Step 1. PRODUCTS THAT SELL Are you going to sell 1 or 2 products to a niche market or numerous products that appeal to a worldwide audience? People have been successful doing both. If you are having difficulty coming up with a product, think about your own background and experience and how others may benefit from your knowledge. One of the best selling products on the Internet is "information". Perhaps you could start out by selling "How-To" Information reports or eBooks on your field of expertise. Come up with a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) that makes you stand out from the crowd. Step 2: OBTAIN A DOMAIN NAME. After you decide what you are going to sell, you need a place to operate your business on the Web - you need to have your own domain. (www.yourdomainname.com) You'll NEVER be taken seriously if you operate from a free site with an address like this: www.bigcompanyname.com/members/myfreespace. Once you get the name registered, no one else can have it. To check if a name is still available that you may want to register, go to http://www.betterwhois.com There are numerous companies which can help you register and host your domain. In addition to checking hosting prices, be sure that they can take care of all your requirements. Also ask about customer service and if they help you in bringing traffic to your site. Keep in mind that "hosting" and "dial-up" are separate issues. Some companies specialize in one or the other while some will do both. Step 3: DESIGN AN EFFECTIVE WEB SITE. You want your site to get people to take action, a site that sells! Make sure you keep your web site frequently updated, not overloaded with graphics that slow down the load time (or visitors will move on to another site), and easy for people to navigate. It is important to capture a visitors e-mail address to build your own mailing list so make sure you have an e-mail capture form on your site. You should also make it easy for people to contact you by having your name, physical address location and e-mail address throughout the site. Don't expect to sell anything if you are hiding behind a web site that has no address or uses a PO Box. Step 4: AUTOMATE ORDER PROCESSING After you have the website designed effectively, you need to set up an "automated order processing system". Depending on whether you have a physical or digital product, there are several options available which include the ability to accept credit cards without having to purchase a merchant account. One possible vendor to use for a digital product is Clickbank.com. Step 5: AUTOMATE FOLLOW-UP SYSTEM Once you have your website design and order processing set up properly, you will want to be fully prepared for all the traffic coming to your site and will need to automate the follow-up system. There are several options available to use sequential autoresponders for this task such as at Aweber.com or SendFree.com Step 6: MARKETING There are numerous activities - both free and paid - on-line and off-line - you can do to develop consistent traffic. One effective strategy is to write and distribute articles such as this one. Step 7: AFFILIATE PROGRAM Getting your own affiliate program set up is the final piece of the 7 Step system. You can have hundreds or even thousands of "reps" selling your product. A quick way to start is by using Clickbank. Follow these 7 steps and you will be well on your way to having a successful Internet home business. |
