2011年9月5日星期一

Guide to Start an Online Business

 Global B2B buy sell website: http://www.bytrade.com


 


Starting an online business requires good planning - Starting an online business involves having a good business plan, knowing the products and services and finding the right medium to sell online.


follow this7 Step Quick Start Guide.



  • Know the Internet


What is your experience with the Internet? Do you still think "MySpace" is your little office under the stairs? Do you raise an eyebrow when your daughter talks about "tweeting"?


Success online requires spending significant time:



  • Researching competitors

  • Understanding how Web tools work (Twitter, RSS Feeds, etc.)

  • Becoming familiar with the culture of the Internet

  • Register Your Domain


Your domain is your unique address on the Internet. It is your piece of intellectual property, just like a patent or a trademark. There are numerous registrars (companies that register domains) online where you can purchase your domain.


Some registrars even offer "free" domains with a hosting package or another purchase. While many of these are legitimate, be sure to confirm that the domain is registered in your name. If the domain is registered in the registrars name it may be difficult, if not impossible, to switch to another hosting company without losing your domain.


Success online requires spending significant time:



  • Researching competitors

  • Understanding how Web tools work (Twitter, RSS Feeds, etc.)

  • Becoming familiar with the culture of the Internet

  • Register Your Domain


Your domain is your unique address on the Internet. It is your piece of intellectual property, just like a patent or a trademark. There are numerous registrars (companies that register domains) online where you can purchase your domain.


Some registrars even offer "free" domains with a hosting package or another purchase. While many of these are legitimate, be sure to confirm that the domain is registered in your name. If the domain is registered in the registrars name it may be difficult, if not impossible, to switch to another hosting company without losing your domain.



  • Online Payments


The days of printing and faxing an order form, or mailing a check are long gone. Online payment acceptance is the foundation of an online business. This allows clients to act on an impulse.


Accepting Online Payments:



  • PayPal

  • Google Checkout


Be sure to check for required features and their terms. Minimum monthly fees can affect a start-up business. Its best to choose a capable service provider that allows growth, so you can start with basic services and low cost and upgrade as your volume increases.



  • Determine Product Delivery Methods


Depending on your product type, your delivery methods can range from very simple (downloadable information product or an online service) to more complex (shipping of goods via courier, using a fulfillment company). For downloadable products consider an electronic fulfillment company like E-junkie.com.


Fulfillment Companies, for shipping of physical goods:



  • Motivational Fulfillment

  • Mailing Fulfillment Service Association

  • Build Site Traffic


Even the most cutting edge design and amazing new product is worthless if it’s buried under millions of other websites. Consider these basic methods of promoting your new site:



  • Register with the three major search engines (Google, Bing and Yahoo)

  • List your blog in the major blog directories

  • Content marketing, video and audio podcast

  • Online Advertising: Google and Facebook ads.

  • Direct mailing (print, not email)

  • Offline marketing (billboards, company vehicles, stationary, print ads, promotional products)

  • Track Growth


Easy (and free) tools are available that allow you to see who clicked where and when. Many Web hosting companies offer traffic analyzing tools.


Google Analytics is a free tool – which tracks, among other things:



  • Popular pages

  • Traffic sources

  • Popular keywords

  • Location of clicks


These reports can be customized with a plethora of variables including date range, page views, and length of time on site.


While visitor traffic provides an interesting gauge, what you are really looking for is transactions. Whether you are selling a product or a service, success is measured in sales


 

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