My First Internet Business
Disclaimer
This e-book has been written to provide information about Internet marketing. Every effort has been made to make this ebook as complete and accurate as possible. However, there may be mistakes in typography or content. Also, this e-book provides information only up to the publishing date. Therefore, this ebook should be used as a guide - not as the ultimate source.
The purpose of this ebook is to educate. The author and the publisher does not warrant that the information contained in this e-book is fully complete and shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions. The author and publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this e-book.
2
My First Internet Business
3
My First Internet Business
Table of Contents
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................5
Top 7 Benefits of Starting an Internet Business ................................................................................7
Starting Your Own Internet Business ........................................................................................................................ 11
7 Things to Consider When Starting your Own Internet Business ................................................................................ 11
Internet Business in 3 Easy Steps .............................................................................................................................. 13
Internet Business Models......................................................................................................................................... 15
Affiliate Marketing .................................................................................................................................................. 15
Three Types of Affiliate Marketing ............................................................................................................................ 15
How are payments made? ....................................................................................................................................... 17
What Skills do you need to Start an Affiliate Marketing Business? .............................................................................. 17
Advantages of the Affiliate Marketing Model ............................................................................................................ 17
The Downside to Affiliate Marketing ........................................................................................................................ 19
eBay and other online Auction Sites ......................................................................................................................... 20
How eBay works ...................................................................................................................................................... 21
What should you keep in mind when selling on EBay? ............................................................................................... 23
Pros and Cons of selling on eBay and Online Auctions ............................................................................................... 24
Product Creation ..................................................................................................................................................... 25
What is Product Creation? ....................................................................................................................................... 26
How to Start an Internet Business Using the Product Creation Model ......................................................................... 27
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Product Creation Model .................................................................................. 28
Offering Services on the Internet .............................................................................................................................. 28
How to Start Offering Services on the Internet .......................................................................................................... 28
Advantages and Disadvantages of Offering Services on the Internet ........................................................................... 30
Internet Marketing .................................................................................................................................................. 30
Types of Internet Marketing ..................................................................................................................................... 31
Recommendation ..................................................................................................................................................... 41
Learning and Internet Businesses ............................................................................................................................. 42
Resources ................................................................................................................................................................ 43
4
My First Internet Business
Introduction
With the need to come up with a steady yet sufficient source of income, a lot of people have resorted to starting their own businesses. Some prefer to find a place to rent out and put up a store, where they can sell their hand-made products; while some opt to stay at home and come up with a home based business. When it comes to finding the most convenient means to become an entrepreneur, home based businesses are viewed to be the best kind to work with.
If you are a home baker and would like to sell your pastries and other sweets without renting out a store; or maybe you are an internet geek and would like to earn using your skills, a home based business is the best way to find a sustainable income without the hassles of putting up shop, hiring a lot of people to do several types of jobs, and paying for a lot of permits just to get the right authorizations to operate.
Speaking of internet businesses, this type seems to be really in demand nowadays. The fact that these businesses can make people stay at home and work, is what makes these jobs or businesses really attractive to a lot of people. But what is an internet business and what are the benefits that you can get out of it?
Internet businesses are businesses that require a consistent internet connection, a highly creative and tactical mind, above average negotiating skills and of course enough free time to monitor your business. Internet businesses are mostly home based, which means that even the owners can
5
My First Internet Business
monitor, manage and develop their virtual companies in the comforts of their own home. Their employees can also stay home and can work full or part time. But if you still want a office setting, you can start an internet business and rent out an office space where you and your employees can work.
There are several types of internet based business, and each gives you an opportunity to earn well. These are Affiliate marketing, Article marketing, membership websites, email marketing, video marketing, offering services and product creations just to name a few. What kind of internet business model should you go for? Well, it depends on your interests and your skills of course.
6
My First Internet Business
Top 7 Benefits of Starting an Internet Business
Like any other type of business, starting one that’s internet based has its own benefits. And if you read on, you will understand why this is the best business for you.
1. Increases your time with the family. If you are a family man or woman for that matter, starting a home based internet business can be the best way to stay focused on your job while having enough time to spend with the family. This luxury that you can afford to have on a daily basis. Wouldn’t it be nice to see your kids and attend to their needs while earning big bucks on the side?
7
My First Internet Business
2. Your working hours are extremely flexible. With your very own internet business, you will no longer worry about waking up really in the morning just to cook breakfast, drive your kids to school and meet your office deadlines. Now, you will have all the time in the world to manage your business. Choose the most convenient productive time for you and you are all set!
