THEORETICALLY speaking, you decide one day that you want to try your hand at an online business.
There are people who earn a living and even get rich through online businesses.
This does not mean you should expect to make a million dollars within a few months.
However, with the right idea and plan, you can generate a profitable career with an online business.
To start with, you must have the drive, energy and enthusiasm to make it work.
Few businesses, if any, start off super strong and begin making a lot of money right away.
You have to work on your business to make it a success, especially when there is no boss to look over your shoulder to make sure you’re working.
So, you have to have an adequate amount of dedication and be self-starting to be successful in the online business.
In an online business, you may spend 12 to 14 hours a day getting things going. It is a labour of love and, if you’re willing to put in the hours and commitment, you can make a go of it.
Having said that, from my experience, if you’re attempting to kickstart an online business, you should first try to attend a workshop or seminar related to the subject.
I attended one which taught me how to write e-Books.
To start an online business, the following four should be taken into account:
IDENTIFY the product/service that you want to sell;
SET up a website — web hosting, domain name and sales letter;
DETERMINE how you want to be paid by your customers; and,
PROMOTE, promote and promote your online business.
The product that you want to sell online can be physical, for example computers, guitars or shoes. Nonphysical products can be e-Books or others.
As for services, you can sell insurance, vacation destinations and many more.
To sell your product or service, the website must have a good domain name.
A domain name is the address of your website. For example, if you’re providing a taxi service in Shah Alam, then your domain name might be www.shahalamtaxi.com.
Hosting is another important part. You should choose a good hosting company and it is best that you host your website in the country of your primary market.
Internet gurus say this is vital for good search engine rankings.
Your website should be a convincing sales letter.
That is to say, when someone reads your sales letter, he or she will want to click the “Buy Now” button.
There’s no business until your website reader does that.
If you are operating your online business from your own town, you can purchase the domain name and the hosting from the same company.
The cost of renting a domain name and hosting is usually not more than RM60 per year.
Next, set how customers will pay you, such as by credit card, banking in cash to your bank account or PayPal. Your website designer can help install this on your website.
Perhaps the most worrying part about the online business is how to promote your product and your business.
How do you make people aware of your online business? Normally, the trainer will cover this topic at the end of their workshop.
You will be taught that there are free as well as paid advertisements for online businesses.
Free advertisements include, but are not limited to, signature email, forums, leaving comments on blogs, social networking, writing your own blog, having your website appear in search engine optimisation, and others.
If you are willing to pay for advertisements, you can go for banner ads, such as Google Adword, Facebook ads, etc.
You can also advertise offline, for example in local newspapers and magazines or distribute promotional leaflets.
It is important to take the time to research each aspect of your online business.
Chances are, no matter what business idea you come up with, there will be someone out there who has the same idea. They are your competitors.
KAMARUDDIN HASSAN,
Shah Alam, Selangor