What you need to start an online business

If I was to go straight back to basics and start an online business within any niche there are certain things that I would need. These are necessities that if I didn’t possess them my business would either fail or it would take me several months longer to reach even the easiest of goals.

I’m not talking state of the art technology either just the simple parts of an online business. Without a single doubt in my mind they would include:

My own product to sell – Instead of having someone else’s product you want your very own. It has to be something that is of value to others and not just a replica of something that is available already. In a nutshell it should be a creation that can be used on a great sales page and have an affiliate program via the likes of ClickBank or Paydotcom. The reason for this is that if you go down the affiliate road it can add a great deal to your annual income.

If you contacted a internet marketing guru and asked them how much of their income was achieved through affiliates selling their products you would find that they would say an absolute minimum of 60%. This is why it is so important!

My product on its own domain – This can be equally as important as creating a product. It must stand out have links at the bottom of the page and be easy to remember when they enter the details into the address bar. Forgetful subdomains will never have the same effect in the long run. If at all possible the domain name should reflect the name of the product or service. Think of it from a marketing point of view – when you go out there with your marketing methods you want to put a memorable domain into your material.

My own free product – It is very important that you have your very own free product to offer as an incentive to those that join your mailing list. A simple mailing list subscription form will just not cut it in this competitive industry. Maybe two years ago this was acceptable but not now. Your product could be anything you like as long as it is of value to the reader. You want them on your mailing list not just somebody else’s. If you want it to reflect one of your products, a smaller version is a brilliant way of going about it. A fantastic example of this is Alison Wood with the ten stage traffic method. She has created 5 steps to a successful niche Blog which is an excellent example. You can download her free report Here not only does it create a brilliant list builder but it also gives her a lovely viral product at the same time.

Don’t worry about the size of it either. A 7 page report can be just as effective as a 18 page one. Some people say that size really does matter but I disagree. The average size of my e-books is 32 pages and my reports size up around the 12 page mark. At the end of the day if I was purchasing a product I would rather get straight to the meat instead of being stuck with too much gravy.

My own marketplace – Every product owner should have a base that customers can recognise as a place of contact with you. It should also offer further information whether it is product updates or general tips that you want people to know about.

The obvious choice is always a Blog as this is a great way of showcasing yourself to the world and requires very little original set up. However you can always set up your very own website, this is equally beneficial but can be some what time consuming unless you are experienced with this particular task.

Once you have it all in place you are ready to rock and roll. Remember creating your products shouldn’t be that difficult. Concentrate your efforts on something you are good at and you can very easily complete your product in under a day.

To your online success

Samantha

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