3. The possibility of earning a lot is not far from grasp. This means that you can choose to work and handle several clients in one go and earn big money; or you can be picky when it comes to working with clients. In fact, compared to working from 9am to 5pm, where you earn a fixed amount, an internet business gives you an opportunity to earn a lot without slaving countless of hours in front of your desk.
4. Start Up Cost is minimal. If you will compare the costs of starting your own business in the city, putting up an internet based business is amazingly easier and more affordable. Instead of renting out an office space and hiring tons of employees just to do one task or job per person, why not start an internet business, where you do not need a lot of people to work for you and you are not required to find an office to operate in. Believe it or not, but with this type of business, you can set up your very own virtual office in your own bedroom or attic. As long as you have a fast and stable internet connection, then you are all good to go.
5. Your business doesn’t need a 24 hour go to guy to operate. This means that you do not need to stay up late and watch over your website. All you need
8
My First Internet Business
to do is to set up your website and retrieve all messages and other business related transactions when you get back after a good night’s rest.
6. You do not need to leave home to work. Online or internet businesses doesn’t require you to commute or drive to and from the office just to get some work done. So you can now remove gas, carpool and bus allowances from your budget list, because you can simply work at home and start
9
My First Internet Business
earning money.
7. You can easily gauge or measure your personal growth, as well as that of your virtual company. Since you can personally monitor every deal that you close or every client that you lose, you will pretty much have an idea on how
10
My First Internet Business
well your internet business is doing. Create a chart or a table where you can calculate your earnings, losses and potential gains.
Internet business can indeed turn your entrepreneur dreams into reality. With a lot of determination, a bucket of creativity and a box full of patience, you will be able to reap all these business benefits and more!
Did this catch your attention? Well, if you are now pretty convinced that you would like to talk on the challenge of starting and running your very own internet business, what you need to do is to find out how you would able to do so, in the most stress-free manner.
Starting Your Own Internet Business
Starting your very own home based internet business is not just about having a steady internet connection, or the most high-tech and sophisticated laptop or desktop. There are actually several steps that you need to take to make sure that you put up your business in the smoothest possible way.
Having a plan to earn more money is one thing, but doing something about your plans is another. Now, in order to start your very own internet based home business, you must meticulously assess the situation and check whether you are in this for the long haul, or it’s just because this type of business is current and popular.
7 Things to Consider When Starting your Own Internet Business
1. Having a long term goal or a vision is very important. First start with at least a 5-year plan. This means that you have to sort out your goals and the things
11
My First Internet Business
that you want to achieve in this span of time. If you want to get into your goals for the next 10 to 20 years, go ahead!
2. Check out and identify all the things that you are actually good at. This means, you have to know the things that you can do over the internet. List them down and analyze which ones you would like to do for a very long time. Your list should also include your web-related hobbies, such as photo editing, blogging and photo-blogging.
3. Make sure that you have a strategy or a plan of attack when it comes to starting your own business. Every detail included in your business plan should be studied and reviewed on a regular basis to see if you are right on track or you need some tweaking to do.
4. Identify which type of services or products you will be selling or offering your clients. You also need to focus on only a few types of services to make sure that you will be able to provide your clients’ needs without sacrificing the quality and the timeliness of your work.
5. You should know what and how you would like your website to look like. This means that you need to make sure that the layout of your site is properly arranged, your products and services all have their descriptions, your contact details, payments options and other options have been included in the site.
6. Customer service is also something that you need to focus on. Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to hire more people to man the feedback and customer support sections of your website. You may even be the one to do this, but one thing that you should remember is that, you need to be able to
12
My First Internet Business
find time or set a definite schedule for answering all client inquiries and responding to client comments and feedback.
7. Look for a mentor. Someone you can run and talk to with regard to finding answers to all your business related questions. Of course, you can find some of the information that you need, online. But nothing beats the information and best practices that you will learn from someone who has been in your shoes and have somehow successfully established their very own internet based business.
Remember that there will be a time when all you have to do is to connect to the internet and start reeling in the cash. So be patient and check out the following steps to start a business.
Internet Business in 3 Easy Steps
You might find starting your very own business scary and a little bit intimidating. But with these 3 simple steps, you will be able to set up “shop” online without making haphazard decisions.
Step One: Manipulate Traffic. No, this doesn’t involve driving around town and avoiding city traffic. The term is all about increasing the number of searches, link or site visitors for a particular product or type of services that’s being offered online. This requires you to come up with the best internet business model, which can work for you. However, in most cases, business owners opt to use more than one model to get their business going. Some opt to combine a pay-per-click affiliate marketing model, with selling products and writing articles to promote their businesses.
