. With a little forethought and planning (see How To Establish an Internet Presence), your business can have a site that is not only attractive and informative, but also profitable--which is the reason you’re in business!
A Business Web Site Checklist
If you already have a web site established, or are planning on creating one, evaluate it against the checklist below to see if it measures up. Better yet, have others evaluate your site. Falling short in any of the areas below can mean you’re site isn’t working up to its potential.
Ease of Use
Is it easy to navigate?
Label your links clearly. Provide a text menu in addition to a graphical one and enter a text description for each graphical link?many people surf with graphics turned off. If your site seems confusing to you, you can bet it’s confusing to others.
Do the pages load fast?
Until everyone has a fast connection, short download times will help to counter short attention spans.
Appearance
Is it pleasing to the eye?
Choosing the right mix of color, type and graphics can really help your site. If you’re not sure what you’re doing, keep it simple.
Can the text be read?
The biggest mistake made is choosing a background graphic that makes the text hard to read. The second biggest mistake is mixing the wrong combination of foreground and background colors. If you’re not sure, use black text on a white page.
Information
Does it explain your products and services in sufficient detail?
Web space is inexpensive. Use as much as you can to describe your products and services. This type of information is what most people will be looking for. If necessary, try summarizing your products/services on one page and have links to pages with more detailed information.
Does it answer most questions people might have?
Collect the most frequently asked questions (FAQ) into a document on your web site.
Does it provide information to help with purchasing decisions, such as 'how-to?', tips and advice?
Don’t assume every visitor to your site knows your business like you do. Educate them and they will reward you by choosing your company.
Is it used to support existing customers?
Don’t overlook the potential of your web site to keep existing customers loyal.
Business Value
Is there a way to order products/services from the site and/or are phone, fax and email addresses provided?
On-line ordering will become increasingly important as banks work out the security issues. Always provide an alternative for those not comfortable yet with on-line commerce.
Is there a way to track whether an order comes from the web site as opposed to somewhere else?
If you don’t know where your orders are coming from, then you have no way of determining how profitable your web site is. Tracking on-line orders is easy, but be sure to ask phone customers how they found your company.
Steps to establish a web site.
Deciding to establish a web site for your company can be an easy decision, but carrying it out is more complicated. A web designer can complete all of the work in a timely and professional manner. If you want to create your own site, though, you’ll need to follow these steps:
Step 1 - Set Goals - Having a clear picture of what you expect your web site to accomplish will help you with all the decisions to follow. Begin by browsing the web for similar sites and notice what they are capable of. Make notes of what you like and what you don’t like. Then, do some creative thinking and list any ideas that come to mind that can benefit customers.
Step 2 - Choose a Web Presence Provider (WPP) - This decision can be the most critical. Here are some tips:
There are two types of web presence providers (WPP’s), those that host web pages AND offer dial-up access to the Internet, and those that ONLY host web pages. In general, services that host web pages and offer dial-up access tend to be cheaper (often, web hosting is free with a dial-up account), but less responsive. These dual service companies often make dial-up access their priority leaving web page customers with little clout. In addition, dial-up customers hog precious bandwidth making your web site less responsive.
Check references. Existing customers can describe the quality of service they’ve experienced and reveal potential problems.
Shop around. Prices vary a great deal and a higher price doesn’t necessarily mean better service.
Send email to the support department to see how quick they respond. Avoid services that take more than two hours to answer. Find out when the support department is open. If they close at 5pm on Friday and don’t reopen until Monday morning, what do you do if your web site stops working at 5:30pm on Friday?
Look for companies that offer a full menu of web hosting services. This would include POP (email) accounts or aliases, use of databases and custom scripts, web site statistics and dedicated servers (if you outgrow a shared server).
3 - Register Your Domain Name - When you have a name you like, register it right away. At the rate names are being registered, you could lose the name if you wait too long. If you register the name yourself, you must pay Internic $100 to cover the first two years. Your WPP may offer this service for a small fee on top of the Internic charge, but any fee greater than $10 (over and above the $70 Internic charge) is highway robbery. For more information on registering a domain name yourself, visit Network Solutions (Now Verisign).
Step 4 - Design and Prototype - This is where the real fun begins. If you’ve never designed a web site before, it will pay to do some homework first.
Step 5 - Now that you’ve settled on a final design and your happy with the prototype, it’s time to build the complete site, including graphics, interactivity and content.
Step 6 - Test - Don’t overlook this step as it will help to ensure that every visitor to your site has a pleasant experience. Test your site with different browsers, different connection speeds and from different parts of the country (you’ll have to get family and friends to help out). Test every link on every page. Try using validation tools to help you find problems with your site.
Step 7 - Promote - Now that you’ve built it, will they come? Not unless you know how to promote your site. Registering with the search engines is just a start. Try using a service such as PromoteItHere.com. Having established sites link to your page is an excellent way to build traffic, but you have to schmooz a little to get those links. Finally, work your web site into your existing, traditional advertising campaigns. At the very least, you can print your web site address at the bottom of print and TV ads and in direct mail pieces.
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The following is a real example of the birth of an internet based business. Anyone trying to make money online is hereby invited to copy this proven cyber-business model. Each step is carefully presented so that anyone can follow this strategy and achieve excellent results.
I've always been a big "list" guy. Whether it's my daily "to do" list on my monthly calendar, or a piece of scrap paper with a list of groceries, I can put together one heckuva list.
By Jim Daniels
Deciding to establish a web site for your company can be an easy decision, but carrying it out is more complicated. A web designer can complete all of the work in a timely and professional manner. If you want to create your own site, though, you’ll need to follow these steps:
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