How To Start An Online Business

The webmaster’s biggest job is to get their traffic up and keep customers/visitors coming back. Building the site is one thing, but simply building and posting a website does not guarantee traffic. In fact, a website could be beautiful and an example of all the latest technology and still not attract a single visitor if not promoted correctly. Here are 10 tips to guide you to success with your website.

The internet is a new medium

At least compared to print, it is. A website is a waste if it simply re-hashes something which could easily be put into print. Don’t have the site be just an online brochure. Put up features which take advantage of the internet as a medium of communication. Filter information for them. Provide search capability. Provide interactivity with features like forums, quizzes and tools. Web visitors like to interact.

Treat the Customer’s Time as Valuable

When a person visits your website, you have their attention for that point in time. You either need to use it or you will lose it – fast. Most visitors have short attention spans, what you need to design your site homepage so that it grabs their attention and provides what they are looking for right away. Its like walking into a restaurant. If you walk in and just stand there and nobody comes to greet you, you might wonder what is happening. But, if the hostess comes and greets you right away and walks you to a table, then you will be there for awhile and eat. The same analogy goes for websites. Don’t overcomplicate your website homepage. Best results will be obtained if you make it very clear where to click to find what they need.

Design the site for customers, not the company

Your site needs to satisfy the needs of customers, not the company. So, don’t post content which is not really useful to the site’s customer. And avoid over-flattering marketing hype about the company. It inflates the ego of the company more than it helps your customer.

Involve the Visitor

Keep the visitor involved and make them feel like a valuable contributor. Actively ask for the feedback and suggestions. Ask for communication from your visitors and answer that communication swiftly. When getting that communication, capture their email address. This will allow you to communicate with them long after they have moved on and forgotten about you.

Keep it Current

You need to have content on your website which is timely and relevant to the customer’s life. Posting month-old news is not interesting. Posting dry product information which never changes is not interesting. Yes, you need to have product information and other information on your site that won’t change much, but you can also post more timely content. You can, for example, post content about how your products can be used in certain situations in life. Provide tips and techniques – things which are immediately applicable and solve a problem.

Pay Attention to Form/Design

Some sites simply over-do it on the eye-candy. Big graphics just for the sake of graphics often impress the site’s designer more than the visitor. Do not use graphics that are large and purposeless. Remember, some visitors may still be accessing your website via dial-up. Your site needs to load up quickly for all users. A slow website will cause your users to leave quickly. Also, pay attention to graphic and design size. Many web designers operate on fairly large screen resolutions and sometimes forget that even though a graphic looks great to you, it will appear enormous to somebody on a smaller resolution. On the flip side, don’t go too light on graphics. A site which is poorly designed and using the default font and no color is not very aesthetically pleasing. Any web visitor, whether they admit it or not, judges your company by your website unless they have something else to go on. A well-designed site communicates professionalism. A poor design makes the site seem like an afterthought.

Promote

When a visitor communicates to you via email, it is best to use a web form. not only will this keep your email address from being picked up by spammers, it will also allow you to ask your customers for their email address and then store that address for later use. Employ the “push/pull” marketing strategy. A visitor coming to your website is the pull, but later you want to push content back to them in the form of a newsletter or other promotional material. Start a mailing list and use it. Invite visitors to sign up. Promotion makes or breaks a business, and as long as
you respect the ethical considerations of your mailing list, you should use it.

Don’t Operate in a Cocoon

The internet is a medium which is shared by millions. When you set up your website, don’t operate as if you are a self-contained island. Get out there and keep in tune with what is happening on other websites related to your own. Participate in forums. Post links to other websites and ask for a link in return. Form partnerships with other sites if it is appropriate. When it comes to communication, people like personal contacts. Hiding behind general email address like “sales” and “info” is OK as long as there is a way to also email you directly. A company site which allows email direct to the management is good. Just remember how much you hate calling a company and getting stuck in their phone system. Sometimes you just want to talk to somebody. Give your visitors that ability.

Have a Plan to Attract Repeat Traffic

Use newsletters, out-going email, contests, forums, clubs, auctions – anything that will cause people to return to your website. When posting links to other websites, don’t just send your visitors somewhere else. They may never return. Provide them an exit page. Give them a pop-up when they try to leave your site. Or at the very least make external links open in a new window.

Track Your Visitors

Pay attention to your site’s statistics and react accordingly. What are people reading? How are they finding you? Do they just come and leave right from your homepage? How long as they are on your website? Do they return? This data is immensely valuable in fine-tuning your website based on customer needs and wants. Remember, the biggest mistake of any webmaster is designing the site for what they want. A successful website is designed for the target audience, not to impress the site’s owner.