13
My First Internet Business
Step Two: Start making sales. This will happen as soon as you have increased traffic on your website or link. Making a sale is a sign that your business is being noticed by the internet masses, and most importantly, your business is earning based on what you have expected. And once you have your sales going, you will be able to start your projecting your sales on a weekly, monthly and yearly scale.
Step Three: Keep your clients coming back for more. Making the right first impression to your clients would make your first sale. But once you have cashed in your first paycheck, it’s now to time to think about how you can make your clients coming back for more. Find out how you will be able to keep your first clients and at the same time, make them convince other potential clients to choose your products and services instead of your other competitors. Remember that internet businesses are in demand, which means that you will end up having a lot of competitors. So be sure to know how you would be able to get your customers hooked.
14
My First Internet Business
Internet Business Models
Of course, internet businesses are not just about one model or type. This means that there are several types for you to choose from. Surely, there is one that would suit your interests and a great complement to your skills.
In reality, the internet can give you countless of possibilities in terms of starting a business, running a company and earning money. This book will focus on the eight most popular ones. These are known to have launched thousands of internet businesses all over the world.
Top Internet Business Models
Affiliate Marketing
This model is all about the team work between a website owner and online sellers or retailers. The revenue or income will be shared by the two affiliates through web advertisements posted by merchants on the owner’s website. How will you earn through this model? Well, income is usually generated through visitors clicking the web ad or through purchases from clients who have visited the owner’s website.
Three Types of Affiliate Marketing
Pay per Sale Affiliate Marketing – this will allow the affiliate or the website owner (this is you) to earn big money through sales completed or done through the advertisements on your website. The merchants will monitor the activity on your website through their sales. And every time they close deals that are done through the ad on your site, you will have a percentage
15
My First Internet Business
of the income, or you will receive a fixed rate depending on the number of sales that they close. One example is Clickbank.com
Pay per Click Affiliate Marketing – this model is all about linking the merchant’s website on to your own website. Say that the merchant pays you to have their ad posted on your page; every time a visitor clicks the link that leads to your affiliate merchant’s page, you will earn a fixed amount.
Pay per Lead Affiliate Marketing – known as the highest revenue generating type of affiliate marketing in the world of internet business. Since you will be accepting advertisements posted on your website for extra income, you are also opening yourself to better chances of earning more money. Leads coming from the ads or links on your websites will be paid good money.
16
My First Internet Business
How are payments made?
Payments may come in instantly, or on a per week or month basis. And the payments will be based on the amount that you and your affiliate merchant have agreed upon closing the deal. There are several ways to get your payment: first one would be through electronic banking, by way of payment or financial websites. Money can also be wired through your personal bank account – this can also be done online or through direct bank deposits. Or a check can be mailed to you on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. Another popular way to receive payments is via PayPal.
What Skills do you need to Start an Affiliate Marketing Business?
You really do not need a lot of skills when it comes to starting this business model. And although you need enough knowledge on pay per click marketing, back-linking and copywriting; as long as you have the determination to be the best at web marketing, you are good to go. Of course, you also need a stable internet connection to avoid any transaction delays and other difficulties.
Advantages of the Affiliate Marketing Model
Affiliate marketing is quite beneficial to anyone who is into starting his or her very own internet based business. These benefits would not only help generate
17
My First Internet Business
more money for your business; affiliate marketing can also bring in more clients to keep your business afloat.
1. You do not need to get skillful and creative in terms of coming up with your own products. As a matter of fact, having your own website, managing it on a regular basis and accepting advertisements to be posted on your page are all you need to earn money. This also means that you do not need to allot a longer planning time to completely set up your business. As soon as you have your website or page up, then you can start looking for clients and advertisers and start reeling in more cash!
2. You do not need to spend too much money on starting the business. In short there are no monetary risks involved to sign up and to get more clients. Both affiliates will not be asked to pay certain fees just to advertise and accept clients.
3. You can earn money even when sleeping. Who doesn’t want to earn more cash even in the middle of night? No one! So if you want to earn cash without the need to stay on the computer for 24 hours a day and 7 days a week affiliate marketing is definitely the right internet business model for you. Imagine this: you will continue to earn money even if you are not online, through clients or visitors clicking on the links and ads posted on your website. How cool is that?
4. One of the easiest ways to earn big bucks. Whether you are in this as a part time source of income or your long term business, affiliate marketing still
poses as one of the best and the most convenient ways when it comes to making money and starting your very own business. Since there are
18
My First Internet Business
hundreds, if not, thousands of merchants selling their products and services online, you can take advantage of this ramp to do well in this internet business model.
