The internet seems like such an easy place to start a business. There are few start-up costs and little overhead once you get a website up and running. A wide variety of resources are available to help with everything from getting a domain name to setting up online stores. But the very same pluses for drawing you into starting an online business can also be minuses. The most intimidating is the overwhelming amount of information available. How do you winnow the good from the bad? The worthwhile from the useless? Well, that is part of what this website is here for - to sort through the chaff and give you some straight answers.
Let's start by looking at what doing business on the internet really entails. As with any business, you need to have a product or service to sell. Some sites make their money by providing content on a particular subject, then sell advertising on their sites related to that content, somewhat like a magazine or newspaper does. Most successful sites, however, having something tangible to sell to a client.
One simple way to get started on the internet is to sell through eBay with an
an eBay store
or on Amazon with an
Amazon zShop. Both eBay and Amazon are forms of Ecommerce.
Ecommerce can also be conducted by building your own website.
If you are starting a business on the internet, additional factors, above and beyond most business start-up issues, must be considered.:
- Are you proficient in working on the internet?
- Are you capable of designing and maintaining your own site?
- Do you have secure and reliable web hosting?
You have a wide range of issues to address in terms of how you want your website
to be produced and function. You need to plan your
business website so that it is easy to navigate and is attractive to the users you want
to attract. To be a success it is important to have a professional
presence. That means having your own domain name, an email address for that domain name,
and a site that is well-designed and easy to navigate. Additional features that you might
want to consider are a merchant account,
an online shopping cart system, a fulfillment system for tracking and filling customers' orders, and
a customer service system. Many web hosting services, like
GoDaddy,
offer these services as an add-on to their standard web hosting package.
Marketing
Just having a website doesn't mean that people will come. You need to let the world know you are
there by using effective online marketing
techniques. Marketing on the internet is
different than marketing a bricks and mortar business. One method is by advertising on
search results, where your website is featured when someone searches on specific key words.
For instance, with Google Adwords you target customers actively searching for what you sell.
Winnowing Out the Junk
Every day most of us using the internet regularly receive email offering us
spectacular opportunities. I continue to be amazed how often intelligent people respond
to schemes that are total scams. Every business takes work. No business makes money
overnight -- not even Microsoft.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) monitors fraudulent Internet-related business opportunities. They provide an online complaint form and a telephone contact number to call to report such scams. While the Commission does not resolve individual problems, it will act against a company if there is a pattern of possible law violations.
Fortunately, we have on the net a number of watchdogs who monitor and work to eradicate these jerks. The Scam Free Zone, not only lists numerous internet business opportunities that are "scamfree", but also provides articles on starting a business and an online newsletter that highlights scams and how to recognize them.
Internet Scambusters maintains a scam check station that lists scams to watch out for, resources to help you from being scammed, and what to do if it happens to you.
The National Fraud Information Center provides tips, articles, bulletins and other information to avoid fraud, protect your privacy, and navigate the Net safely and enjoyably. They provide a list of basic internet tips on protecting yourself from fraudulent schemes on the internet that are excellent advice for all internet users.
Before leaping into any internet venture, check out any external business you deal with before signing any agreements. The internet is a fun place to be right now. However, it is still in its pioneering phase and operates in many ways like any other pioneering effort in history - there are plenty of fraudulent businesses just waiting to take the money of neophytes. Educate yourself and check out all deals - if they sound too good to be true, they undoubtedly are.