If you want to start your own online business click here

When I first met Stephanie Frank author of The Accidental Millionaire I had no idea how much my life would be affected by our budding friendship. It wasn’t because she was a best selling author, internationally known speaker and coach. Actually it was much more profoundly simpler than that.

Stephanie has the unique gift to be able to concepts that most people never understand the actions to take and create a process or blue print that makes business almost like the paint by numbers game. After a delightful interview with her I was left some pearls that will surely help you in business and life.

Here are 7 lessons I have learned from her:

Be a million dollar thinker

Most people get caught up in the “how” to do something. When they don’t have the answers they start second guessing and sabotaging themselves from the start. Million dollars thinkers do not operate that way. Once they make a decision they look for the solutions. They create a vision and a plan.

Make sure your goals are congruent with your top 3 values in life

I love this one. How many times have you been presented an opportunity and the only thing the person could tell you is how much money you’re going to make? Don’t me wrong, I am an ethical capitalist however all money is not good money.

For example, some people might not be successful in the real estate foreclosure market because they would feel like they were taking advantage of people during hard times. However, another person in that exact situation might view themselves as being an advisor to someone who would otherwise lose their home and get nothing from it. As you can see it’s the same situation but each person has a different value system.

This is not about right or wrong. You simply want to be clear about your personal values and make sure your business is in alignment.

Even when you’re down to your last twenty dollars you could be one idea away from success

Stephanie Frank openly shares her story about how she was a business woman by day and abused wife by night. One day her husband in a rage pushed her house, down cement stairs, onto the pavement of the driveway. While she was shaking and scared she new had a decision to make.

Have you ever been at a fork in the road and had to make a decision? I know I have. For me, I knew my job was killing me. After being on a job that was making me sick I had come to my breaking point. My doctor told me if you keep this up you are going to end up in the hospital or dead. I knew them I too had a decision to make and needed to come up with a Plan B.

Make yourself a personal promise

Many times people are not just afraid of failure but success. As a result, they are paralyzed by fear and never reach their potential Stephanie points out how she does something very simply to keep her moving forward. One a sticky note she would write ONE thing she would do that day before she went to bed. Some days it would be a big task and other times it would be a small action but still moving her towards success.

Is there something you have wanted to achieve but are afraid to step on faith? What if you took just a small step today toward that very goal?

Pick up a packet of sticky notes and the next time you feel afraid just take one small step. If it worked for this millionaire it can work for you.

Expect that it will happen

There is a saying that you get what you expect in life. When you have an expectation to succeed the universe will open up and bring you the answers. Now the trick is you don’t want to be attached to the process. Commit result to the result and be open to allowing the beauty of intention and synchronicity to work in your favor. Don’t try to control the journey just embrace it.

Build your business for the future

This lesson should be a mantra that is taught for any new entrepreneur. So many people start off simply focusing on how they are going to create income. Don’t get me wrong this is important too. However, if you end up a millionaire with no time, poor health, and no friends or family to share it with would this be success for you? Only you can answer that.

However, the truth is you are better off knowing where you want to end up so you know how to design the map to get there. You want to considerate your lifestyle first and design your business around it.

So ask yourself a few questions:
a. How many hours a day to you want to work?
b. Are you willing to work weekends?
c. How much net profit do you want to make each year?
d. How many weeks or months of vacation will you take each year?
e. Will you work when you travel?

The more clearly you define what success in your business will look like in the future the easier it is to ask the right questions to help you get there.

Collaborate your way to success

For many people who have let the politics, back biting and brown nosing of corporate America we relish the idea of being able to create our empire alone. While on the surface this both looks and feels good the truth is that you can only accomplish so much alone.

Stephanie shares the concept of the collaboration nation. It is a new paradigm is the way we do business… the virtual company.

The concept includes strategic alliances, out team mates and one the most important players the virtual assistant. This person can do things from make travel arrangements, appointments, book-keeping, taxes, update websites, write or edit presentations and almost any other project you can think of.

The lesson here is, focus on your strengths and collaborate with others to aid you in achieving your goal?
What does your business need to go to the next level? Who could you collaborate with to make it happen?

Stephanie Frank is an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of people around the country. Her book is not only motivational but an action plan on how to start your empire on a shoe string budget. If you want to learn lessons what will add to your bottom-line and your life you want to learn from this Accidental Millionaire. Click here to find out more