5. You will always be up to date or in synch with what’s going on in the world or internet marketing. This is a great opportunity for you to venture into different products and services to feature on your website. You will have a chance to invest on better techniques to improve your business and increase your chances of earning money.
6. You will also have a chance to work with other people who are also doing affiliate marketing, through linking each of your sites together. Thus increasing your earnings ten-fold.
The Downside to Affiliate Marketing
Although you are bound to earn big bucks through affiliate marketing, there are a couple of downsides to this model that you should know. And once you have all these information, you can now device the perfect plan to avoid these problems from happening.
1. As an affiliate, you may fall victim to misleading advertisements, and in turn you may be accused of deceiving clients. To make sure that you keep this from happening, you have to screen all your clients, verify their products and if their actual websites are legit. You also need to discuss every detail concerning the affiliation before finalizing the deal.
19
My First Internet Business
2. You will stop earning without prior notice. This can happen if you do not regular communication with your merchants. Some clients would stop or discontinue production without informing their affiliates, so be sure to stay in touch with your merchants.
3. If you are into affiliate marketing, your site is also prone to fall victim to affiliate hijackers. So instead of you getting all your hard earned money, these scammers will be taking all the credit instead.
It is important that you research on everything that concerns affiliate marketing: from the type that would work for you, the way to keep your clients and the manner through which you will be earning money.
eBay and other online Auction Sites
Since the arrival of online shopping websites, people have grown accustomed to buying what they need off the internet. Whether they want to order custom made cakes for special occasions, or maybe an important home décor or they might probably be looking for the perfect gifts, online auction sites and
20
My First Internet Business
shopping websites such as eBay and Amazon.com, can most definitely be their virtual shopping mall.
If you are looking for the best way to earn money and to get rid of all the unused pieces of furniture, things and other personal belongings, eBay is the perfect answer. This can also be your ultimate market where you can sell your hand crafted accessories and other items, as well as those things that you import from other countries, such as clothes, jewelry, new electronic devices and even home accents.
How eBay works
You need to understand how this system works and how you can set up an account to start buying and selling items on the website. This online auction site also boasts that this is the most fun way to showcase your creative talents and most especially earn a little extra on the side. And here is how you can start your own eBay account and sell your products to the world.
Of course, the first thing that you need to do is to start and create your very own eBay account. You have to submit the required personal information, such as your complete name, name of business, your contact information and even your payment options or methods.
Be ready to answer all inquiries from your clients and potential customers. You have to regularly check your eBay account to make sure that you get every question answered. And if you have a fast response rate, you can be sure that a lot of visitors will check out your listings – this means that will stay interested in what you are selling them. Another thing, it would also help if you will already include a bunch of product,
21
My First Internet Business
shipping and policy related questions which you have answered to give them instant information as well.
Be familiar with the different policies and rules that involve selling personal and commercial items online. It is important to make sure that you do not break any laws and that you know a lot about the products that you are selling. List down all the product specific information that you feel you might need, such as: manufacture date, expiration date (if applicable), place where the products were made or manufactured.
If you plan to sell different items that belong to separate categories, it is a must for you to create your very own listings. You also need to determine the manner by which you will be pricing your items: an auction like method – where visitors and potential buyers can bid their way to purchase specific items that they want; on the other hand, you can go for the more traditional way of selling which is assigning a fixed price on each of the items that you wish to sell.
Selling the same style of product but with different colors or sizes? You can do so without taking up to much space by putting them in one category. eBay also has their own listings, from which you can submit or base your items’ categories.
You also need to monitor and properly manage your listings. Regularly check your account and find out if people are viewing your account or if they have submitted orders or inquiries.
Lastly, be sure to close the deal with your buyers properly. Provide them all the details that they need, especially the modes of payment and the
22
My First Internet Business
turnaround time for delivery. One thing that you should avoid is missing out on the details of the sale.
What should you keep in mind when selling on EBay?
Since doing business online is becoming more and more popular, it is high time that you join the bandwagon and start selling your products on eBay as well. But before you start uploading your products online, be sure to find out the things that you should do and watch out for to avoid scams, problems and making bad sales decisions.
Tip 1. Research is key to a successful eBay auction and selling business. Surely, you will find postings on the website offering similar products, so be sure to find out how much each of them cost and that you are adept with the bidding and the selling policies. Another thing, finding similar products will also help you find out if the ones that you intend to sell have strong followings, in terms of buyers and auctioneers. This will also give you an idea if you should still push through with selling the product or you should move on to a new item to add to your eBay listings.
