What Do You Need To Start A Successful Web Business?
Theme Based Content Site ~ Generate an Income Through Affiliate Programs
One of the most profitable and more "hands-free" ways to start your own business solely on the Internet is by creating a theme-based content website. This means you won't have to take product orders or ship products. You just provide great information and resources to your visitors.
However, that doesn't mean it will be easy. It takes hard work and knowledge to put together a quality site and it takes time to build the steady flow of traffic required for success.
A theme-based contest site can stand on its own as a viable business. It can also be an excellent promotional tool for your products and/or business opportunity. Create a free site with valuable information related to your product or opportunity. Use that steady flow of traffic and subscribers to promote your offerings.
What is a Theme-Based Content Website?
This a website based around a particular theme and includes all kinds of information and resources related to that theme. InternetBasedMoms.com is such a site and so is Astrology.com.
How Do You Make Money with a Theme-Based Content Website?
You see many mom business-related websites these days. Some are very good and many are put up simply with the goal to make money. Many sites slap on a few reprint articles and a ton of banners, hoping to make money. While earning a living is very important, you need to focus on providing quality content to your website visitors first. And a WAHM site is not your only option.
If you build a unique website with abundant resources and well-written information, you will be on your way. Once you build up traffic to your website, you can earn money through advertising sales, affiliate program commissions, memberships or adding your own products and services. And don't forget to check out Google's Adsense program where you can run their text-based ads and receive income every time someone clicks an ad.
Choosing Your Website's Theme
If people are interested in the topic, the possibilities are virtually limitless. But do yourself a favor. Choose a topic you are knowledgeable about and that you are very passionate about. The more interested you are, the better content you can create and the more satisfied you will be with your business.
Here's just a few ideas: Just click below for more information
Animals
Antiques & Collectibles
Art Appreciation
Astrology
Babies
Bargain Hunters
Fashion & Style
Finance
Fitness
Fundraising
Gardening
Graphic Arts
Music
Organization
Parenting
Party & Event Planning
Performing Arts
Pets
Beer Lovers
Cars
Clip art
Computer Games
Consumer Issues
Cooking
Crafts
Doll Collecting
Education
Ezine Publishing
Fan Club Site
Health & Beauty
History
Home Business
Home Decor
Home Schooling
Humor
Internet Marketing
Job Hunting
Kids
Literature
Movies
Photography
Scrapbooking
Special Interest Groups
Sports
Television
Travel
Trivia
Web Design
Weddings
Wine Lovers
Women's Issues
Driving Traffic to Your Website
1. Content, Content, Content: Again, the best thing you can do for your website is include tons of great content. If you provide people with information they are looking for, they will come back for more. Where do you find content? If you plan to build your theme-based content website around "free content", you will likely achieve limited success. You do not want to be a cookie-cutter of every other website on your topic. You should be able to come up with your own substantial content or at least hire someone to help you create original content. Still, free content does serve it's role when you're looking for an article on a particular topic. Click here for places to find free content.
2. Make your site interactive: Make people feel like they are part of your website. Offer them chat rooms, message boards, discussion groups, a calendar of events, online seminars and places to post their articles and opinions. Don't forget to also interact with your visitors as well. Answer all your email in a friendly and helpful manner.
3. Networking: Get out into cyberspace and meet people. Visit message boards, join email groups and form partnerships with complimentary sites. If you missed the article on strategic networking, you can read it now.
4. Advertising: When you're advertising, whether it be free or paid...concentrate on the wonderful FREE features of your website. People respond to a free offer much better than a request for their money. Of course, some parts of your advertising campaign will focus on what you have for sale, but if you are trying to build traffic...tell your potential visitors why they would benefit from coming to your site.
5. Search Engine Optimization: Learn a little about search engine optimization. It doesn't have to be complicated. This includes targeting keywords that your visitors would enter into a search engine and providing quality based on that information. Building a link strategy should also be part of your optimization, but your content is what will get you listed well on the search engines.
6. Publish an Ezine or Newsletter: People will visit your website once and even though they have enjoyed themselves, they might never come back. You can include a "bookmark this page" script, but unless they have very neat and tidy bookmarks, they may never visit again (how many bookmarks do you have?). You'll have lost a potential "re-visitor" if you don't capture her email address. How do you do this? Write an informative ezine on a regular basis. Include links that will entice them to visit your website throughout the ezine. This can be more information on a topic, special time-limited offers.
7. Establish Yourself as the Expert in Your Topic Area: You have already begun to do this if you are networking, writing your own content and publishing an ezine. You can go even further by writing articles for distribution on other sites, approaching various media (such as radio stations, TV shows, website and magazines) to allow you to share you knowledge with their listeners, viewers and readers.
