Online Business: Work Smarter, Not Harder
Online business is probably the fastest growing market on the planet. With over 34 million web pages out there and more being created every day it seems like an almost hopeless prospect for the solo home business owner to achieve any sort of success. Think of the competition.......right? Well, almost.
For those of us that have been raised in a world where a small business owner works like a dog to keep their creation from going bankrupt it seems almost unfathomable to even think of competing with the "big" companies. If you've ever known anyone that owns a business think back to the first few years of their entrepreneurial venture. You've probably never seen anyone so tired/overworked/stressed/worried in your life. This is what most people think of when someone mentions "starting your own business".
The beauty of the modern online business is that practically everything can be automated. This is not to say that there is no work involved in starting a business on the internet. The difference from business twenty years ago and business today is astounding! If you plan your online business well you can accomplish in minutes what just twenty years ago would have taken hours, if not days.
Lets run through some of the options available to you to make your online experience less stressful and time consuming. Let's find out how to work Smarter, not Harder.
First things first....... We have to build a website.
This alone scares many people. "I don't know HTML" or "I can't afford to have a page built for me" are things I hear all the time when talking to people about online business. Let's get something straight...... you DO NOT need to know how to program better than the top site designers at E-Bay in order to make a web page. I know many people with minimal HTML knowledge that have done exceedingly well in online business.
There are many template systems out there that make building a completely functional web page as easy as copy and paste. One I frequently recommend is the Powersite System (http://powersitesystem.com). It's simple and effective and lets the new business owner focus on adding content, not scanning endless lines of code or constantly uploading your updated page to the server from a desktop program.
You'll need to pick key words for your site which can easily be accomplished with websites like Wordtracker. Pick key words that will get you some traffic but aren't going to be impossible to get your site ranked. More on this........
http://biz-whiz.com/article362.html
Then you need to find a domain name www.value-name.com works just fine and is cheap. Look for a domain name that contains your key words and is fairly easy to remember, the shorter the better for simplicity. (ie: avoid picking www.This-is-My-Business-Site-and-You-Should-Look-at-It12345.com)
Next Step...... Adding Content / Products
If your page is going to be informational there are many great article services out there. Here are a few.....
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/article_announce/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/netwrite-publish-announce/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/publisher_network/
If you are going to sell actual products you'll probably want to look into working with a dropshipper (unless you have a big garage to store all the products you will be selling) There are many out there. Here is one I've heard great things about.....
And then...... Exchanging Links
The best way to move up in the search engines (to gain traffic) is to have many related pages linking to yours. Link exchange websites like Link Partners are a great way to find sites to exchange relevant links with. Much of this can be automated to save you time and effort....... all you have to do is approve links you want and decline the ones you don't.
You can also do a search in a few of the major search engines for your selected keywords....... the sites that pop up at the top of the search are the ones you would ideally like to exchange links with to boost your rankings.
Last one........ Get an Auto Responder
This is a service that will send automatic e-mail messages for you at pre-programmed times that you select. Set one up to send out occasional information about your site to your members, use it to keep in touch with your customers, get feedback about your site to help you improve..... etc. You won't actually NEED this feature until you are getting heavy traffic to your site, but it's a handy time saving tool for busy webmasters.
That's basically it! Rinse and Repeat.
Of course there's always more things that you might like to try to improve your business but those are the basics. Try new things and track the results. See what works for your site and go from there. The secret to online business is to jump in and get wet...... do SOMETHING and work on improving things from there...... one step at a time.
About The Author
Keith Bryan has over 9 years experience in both Internet and other forms of advertising and marketing. For more information, tips, tricks, hot products and articles check out http://www.workathome-101.net or e-mail us at ezine@workathome-101.net
Related Articles:
Work From Home Business - Using the Internet to Earn Money
For many, the internet is still a place to tune into for games and chat, but for an increasing number of others the internet is used to operate their work from home business These folks don't just use online communities and resources to stifle boredom but to earn an income
Work at Home Data Entry Jobs, Work at Home, Data Entry Jobs
37 Work at Home Data Entry Jobs - The New Age Career Move
Internet Home Based Business : Legitimate Work at Home Jobs Opportunities and Advantages
There are many advantages involved in choosing an internet home based business as your primary or secondary source of income Use these benefits to find a legitimate work at home jobs that suits your needs and desires
Internet Job Ideas-Learn the Secrets to Making a Stable Income Working From Home
In the years since the internet was first made available to the masses, it has gone from just a way to research more efficiently and as a way to expand your network of friends Today, you can even earn through it
Work at Home Businesses Versus Work at Home Jobs
Is a work at home business better than a work at home job? You bet. Hands down. But each option has pros and cons. It may be that for right now you're just not ready to start a work at home business. Its a big committment. That's OK. But if you're dedicated, smart and willing to work harder than most, settling for a work at home job could be selling yourself short.
Home Computer Work - 3 Ideas For Home Computer Work Jobs
Surely, many people out there have told you about the wonders of working from home and being your own boss Well, not only are you able to save on transportation costs and have more time to spend with your family, you are also able to do whatever you like, whenever you feel like it
My Internet Business - The Best Way to Make Money Online and Work From Home
With so many people dissatisfied with their current jobs, there are constantly people looking for the best way to make money online and work from home All you have to do is run a search on Google using these terms and you'll find that there are thousands of results out there
How To Work From Home And Make Money Online From Internet Affiliate Marketing
Can I start a home based business making money online by doing work from home? This question has been in most of us for the longest time. All of us have different reasons for wanting to work from home and make money online consistently well. It could be for some of the following reasons:
The Best Ways To Earn Money - Work From Home Business
Do you still remember those days where it was very difficult to search for a job, earn a healthy income and maintain a family. Time has changed it all now, with the advancements of the technology everyone can easily earn more than they could have ever imagined and that too from the comforts of home. Nowadays it is very easy to gain a regular income source by running a home based business thanks to internet.
Work At Home Job Versus Work At Home Business
I often hear people complain about how they shouldnt have to pay for a business opportunity because "you wouldnt have to pay to get a job outside the home." It irritates me when I read that. Not because I think you should have to pay for a job - even a work at home position - its because they think that their should be no investment to start up a work at home business.
Best Internet Home Work Ideas To Earn Money
One of the best home work ideas to make profits online almost effortlessly is to set up a Clickbank website. This site would offer electronic products available through the Clickbank marketplace that you can sell as an affiliate and earn commissions from. Clickbank is probably the best internet home work idea to sell affiliate products.
Work at Home Internet Business - Be Cheap and Still Make Money
Years ago the average person could not afford to own their work at home internet business To become an owner you'd either have to be wealthy to start, or throw every cent into your business and risk bankruptcy
Work at Home Business - Make a Stable Income Working From Home
Work at home business is 95% of everyone's dream Crawl out of bed and start working from home
Work at Home Agent - Job Ideas For a Work at Home Agent
Are you interested in jobs that require you to spend hours on the phone talking to customers If you like personal relations work and have good interpersonal skills, then do consider the opportunity of being a work at home agent
Work at Home Internet Marketing Business Ideas for Online Entrepreneurs
Like a regular store or business, a work at home internet marketing business sells a product or service with the goal of making a profit. The product or service is the target; the Internet aspeLike a regular store or business, a work at home internet marketing business sells a product or service with the goal of making a profit. The product or service is the target; the Internet aspect is the means of reaching out to customers. With work at home internet marketing business, the sale of products and services can now be directed at the global market, instead of being limited to the scope of postal services, broadcast radio & television, newspapers and word of mouth.