Tip 2. Take pictures and post them online. Contrary to what other people believe, pictures still says a lot when it comes to convincing people that a product is eye catching or not. Just like when you go to a new food joint, before ordering a specific meal or dish, you will first look at the pictures of each viand. Needless to say, people still eat with their eyes. And if the food doesn’t look appetizing, then there is no way that you will order and try it out. And going back to selling in eBay, buyers and auctioneers would first take a look at
23
My First Internet Business
photos of each product before deciding if the items are worth buying. So be sure to post photos of what you are selling to attract more buyers.
Tip 3. Provide multiple payment options. Buyers will look for better and easier payment options when purchasing products on line. So aside from money-grams, transfers, direct deposits, online payment websites; be sure that you can also accept payments made through credit and debit cards.
Tip 4. Be professional when dealing with clients. Keep your mind focused on both making money and making loyal customers out of your buyers through professional and truthful customer service. Make sure that every detail or bit of information that to post online is true. Do not overcharge your clients and respond to your clients’ queries and feedback in the most timely manner possible. This also includes your ability to accept feedback, both positive and negative.
Tip 5. Provide a detailed description of each product to give your customers an idea of what to expect when they order the item. And like posting good pictures, convince more buyers and bidders to visit your page and purchase each item with creative but accurately descriptive articles or posts.
Pros and Cons of selling on eBay and Online Auctions
Selling your hand crafted or even imported products is easy when you do it on eBay. The fact that this is a virtual shop that people with internet connection, your products can be easily viewed and purchased. This is one of the best sources of income, for those who would like to earn extra money, selling products online.
24
My First Internet Business
You do not need to be really techie to be able to start an account on eBay or any other online auctions. If you have a steady internet connection, a little knowledge on navigating through the world wide web, and a determined personality, you can put up an internet business based on this model.
And like any other concept or business model, there are also several cons or downsides on using eBay and other online auctions to earn a living. One of which is being charged with several fees during and even after transactions. This can affect the amount of money that you will be earning. Another thing, there is no assurance if you will immediately and consistently earn money. Since this is like putting up a physical store, you’ll never know when huge sales would come in. Unless you have already established yourself and if you have received a lot of positive feedback about your customer service as well as the products that you are selling.
Product Creation
You may think that finding a market that is profitable for you is so difficult, think again. Did you know that using your innate talents, skills and even your hobbies can help you earn money? Through an internet business model known as product creation, you will be able to start your own home-based business, increase your income and have fun on the side.
25
My First Internet Business
What is Product Creation?
Product creation can be done through several means; one would be selling eBooks. These online books can be about a lot of things. With your creative mind and writing skills, you can construct instructional, informative ebooks that your readers and even advertising firms can purchase. Even if you are into trivia, history and current events, your skills can still be useful in writing online books for people to read and purchase.
You can also start creating video training materials, audio training manuals and other instructional guides and sell them online. Teasers for each should be posted on your one website and even on social networking sites to entice people to read, watch, listen and purchase your audio or video “books.” You
26
My First Internet Business
can easily find audio book contents online; as a matter of fact you can even base them on your hobbies, interests and current events.
Selling software can also be a great way to earn a living. If you are into software programming, you can sell your designs over the internet. You can actually look for new projects at oDesk.com, a site where employers and job seekers meet to find virtual work connections.
How to Start an Internet Business Using the Product Creation Model
Starting this type of business can be achieved through three easy guidelines. And these steps would help you set up and find the perfect product to create and sell online.
Step 1. Invest on your strengths. Create a list of the technical or internet related skills that you are really good at. Next, you also have to analyze and list down all the things that you enjoy doing, such as baking, writing, blogging or even photo editing. Say that you are good at marketing and developing programs that organize and edit pictures, these skills would help you set up your new internet based business.
Step 2. Narrow down your list and come up with a plan of action such as finding out your target market. Study the demographics and the specifics of the line of business that you have chosen to find out if you will be competing with thousands of online sellers as well.
Step 3. Now that you have chosen the product that you want to create and sell, it’s time to develop a concept that attracts more buyers. One way is to post your products on your very own website. You can also offer the articles, programs, tutorials on networking sites like Craigslist, eLance, oDesk and
27
My First Internet Business
Freelancer.com. Offer affordable packages for your software and throw in a bunch of freebies if possible.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Product Creation Model
Starting a product creation business can be advantageous because you can get to do the things that you love and are really good at. Not only will you be able to reach out to many people through an internet business such as this, you will also be able to hone your skills and get your creative juices flowing all the time.