How Do You Build Your Site
Currently the best tool around for building a comprehensive theme-based content site is SiteBuildIt. SiteBuildIt is not just a web page builder ~ it's a business builder and an excellent investment for sites that want to generate an income from affiliate programs.
The package includes your domain name, unlimited hosting, unlimited email accounts, search engine submissions, keyword search reports, pay-per-click mass bidding, logo creator, navigation bar creator, email list management, ezine publishing tool, open rate stats for ezines (find out how many people open your ezine) and link exchange tools. And that's just a partial list.
There's even a 150 page guide that takes you through step-by-step of creating a winning theme-based content site that makes money. The best part is that if you don't like it, you can get your money back.
Content, Content, Content
It's worth repeating over and over again. No matter how you decide to build your site or what your theme will be...keep in mind that content is what will help you achieve success with a theme-based content website.
Start Your Own eBay Business
What is an eBay Business?
An eBay business is what you make of it. You sell your items auction-style; the items go to the highest bidder. Want to sell baby clothes? Collectibles? Toys? Computer equipment? The choice is yours. If you want to sell it, chances are eBay has the ready-made market to buy it.
eBay Business Supplies
1. Computer
2. Internet Connection
3. Digital Camera
4. Products to sell. You can sell used items you find at garage sales, from your closet, etc. You can sell new items you find at discount prices from liquidators, dollar stores and clearance sales. If you can find a supplier who will drop ship, you're even luckier.
eBay Business Skills
1. Marketing Skills - You can develop these skills as you learn how to sell various items on eBay.
2. Organizational Skills - You need to keep good records of your sales and not just for tax purposes. You need to be able to keep track of which buyers have paid, which have received their items, etc. Setting up a spreadsheet with all the pertinent information should help keep this under control.
3. Basic HTML Skills - To make your auctions eye-catching and appealing, you will want to know some basic HTML skills.
Get Your Business off the Ground
Start by choosing a certain type of product to specialize in (ex. toys, clothes, etc.). That way, you can become an expert in those products and how to sell them effectively. You may want to expand your product line at a later date.
Getting started is easy. Create an eBay user ID and you're on your way. Be sure to read through the eBay selling rules and check out all the tips eBay offers along the way.
Put up only a few items to start and don't saturate your auctions with too many of the exact same item. The objective is to sell your item at the highest price. If you are selling 5 identical items, it may be harder for you to get a high price. Experiment with various selling methods and find out what works your particular items.
Online Marketing Ideas
Promote your business with your own personal web page. This can be a web page just to promote your eBay business, or it can be an online store that links to your auctions. It gives you a more established presence on the Internet and gives your customers a better sense of who you are.
Join some newsgroups and visit message boards for other home based business people or people who are interested in your product line. Be helpful and participate in discussions. If it's allowed, be sure to include a link to your auction with a brief description in your signature line.
Build a mailing list. Send out an informative newsletter on a regular basis to your subscribers. Just be sure to promote your auctions in the newsletter too.
Other Online Auctions
Don't limit yourself to eBay. EBay is only one of the many online auction houses available, but it is, by far the largest. However, eBay's fees can get expensive. It may be cost effective to also sell your items on other auction sites and you may face less selling competition. Just remember, you may also have fewer buyers for your products and may have a lower selling price. You will need to evaluate which is the most efficient way to sell your items.
Be sure to check out the auctions at Yahoo.com.
Also, there are a number of FREE online auctions houses. Here are just a few:
http://www.wahmauctions.com
http://www.primauctions.com
http://www.mothersnature.com/cgi-bin/Auction
http://www.momsnetwork.com/auctionhouse.shtml
http://www.familyauction.com
http://www.mywoman2woman.com/auction/
http://thefamilycloset.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.pl
For a More Comprehensive Look at the eBay Business
Sign up for your FREE Net Auction Masters Course by sending a blank email to tnamswebsuccess2054@sitesell.net. It's a five day, intensive course that gets you on the way to starting your profitable net auction business.
Make Your Net Auction Sell is a highly informative ebook that takes at look at online auctions in general, not just eBay. The ebook includes: standing out by selling unique items, choosing the best sites for your goods, promoting your business, how to network with other auction pros, selling goods in volume, selling high priced items without having to buy them. Find out about Make Your Net Auction Sell by clicking here. You can download this book right away and get started.
For Beginning Sellers
Bizy’s Guide To: Making Money With Online Auctions - what to sell, how much to charge, keeping your business legal, managing your business & customer service issues.
Or try Bizy's Online Course: How to Start Your Online Auction Business for Beginners - this 4-week hands-on course covers everything you need to know to get started with a profitable online auction business.
For Experienced Sellers
Bizy’s Guide To: Your Online Auction Business - Advanced Tips to Become an Experienced Seller - making professional-looking auctions, what to sell, protecting yourself, making sure your listings are profitable.
