Starting a New Business Online?

It seems everybody has a "can't miss" idea for starting a
new web-based business, despite innumerable news accounts
of most web businesses going belly-up in a short time.

Most folks still think, mistakenly of course, that a
website alone somehow magically produces customers who will
buy even the most off-beat items and services. They fail to
realize that buying or building a website represents only
part of the overall online marketing equation.

Anyone considering starting a new online business or taking
an existing business online should heed the following
advice to avoid many heartaches and an empty wallet.

Target your audience.
What exactly do your customers want and what words do they
use to describe the products and services they will
purchase? Don't assume you know how and what they want to
buy - ask them! From this research you will determine the
"keywords" your customers will use to find your business
while surfing and using search engines. You should then
focus completely on these keywords while constructing your
entire web presence.

Build a focused site.
Your website should center exclusively on those issues
directly related to what you sell online. If you sell
"orange baskets" then only write about the characteristics,
features and benefits of using your orange baskets.

Take great care in writing your copy to keep your text
focused on one subject per page and make liberal use of
your keywords and their synonyms. Constructing your pages
in this manner will aid you greatly in achieving good
directory listings and attracting search engine traffic.

Use search engines effectively.
If building a highly focused, relevant site to display your
products and services gets you to first base with the
search engines, then building "bridge" pages will get you
rounding third and headed for home!

The term "bridge page" characterizes a web page that
focuses on one keyword phrase throughout the entire page.
You should build dozens, if not hundreds, of these pages,
each of which focuses on one keyword phrase a potential
customer would use to find you in a search engine. You
should then submit these pages to the individual search
engines and monitor them for the traffic they produce.

Accept Change As a FACT of Life!
Understand that creating a successful online business
requires commitment to a process of constant promotion and
continuous education. You must stay current on cost-
effective search engine and directory promotion techniques
for driving traffic to your site as well as any factors
specifically affecting your industry online.

Accept the fact that change happens online at two speeds:
fast and faster! Just when you think you have everything
figured out, a search engine changes its rules, or starts
charging for services, or goes from important to irrelevant
in the blink of an eye.

Your ability to predict change, master it, and "roll with
the punches" will determine your long-term success or
failure online.