And although it is not a guarantee that you will earn money in an instant, which is considered as one of the downsides of product creation, earning a lot of money from your sales is indeed very promising. You also need to be really good at what you do, and you should be open to improving your skills to make sure that you will continue to sell your products online.
Offering Services on the Internet
This is the perfect venue for moms and dads to stay home and spend more time with the family. Since offering services on the internet is seriously being considered as one of the best and the easiest internet business models in the world of online jobs and businesses.
How to Start Offering Services on the Internet
It is quite easy to do this. You do not need to be a college graduate to be successful in this business. If you have a knack for writing, describing and designing, then this job is definitely for you. Check out the different websites where you can hunt for editors and virtual writing firms that are on the lookout
28
My First Internet Business
for writers, bloggers, designers and marketing experts to hire on a part time or full time type of employment.
So what are the services that you can offer online? Well, aside from writing web-content articles, you can also work on blogs, create news ads, magazine articles, promotional intros, product description, designing websites and even create marketing campaigns for online sellers. And if you think that your options are limited to writing and designing, then you are mistaken. Now that more and more businesses, big or small, are venturing into the use of internet to create a virtual team of experts, you can now find jobs that look for virtual assistants, recruiters, telemarketers, accountants and even project managers. Craigslist and oDesk can be your best friends when it comes to finding “service” related job postings.
29
My First Internet Business
Advantages and Disadvantages of Offering Services on the Internet
Finding a job online has never been this easy. With the help of websites offering writing, designing and management jobs on the internet, you now have the opportunity to find a good paying job and stay at home at the same time. Another good thing about this type of business is that you can easily get paid good money, even if you are working for just one writing firm. And if you are looking for more options to save and earn more money, you can choose to work for various clients without being reprimanded or going against any company policy. You also have flexible working hours, which means you will have more time for yourself to do other things or you will get to spend more time with your kids.
The downside to this is that, there are several fake clients who are looking for new victims. Some writers don’t get paid after writing several articles for a fraudulent company. Some clients also offer really low rates, since they are aware that there are thousands of freelance writers looking for jobs. Just be cautious about who you deal with. It would be best to review employment feedback and client ratings on the website to make sure that you will not be denied payment or work.
Internet Marketing
No, marketing is not just about going house to house promoting your products and services, or paying thousands of dollars just to have a TV or radio commercial aired to let people know that you are launching a product. Now, with the help of the internet, business owners, manufacturers and home-based
30
My First Internet Business
job seekers can all find that marketing can be done without spending too much and at the same time, while earning a lot on the side.
Types of Internet Marketing
There are actually three types of internet marketing, and this book will discuss each one in detail. This means that you will be given enough information to help you decide whether this business is for you and if you will benefit a lot from one type or maybe all three.
1. Video Marketing
This advertising strategy is similar to how television ads work to promote a specific type of product or even services. The only difference is that video marketing is now making its way to the internet or the digital world. It is viewed to be a means to reinforce an existing marketing campaign, to help internet surfers to be reminded of such products. You can also earn more money by accepting advertisements which you can include on your video postings.
Advantages of Video Marketing
Social Media Friendly
It doesn’t take a genius that videos concerning product promotions and endorsements can be spread through social media. As a matter of fact, people can even hire social networking fanatics to spread videos by posting them on their walls and tagging their friends as well. Imagine a Facebook wall without
31
My First Internet Business
tagged posts in forms of movie trailer, music videos, slide shows and of course product endorsements, it would b e super boring and utterly plain.
Budget Friendly
This is considered to be one of the friendliest marketing and advertising strategies, in terms of meeting and not exceeding your target budget. So if you are looking for a cheaper way to promote and to support your already existing advertising campaigns, these videos can help you, in a really huge way. Posting on social networking sites like on Twitter, Facebook and even MySpace or Orkut is completely free. Merchants can work with you buy paying you a certain amount just to have their products advertised through your videos on YouTube.
Style Friendly
Forget about using old school flyers and sticky posters to market your business, services or creations. You now have an option to advertise in style through the internet marketing. People who are into staying connected and finding and eventually getting everything they want in a snap, would find video marketing a really effective and helpful way to shop and look for services without doing too much.
Location and Target Friendly
You can specify your target audience or clientele, likewise, you can specify the location where you would like your videos to be shown. This works especially if you have a local business that you would like to promote, or you will be hired to make and upload videos for country-wide businesses.
