Are You In a Position to Start an Online Business?

When I first started my online business, I did everything I
could to save a little money -- I didn't want a domain name,
not even for a mere $35/year (it was expensive back then!),
and I certainly didn't want to pay recurring monthly fees
for a web host.

That was a mistake. What I came to realize was simply that
if I wasn't willing to make these small investments -- well,
I just wasn't in the position to be starting a business.
Sometimes the truth hurts!

I came to accept that I could learn from the experiences of
successful online entrepreneurs. From them, I learned that
it just doesn't help to try to 'cut corners' on certain
things. So what are some of the things you need to get
started on the 'net?

= Your own domain. At GoDaddy, http://www.godaddy.com/ ,
you can register a domain for a mere $8.95/year. There
is NO excuse not to have your own domain at these rock-
bottom prices! Your own domain will help your business
build credibility -- plus, it's easier to remember a
simple www.yourcompany.com then something like,
www.afreedomain.com/userpages/~yourname/homedir !

= Web hosting. Don't skimp on it, but don't get a whole
bunch of features you don't need, either. Be willing
to spend money for a reliable web host with a great
uptime record, one that can offer you excellent customer
service. Start your research at TopHosts,
http://www.tophosts.com/ .

= Website stats. Knowing who your visitors are, how
they're finding your site, which pages they're viewing
most, etc. will help you to refine your site and your
marketing efforts. Check with your web host first to
see what type of website stats or demographics they
offer with your hosting package. Other options
include the AXS Visitor Tracking System,
http://www.xav.com/scripts/axs/ , and WebLog,
http://awsd.com/scripts/weblog/index.shtml
Both are currently free.

= Ad tracker. An ad tracker will help you to see which
one of your marketing campaigns is giving you the best
results. For example, how much response are you getting
from your ad on a website? How much interest did your
article generate? You can then focus your efforts on
the marketing techniques that are giving you the results
you want -- and dump those that aren't. 'AdTrackz' is
one excellent ad tracker, and is available from
http://buildyourhomebiz.com/rd/adtrackz.html .

= Autoresponders. These excellent tools help to automate
customer follow-ups (you *do* follow up with your
prospects, right?) and other tasks, such as mailing out
articles or reports to visitors who request them. They
typically run about $20/month... but WorkYourLeads
offers unlimited autoresponders for $10/month,
http://buildyourhomebiz.com/automate.html . Other
good choices are GetResponse, http://getresponse.com/ ,
and AWeber, http://www.aweber.com/ .

= List hosts. You may already know that capturing your
prospect's email address is the one of the most important
things you can do -- it gives you the ability to build a
credible and trusting business 'relationship' with them,
and you'll be able to market to them repeatedly. Many
Internet businesses offer a newsletter to keep in touch
with their customers. To deliver your newsletter you
can use either an autoresponder (see above) or a list
manager. Two popular list hosts are Yahoo Groups,
http://groups.yahoo.com/, which is currently free; and
Topica, http://www.topica.com/ .

Note that free tools aren't necessarily either the best
or worst choice, and they're not guaranteed to be free
forever. Please don't use price as your only criteria.

And finally, don't forget about investing in two more
vital keys to success: education (for example, copywriting
manuals, Internet marketing courses, etc) and marketing.
All of the best tools in the world won't do you any good
unless you can get interested prospects to visit your site
and make a purchase.

The old saying, 'You have to spend money to make money'
is true of businesses everywhere... and that includes the
Internet. Fortunately, starting a business online can be
very affordable, even for the 'average' person.