How set up a successful online business.

Creating a business online is not as easy as you have probably been led to believe. In today’s world, owning your own business is one of the most common dreams in relation to work and lifestyle; you will be able to choose your own hours, you can be the boss of other people and all profits made go into your pocket. But in reality; how easy is it to be really successful with a business and specifically, how easy is it to be successful online?

First & Foremost

Before you quit work and jump in at the deep end you really need to sit down and think about a few simple things;

• What do you enjoy doing?
• What experience and skills do you possess?
• How hard are you willing to work to achieve your goals?
• What do you want to offer online and how competitive is the current market?

These are just a few of the many questions that you should be answering. As Benjamin Franklin once said; “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – If you don’t do your homework you won’t be successful! Far too many people just throw up a website and wonder why it isn’t making them rich, hard work and determination are the two main characteristics you need to be successful online.

OK, I Have My Idea & the Market Needs It!

Excellent, the next thing on your list should be to consider a name for your business. The name of a business can often make or break it! You need something that your customers will remember, something that sums up your company in a few simple words.

Get Your Product or Service Ready

Before you even think about getting a website built or advertising, you need to make sure you can either:

1. Get hold of the product(s) you want to sell at the price you want
2. Offer the service(s) you want straight away

Once you’re certain you can meet your every customers need then you can move on to the next stage.

Online Presence

This is what you’ve been waiting for, right? You want to know what you should do to create a successful website! There are thousands of tips I could give you but I’m going to stick to 3.

1. Design & Content

The first tip I will give you is to hire a professional web designer/developer and web content writer – don’t skimp on these costs! Would you spend millions creating a palace and then furnish it with items from IKEA? The same principle applies here; spend what you can afford on getting the best quality website. Why? Your website will be your first point of contact, your first impression on your customers. You need to make sure it’s a good one! You might offer the best and cheapest services in the world, but if your website is not user friendly you will be missing out on a LOT of traffic.

2. SEO – Search Engine Optimization

SEO is the process in which you improve the volume of traffic to your website through search engines. Through having a site that has been optimized correctly your site will show up higher for relevant keywords in search engines such as Google and Yahoo, increasing traffic to your site.

Why is SEO important and can I do it myself?

Unless you’re a professional with a lot of experience, then I strongly recommend you hire a SEO consultant with a proven track record of getting other companies high in the search engines for relevant keywords. Investing in a good SEO consultant can be your best form of advertising, appearing high in all the major search engines will make sure that people come across your website when they search for words related to the product(s) or service(s) you offer.

4. Advertising

Advertising your website is vital, some of the best forms of advertising include Google AdWords and local directories. Through using a Pay Per Click (PPC) ad campaign you can target specific keywords related to your business. A good way to handle the majority of your online advertising is to let your SEO Consultant take care of it, allowing you more time to concentrate on dealing with your customers every need!

Source by Ashley Combs