Mystery Shopping Business
What is a Mystery Shopper Business?
A Mystery Shopper is someone who goes to a restaurant, store, hairdresser, grocery store, amusement park or any other businesses and poses as a customer. For example: in a restaurant, the mystery shopper would sit down, order a meal, pay the bill and leave, just like any customer. The purpose of this visit is to evaluate the overall customer service (actual service, knowledge of staff, cleanliness, etc.) that is being offered in the establishment. The Mystery Shopper writes a report and rates the customer service based on a pre-established set of criteria. Then the report is turned into the business to use for training, employee rewards or any number of uses.
This is a business you can do with your family. You can bring the kids, your spouse or all of them. The experience is meant to be as authentic as possible and what's more authentic than a family of shoppers are restaurant customers? However, keep in mind, you are there to work and observe. Your children or your spouse should not distract you from that.
Mystery Shopper Supplies
There aren't a lot of business specific supplies you will need. Make sure to have the basics: business cards, contracts and professional attire to meet with potential clients.
Mystery Shopper Skills
Negotiation and Verbal Communication skills - you need these to seal deals with clients.
Objectivity - you need to be able to provide an objective report on your shopping experiences - WHAT happened - not necessarily your opinion.
Customer Service Skills - clearly you need to have customer service skills to establish relationships with clients and potential mystery shoppers, but you also need a solid understanding of customer service so that you can evaluate the service offered by others.
Observation & Memory - You need to notice all the little things and you can't take notes while you're there. You will have to remember all the small details and record them later.
Mystery Shopper Rates
The amount you make will depend on who is your client. Some companies only reimburse for expenses, some companies only pay a set amount for expenses (regardless of what you paid) and some do pay an hourly fee of $10-20 for your evaluation in addition to your expenses. You need to decide what you are willing to work for and choose your clients that way. As you gain more clients and references, you will be able to be more choosy in your assignments.
Get Your Business off the Ground
- When approaching smaller companies emphasize that you are a small enterprise as well. Many small companies cannot afford to pay the large Mystery Shopping company rates and might be interested in using your services if they are affordable.
- Save your money. Avoid paying for a list of potential clients. The companies or individuals selling these lists are making money by doing so and will sell the list to as many people as they can. That creates a lot of competition.
- Only take jobs that fit your schedule. Don't leave your client hanging. This will help establish your solid reputation.
- Check out the competition. You can do this on the Internet. Check out the big companies and the little ones. What services do they provide? What do they charge?
- Make a professional-looking brochure that outlines the benefits of your shopping program, etc. You don't need to spend a lot of money. If you're going to print your own brochures, avoid color ink unless you have a high quality laser printer. If you have an inkjet or other similar printer, your best bet is black ink on subtly colored paper.
Online Marketing Ideas
Although most of your clients will be local and much of your business will be run offline, don't forget the importance of an Internet presence. Your web page is your "office". It's where your clients and potential clients can go to see you and what you do. If you plan to expand your business and offer the mystery shopping opportunity to others, a website is essential. It is a way to attract potential clients and mystery shoppers nationwide. Expanding your business in this way is what will ensure you the greatest success to your home based enterprise.
1. Include your website on all your promotional materials (i.e. business cards, brochures, etc.). It is a place where your current and potential clients can read about the services you offer, your rates and helps establish you as a legitimate business.
2. Join some home based business discussion groups. These are a perfect way to network and find potential mystery shoppers that would like to work for you. Try Yahoo! Groups for some good groups or start your own.
3. Form partnerships with other sites that compliment your business. This can include everything from a simple link exchange or why not go a step further and really promote one another's businesses on each other's sites? Offer to incorporate their business information right into your website. Give them a page or two about their business, with links back to their site and have them do the same.
Additional Mystery Shopper Business Resources
Mystery Shopping Provider's Association - world wide organization of Mystery Shoppers
Message Boards and Useful Tools: Volition.com/Mystery
Free list of companies to apply for Mystery Shopping jobs (Canada & US) ~ This is a listing of Mystery Shopping Companies. Applying to these mean you will work for someone else.
For a More Comprehensive Look at the Mystery Shopper Business
If you are serious about starting your own candy wrapping business, we recommend you purchase MyMommyBiz's Start Your Own Mystery Shopping Business.
This comprehensive guide will save you a lot of time in additional research and includes everything from: why start a mystery shopping business, getting set up, supplies, finding clients, being discreet, what kind of services you can offer, who pays for what, contracts with business, hiring other mystery shoppers and more.
Or Try Bizy's hands-on online course Make Money Mystery Shopping - learn how to find the best jobs & get your Mystery Shopping Business off the ground.
Web Design Business
So you're a talented website designer and people are always asking you to design websites for them. This sounds like the perfect opportunity to start a web design business from home. But how do you get started?
What is a Web Design Business?
