You might have heard me say it before, but I feel the need to say it again...
It's not that dificult to make money online. It's not that hard to build an online business.
As I've said, most people seem to over complicate the process. I can't blame them though, with marketer after marketer pitching them the latest and greatest program. One better than the last.
New and improved, right?
It's quite easy for any one to fall into the information overload trap. From there it's only a matter of time before frustration builds to the point of more people quiting.
Been there, done that. Actually I still have some information overload days myself. It's an easy disease to catch, and it's often difficult to cure.
So, in this post I want to cover the very basics of building an online business.
If you already have something up and running, you might want to skip this post, you probably already know what I'm about to say.
Let's get to it...
1. Quality Web Hosting
Many of my customers are brand new to the whole making money online dealio. Problem is, they are don't always understand that if they are serious about building a business on the net, they MUST be serious about the tools they use to build that business.
Yes there are places you can get free hosting, free blogs, or free website space, but you have to fully understand that free comes at a COST. When you use these free services you are using some one else system and you have little to no control over it.
You've spent hours, days and weeks building your free blog up, and gee, for some unforeseen reason, some one doesn't like your blog and it gets delete. All your work gone.
Think about it real carefully...
When you have no control over your website space or your no-cost blog, you have no control. Wow. Big theory there huh?
What's the best solution?
Quality paid hosting. Period. End of Story.
When you pay for your hosting, you have the control. If something is not working correctly, you can tell some one to fix it. You also don't have to worry about your work vanishing tomorrow.
Best hosting I can recommend right now is: Host Gator
2. Domain Name
This would be your "Name" on the net. You do need to give it some thought when choosing it. I personally prefer .com names because it was the first one and still the one most people think of. When some one goes to type in a domain name by hand, it's more likely they will add com at the end.
It also helps, when possible, to pick up a domain name with your keywords in it. Can help in the search engines.
Best place to get your domains is here: Name Cheap
[IMPORTANT TIP] Never Get your domain name from your hosting company. If you should part ways with your host and your leaving on a bad note, and your host has control of your domain, it might be tough getting it back. But if you have your domain registered with a separate company, you can easily switch where you your website is hosted by changing the domain details.
3. Website or Blog
You need a place to sell your products, services, or a place to sell yourself. Sure, much of this can be done on social networks, but that part should ONLY be what leads your potential customers to your stuff. To your website.
A place to hang your shingle on the big ole world wide net.
When I started, you needed to build websites by hand, with a web editor. These days it's SO much easier to get your own website up and running.
What's the easy way?
This: WordPress
Yep it's blogging software, but it is more than that. These days it can do some amazing things.
But, before you go downloading it, there are some hosting services that offer one click WordPress install. So check your hosting cpanel first, it might have that option. Plus using that option, it should install the latest version.
Now, you could build a website by hand, with a web editor, or you could work smart and use WordPress. I'm telling you know, don't waste your time doing it the hard way, your only going to waste valuable time. I know, I've done it, for a couple years actually.
4. Something to Sell
Goes with out saying, but it's how the net works, just how it works in the real world, like down on main street.
But that's the easy part, there is NO shortage of things to sell. It could be your own products, such as digital, or it could be other people's products, which is affiliate marketing.
Which is best the best route?
If your just getting started, there is not question about it, start with affiliate marketing. Learn the ropes of websites and traffic generation and sell some one else's stuff. You have enough to learn, not need trying to figure out how to make your own ebook.
With so many things to sell online, I can't recommend one place. If your not sure, or need help with this part, contact me, let me know what your thinking about doing and I'll do my best to assist.
5. People To Buy Your Stuff
You could have the best products or services in the universe, but if no one knows about it, who much are ya going to sell?
When ever people asked me about building a business online, one thing I always told them was this...
Having a new website is like having a store in the mild of the woods. No one knows about it till you, or some one else tells them about it. Not going to be any customers or sales until you've built some roads to your fancy new store. Or, until some one else builds the roads for you (which CAN happen).
[SIDENOTE] Not long ago, on one of the forums I frequent, a member made the statement, that's it much harder these days to make money online, compared to years ago. I almost totally disagreed and I still do. If your just starting out (or finally getting started), you've got it made these days. Back in the day, there was no such thing as WordPress. It wasn't as easy to take payments like it is now. We didn't have social media like it is today. So don't YOU dare say it's difficult!
And, frankly, when I hear things like, "It's to hard", "it's to difficult", I only hear excuses. I don't mean to be rude, or seem uncaring, it's just that I believe and I know for a fact, anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Yes I know that is a overused cliche, but it's so incredibly true. Okay, this was not a self-help post, so I'll leave it at that.
There you have the basics...
It might seem simple, but the above is all you need to get started building your own online business.