32
My First Internet Business
Disadvantages of Video Marketing
There are several things that you might call as limitations in terms using video marketing as an internet business model; such as consumers will not be able to physically take a sample of the products that you are promoting. And if you are the one in charge of coming up with the video, you may need to have the required skills to make the video ad and the final product should be flawless. Another thing, some videos are viewed to be scams or frauds, so be careful with regard to the ads that you will be responding to.
How to Start Video Marketing
Make a profitable business venture through video marketing, and here’s how you can be the king of internet businesses:
1. Be a video editing master. If you are into video making and you have the skills to turn a simple story line or concepts into amazing videos, then this is the perfect business for you. Be creative and you can go places.
2. Invest on video editing programs or software, which can be pretty easy to find. There are those that are highly sophisticated and expensive, but you can also purchase software that are way on the pocket and at the same time, user friendly and can give cool video effects as well.
3. Find your target clientele. Remember that you can choose which kinds of videos you want to make, so be sure to discuss your concepts, ideas and the types of products that you would like to work on.
33
My First Internet Business
2. Email Marketing
Making extra money can be done through internet marketing. And if you are constantly online checking your emails or chatting with your friends, email marketing can be your way to earning enough to start a permanent internet business. You can send emails to promote products, services and even events. Email marketing is also to keep clients and to make them stay loyal and to value the business that their customers are bringing forth.
How will You Earn Money through Internet Marketing through Emails
Email marketing requires you to have a target list of recipients – a list of people who are scheduled to receive your email advertisement. If you will be working for an online company that usually sends out newsletters and virtual coupons to their customers, you can get your updated list from them. To get your lists of recipients organized, an auto-responder can be of great help.
You also have to collect new email addresses and to get them to subscribe to your emails. So how will you be able to convince guests to subscribe? Well, you can send free gift cards or certificates, vouchers and coupons, newsletters and tips to help them out.
Now, once you have a regular email following, your clients would pay you based on the number of email that you will be sending in a given period of time.
Choose from three types of email marketing: Direct email, Retention, and advertising for other people.
34
My First Internet Business
Advantages and Disadvantages of Email Marketing
This a business that you can put up without spending too much on capital. This low-cost business can help you earn money faster than you can draw out a dollar from your wallet. You can also reach your target client in a flash. Another good thing about email marketing, is that you can add a touch of creativity through personalized emails. Businesses can also go for this type of internet marketing to reach out to a lot of people without spending too much on snail mails and hiring people to distribute flyers and to put up posters. At the same time, the way that you can include your complimentary gift coupons in your emails is a great way to keep your loyal customers happy.
On the other hand, there is a down side to email marketing. And one of which is being marked or tagged as a spammer. If this happens, you will be completely blocked from their virtual mail boxes. Spamming also started the feud between email marketers and the law. Due to the increase of hackers and spammers in the virtual world, laws have been passed to reprimand and punish those who will be found guilty of spamming. At the same time, internet and connection glitches can cause delivery failures.
3. Article Marketing
Write your way to a successful internet business through article marketing. This viral marketing tactic is all about writing and hiring freelance writers to compose ads and feature articles to promote their businesses, products and services. These articles are usually keyword-centric, which means that when you write posts for a client, you will be asked to compose your feature articles
35
My First Internet Business
around specific keywords or phrases. These words, are then linked to the merchants’ actual websites.
Tips to Start Earning Money through Article Marketing
Remember that for you to earn money through this internet business model, you have to be specific and really accurate about what you write. Since article sites like www.about.com, ezine.com and even ehow.com are very particular with the content of each article that they approve. And once your posts have passed quality check, you can be sure that you will get paid for your work. All the important information should be included on your articles and a resource box should be included if you will be quoting lines or phrases from existing posts on the internet.
You also need to find good paying clients to make sure that you get your pay which is usually sent on a weekly, bi-monthly, monthly and even on a per project basis. And if you are wondering how you are going to get paid, there are several ways to receive payment from clients and editors: one would be through direct deposits, money grams and online payment transactions such as those through Paypal.com.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Article Marketing
If you are seriously thinking about taking on article writing, you need to find out the benefits and the advantages that you can get out of this business venture. One positive thing about article marketing is the fact that finding clients is very easy. There are tons of legit online job postings for content writing and article marketers throughout the world, so there would be jobs for you all the time. Another great thing about this is that payment can be done in
36
My First Internet Business
a flash. Depending on your agreement with your clients, you can get paid on a weekly or a bi-monthly basis. Online writers such as yourself, will not get stuck on writing and discussing a single topic. This means that there is variation in terms of topics, subjects, keywords, kinds of clientele and even demographics. From usual feature articles, to product intros, news items and product reviews, you’re work week can be filled with new things to write about.