As a web designer, you create websites for your clients. This includes...at a minimum...designing the layout, navigation and inputting all the information for the website. I encourage you to go beyond just design and create profitable web presences for your clients.
Website Design Business Skills & Attributes
If you have the talent to create good looking websites that are easy to navigate and are pleasing to the eye, you will be providing the minimum service that your clients are entitled to. Unfortunately, a good looking website is not the key to a successful Internet presence. It is simply one piece of the online business puzzle.
To promote your own business and to provide your clients with the best service possible, you need to have, acquire or partner with someone who has:
- design skills
- HTML skills
- dynamic script knowledge - to build shopping carts and other dynamic components to websites
- marketing skills
- search engine knowledge
- copywriting skills
- graphic skills
Many professional web designers will tell you that they are only responsible for the overall design of the site, but this is a tremendous disservice to your clients. Most small business owners are not aware of all the ins and outs of Internet Marketing and once they have paid you a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars for a website and nothing happens with their traffic or sales...it reflects badly on you.
This doesn't mean you need to have all these skills yourself, but you can partner with people who do. Work on your designs with a copywriter, a search engine optimization specialist and/or an Internet Marketing expert to produce the best possible website.
You can also use an Internet business builder program that will help you build a profitable website for your clients and provides them with all the tools they need to make their business a success. The most comprehensive program available on the market today is SiteBuildIt and it comes at such an affordable price that it leaves plenty of profit for your website design business.
Web Design Pricing
Your pricing will depend on the level of service you provide and your target market. You can charge an hourly rate (designers charge between $40 - $150 per hour or more) a per page rate or a per job rate.
It's important to really evaluate the time and effort involved in designing a website for a client. Don't undervalue yourself and don't overcharge for your services either. Download your free Pricing Masters Course to help you come to a sound decision on pricing.
Online Marketing Ideas for a Web Design Business
- Create your own professional web presence that promotes your website design business and highlights your skills.
- Choose a niche or target market for your business. If you want to design sites for work at home moms, then target their needs. If you specialize in HTML or PHP, stick with that.
- Market yourself as a web designer that not only designs nice looking websites, but who builds effective and complete online businesses for their clients.
- Create an online portfolio of websites you have designed. If you haven't done any paid work yet, be sure to include any websites you have designed for yourself, friends or family.
- Partner with other designers, writers, Internet marketers and search engine specialists. You all have different areas of expertise and if you work together, you can build up a steady stream of work together.
- Ask your clients to put a link to your website in recognition of the design work you have performed.
- Join a few Internet business message boards or email groups and offer your expert advice where it is requested. Better yet, offer to moderate a web design forum...it shows you as the expert and gives you a little bit of promotion at the same time.
- Target your local market with your website. Be sure to include your location in your website's information as many businesses will want to work with a local client.
- My friend Andrea Wilson of Able Webs acquired a number of clients by giving away website makeovers. She took the home pages of these sites and redesigned them with a more professional look. Once people could see how much better their websites could be, they wanted to continue to work with Andrea. She's been so successful with her makeovers, she no longer has the time to offer them...but it's a great idea for starting out with a web design business.
Andrea also says, "Many Web designers like the actual design work -- the fun stuff -- but dislike the more mundane work of maintaining a site once it's up and running. But to me, the fun part of maintenance work is the guaranteed income. If you're willing to do what many Web designers are not, you'll have a steady income and you'll keep your customers a long time. And because you're in regular contact with them, they'll remember to recommend you to others. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising... and it's free!"
Offline Marketing Ideas for a Web Design Business
- Offer a few discounted or freebie jobs to build your portfolio. Contact a local charity or community organizations and ask if they would like you to build a website for them.
- Explore the possibilities with your own personal contacts. You can certainly try cold calling to businesses, but you will find that if you talk to people you know, there's always somebody who is looking to get their business on the Internet.
- Join business groups like the Chamber of Commerce or a group that targets your niche. Use this opportunity to get to know other people in business and build valuable partnerships and even gain a few clients.
- Write a press release about your new business and send it to your local media. Tell them you are launching a new business, or that you were working on a site for an important or charitable organization. If it's newsworthy, tell them about it. Read our free press release writing tutorial here.
Free Download for More Information on Starting a Website Design Business If you need more information on getting your web design business started, Internet Based Moms™ is pleased to offer a free download of...
Starting a Web Design Business Free eBook - This ebook will take you through the steps of getting your profitable web design business together. It covers the legal aspects of your business and how to write a business plan. It provides great advice on marketing your website (& your clients' websites too), choosing a niche and how to get clients. It even helps you with dealing with clients, proposals and contracts. Click here for your free download.
This ebook was written by Mark Frank, the author of Start Your Own Home-Based Website Design Business. The free ebook above offers 61 pages of helpful information to get you started.
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