Starting an online business is easy. Starting one that is successful and wildly profitable is difficult. Yes there are those inspiring rags to riches stories about entrepreneurs who seem to hit it big over night but they are the exception, not the rule. Making money online is one of the most highly searched topics on the internet today and has been for years.
- Designing Your Website and Communication Platform
After you have spent the necessary time and energy putting together your business plan and securing the necessary funding for your start up, you are going to need to build a website. (or have someone build it for you) Design the website as if you are the customer. Make the site user friendly with a simple navigation process that is easy to use, fun and unintimidating. Provide a positive online experience backed with excellent customer service. This will convert customers into long term fans and evangelists for you.
Use your site to capture information about past, future and potential customers. Your contact list will become an important and lucrative intellectual asset. One way to do this is to offer an opt-in newsletter. After you get established and have generated a significant list you will use it to generate an obscene amount of revenue from repeat business through ongoing email promotions. It is also a good idea to use a SSL certificate from SSL cert providers such as Thawte whenever you are passing personal information between the website and web server or database.
- Choosing a Web Hosting Company
Naturally you are going to need to engage a web hosting company to provide a server to store your web content. There are lots of multi-solution web hosting companies that provide storage space and even domain name registration, etc. The size and type of web hosting package you choose will be largely determined by the type of online business you are starting. Be sure to do your due diligence before choosing the vendor you will use. Find one that can provide you good customer support so that whenever a problem will be encountered, for example when you need to setup SSL security on your website.
You may want to consider engaging the services of a local webhost since they may be able to get your web pages loaded faster than being routed from an international server. Be sure to get references and make sure they are a reliable web host. Verify that they have been providing dependable service for similar types of online businesses as the one you are starting.
- Offering Online Payment Methods
Accepting payments on your website is the lifeblood of an online business. Consider offering as many payment options as you possibly can. Your shopping cart needs to be easy to use, hassle free and secure. Again, do your due diligence before choosing your payment processing provider. They need to be dependable and experienced in the kind of business you will be involved in. To enable payments to be made directly on your site, you will need to apply for your own merchant account with a merchant account services provider or you may opt to use a 3rd party payment services provider such as Paypal. Also invest in SSL certificates to provide confidence to online customers for them to complete their purchase.
- Preparing Your Backend System
If you are using a virtual store, it is crucial that you have a robust backend software system. It will be used to track all of the key information to aid you in making business decisions. These backend operations can include inventory management, reporting systems and credit card processing. There are numerous singular and all-in-one providers that have the ability to provide you with custom-made solutions depending on your needs. Be sure to acquire backend software that provides you with accurate and real-time information. A good solid and reliable backend system combined with utilizing SSL certificates from reputed trusted provider like Thawte enable you to make informed decisions from customers purchasing information that will help you guide the business as it grows.
While it sounds very technical and abstract, do not underestimate the importance of a trusted backend system secured by SSL certs. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and is a form of security for online websites that handle sensitive information such as customer names, phone numbers, addresses and credit card numbers. It creates a secure connection between a customer’s web browser and the server of the company they’re interacting with.
In order to meet Payment Card Industry compliance, an online business needs an SSL certificate with the proper encryption of at least 128-bit from a trusted source, so in order to be able to offer credit card payments to customers, be sure to invest in the requisite SSL certificate cost for customers’ peace of mind when doing business with you.
- Marketing Your Online Store
Frankly, marketing is in some respects the most important aspect of your new venture. It will largely determine whether your venture is a success or not. Without effective marketing you don’t get sales. Without sales, nothing else matters. Many first time online marketers assume that if they have a great product or service and a great website, that they are going to sit back and generate sales. That just isn’t how it works.
- Optimize your website – Using your website to generate interest and to be a proactive part of your marketing campaign requires a high ranking on Google, Bing and other major search engines. That does not happen automatically. The ability to drive visitors to your site through organic search queries virtually always requires search engine optimization (SEO).
- Don’t just rely on search engines to drive sales – The second hard fact of online marketing is that your website will seldom be the main marketing vehicle that generates viewers through organic search. Unless your site is ranked high on the first page of Google and other search engines, you cannot count on your website as a major proactive method of marketing your services.
- Consider affiliate marketing – Affiliate programs can be extremely effective if they are a good fit for your business model and you have profit margins that can support them. An affiliate program pays other online marketers a commission for driving new customers to your website.
Hopefully this information has given you a little food for thought. An online business can be fun and exciting. It also takes some serious planning. Good luck in making your first online fortune.