Now, when it comes to the “cons” of article marketing, there are several points that you also need to consider. Since there are thousands of article writers that are competing for jobs, there will be times when you will be offered low rates; this means that there is no guarantee that you will be earning thousands of dollars in one go. The chances of having duplicates or articles having similar contents are very high. You may end up revising your posts just to meet client requirements.
37
My First Internet Business
4. Membership websites
There is another internet business model that you should take a look at before deciding which home based web business you would like to start. Membership websites are slowly making a mark on the internet business arena, especially amongst business owners who would like to promote their products, services; as well as those who would like to start their very own internet based biz. Developing such websites can be based on specific themes such as those that concern improving one’s lifestyle, health and even fortune.
What are the different types of membership websites and how can I earn money from it?
Learn from the different types of membership websites and find out how you will be able to earn more money from each.
a. eLearning membership sites concentrate on teaching people about different things. Usually geared towards home-schooling, these websites will ask members to sign up and pay for a specific fee to earn a degree on being a foreclosure inspector, or maybe a master’s degree in language or public administration. Some can even learn new languages through these membership websites. How will you earn money? Whether you are an online instructor, a website developer, a client or a creative businessman, you will surely earn money through eLearning membership websites.
b. Social Networking – anyone who has access to the internet will most definitely have a social networking site that they have signed up for. Sites such as Facebook.com, Plaxo.com and even MySpace.com are all membership based which you can sign up for free. But you also have an
38
My First Internet Business
opportunity to earn big bucks through marketing posts, tagging ads and videos.
c. Target and goal specific sites – these are based on specific functions or industries. Such as starting a membership site where you can teach people how to bake, sell recipes and even baking products. You can also start a website that offers new computer software downloads, clothing wear and even those about people’s health.
Tips when Starting your Own Membership Websites
If you have decided to put up your very own membership site, you have to make sure that you already know what kind of website you would like to build and develop. Your target clientele or members should also be kept in mind.
You also need to find a reliable website making software, as well as a good source of clients. And once you have set up your site, you have to make sure that you post informative and highly accurate contents as well.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Membership Websites
This form of internet business can be really beneficial for you, especially if you are looking for a sort of regular monthly income. Even if you just sell one product, you can be sure that you will keep earning even if you haven’t sold another piece. You do not need to hold a specific degree just to succeed in this type of business. You can simply design and put up a membership website with a specific theme, and let your merchants and writers do the rest for you. The business is all in all super sellable. A lot of people are looking for reliable websites to gain more information about their interests and at the same time a virtual shop where they can get new products and services.
39
My First Internet Business
What about the disadvantages of membership websites? Although the business doesn’t require expertise or mad skills, you will be required to stay passionate about the sites at all times. Lack of passion and management will eventually cause your business to fumble. This means that you have to keep updating the site, otherwise your site will become boring and old news. This is target specific, which means that the website should be composed and organized.
40
My First Internet Business
Recommendation
Confused about which internet business model you should go for? Let’s help you choose the one for you:
First, you have to ask yourself, which business model captured my interest the best?
If you think that you can handle creating new products such as writing interesting blog posts or ebooks, by all means, start a Product creation business which you can post on your website.
And pretty sure, you will start earning money on a regular basis. However, you also have the opportunity to bump up your earnings through combining your existing business model with another.
41
My First Internet Business
Your product creation biz maybe booming, but you can still add more flare to your business by tying up 0or working together with merchants to market their business as well. You can write article marketing posts to help advertise products and services for a fee.
And if you want to take it up on a much higher level, you can start your own membership website that caters to online businesses and selling articles online.
Learning and Internet Businesses
Just like the old adage “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, your internet business success will not happen overnight. This means that you need to keep coming up with new ideas to improve and promote your business.
The same way that you need to keep learning new tricks of the trade to keep your new venture afloat. You can enroll on web-based business courses and at the same time consult marketing experts and other internet business professionals for new ideas, solution to business concerns and answers to your existing business related questions.
Another thing, you also have to be open to the possibility that some internet businesses fail.
But do not let this discourage you from pursuing your business dreams; man up and accept the fact that you may or may not succeed, and work hard to avoid bad things from happening.
Hone your skills, never stop learning, stay positive and be open minded and you and your internet business will definitely go places.
42
My First Internet Business
43
Kategoriler
Etiketler
İletişim
Ziyaretçi Defteri
En güncel 10 konu
Geri Dön
!