Be Your Own Boss – Start An Online Business
The economic crisis has resulted in massive financial woes across America. Many people are at a loss on what to do with themselves. The cyberspace, however, offers a lot of opportunities to the enterprising. Why not start your own company? Not only do you have control over your time, you also get to keep all of the profits.
With the web as your tool, you do not have to shell off thousands of dollars in initial investments. With a little resourcefulness, a few hundred dollars may be enough to get the ball rolling. Here are important and valuable points to consider.
1. Choose an affordable web host. For a business to start, it has to have a location. In the virtual world, it is called a web site. The website address is known as the URL (universal resource locator). You cannot just put up a site on the Internet on your own. You need a host for setting up your site. There are a lot of web hosting companies available. Keep in mind several features such as storage space, support for database and publishing system, and the amount of data transfer allowed per month. This ranges from a few gigabytes to about 2 terabytes of data. Prices would range from $ 5 to $15 a month, with a choice of a one-year or two-year contract.
In choosing a web host, it would be prudent to read reviews on web hosting companies regarding the quality of their service and how the company supports their customers’ technical problems. Keep in mind that when your host goes down, your whole business is also down. Make sure to choose a web host that can handle a lot of data traffic.
2. Create a company logo and website. There are some websites that offer free logo designs. They will usually charge you, though, when you download the logo in EPS format. EPS is the recommended format for printing on apparel and items such as coffee mugs.
As for your website design, hiring a professional web designer might not be very practical financially. Just start off with a simple layout. Be careful not to modify your website design too frequently. This might confuse your clients. You risk losing your company’s identity whenever you make drastic changes to your website layout.
3. Avail of the services of a reliable e-commerce site. Online businesses handle money transactions electronically. E-commerce sites don’t cost a lot, and you get assured of secure handling of orders and payments.
4. Partner with industry leaders. Register as a merchant on established Internet companies such as Amazon or Ebay. This will allow you to get exposure for your products, even if you are just a start-up with a virtually unknown brand name. The fee they charge you will be well worth the benefits you would gain.
5. Lastly, master the skill of search engine optimization (SEO). Remember, it is a race to be on the first page of search engine results.