Starting an online business involves creating a website, launching an ezine, and generating traffic to your site. However, the question remains: what should you sell? The options are vast and can be categorized into two main groups: products and services. This article will delve into some easy options for those eager to kickstart their online business.
If you don't already have a product to sell, consider items that can be delivered digitally, such as software and information products. There are four main ways to sell these products:
Creating your own product is a long-term goal, but if you're eager to start immediately, options 2-4 are quicker. Affiliate programs offer a fast start, but you'll be working on commission. MLM is a good choice if you're a natural networker. For more information on MLM, check out this article. Acquiring resell rights (along with MLM) can lead to significant profit.
To acquire products with full resale rights, consider sources like eBookPublications, eBookWholesaler, and FreeToSell.
Services you can sell from your website include advertising space in your ezine or on your website, or access to a members-only area of your site for a membership fee.
Selling advertising space in your ezine is a good revenue-generator. However, you should wait until you have at least 1,000 subscribers before selling ad space. Until then, offer free ads to generate subscribers and get your readers used to seeing ads in your publication. Ad swapping with other publishers is also a good way to generate new subscribers.
Once you reach the 1,000 subscriber mark, you can start selling ad space. Consider sending solo mailings to your list as another source of revenue. Be careful with these mailings, however, as some subscribers may unsubscribe if they receive too many.
Pricing your ads should be based on supply and demand. If demand exceeds supply, increase your prices. If you can't sell all your ad space, reduce your prices. The goal is to reach a price point where demand for your ad space is roughly equal to your supply.
Paid subscriptions for your ezine or website are another good way of generating income. For your website, you can use password protection to create areas for paying members only.
When pricing your subscription services, it's often better to charge a monthly access fee rather than an annual fee. This allows you to set a relatively low initial price, making the decision to sign up easier for your subscriber, and gives you a recurring monthly income.
Regardless of what you choose to sell, the quality of your content is crucial. Your site needs to be a valuable resource for visitors, and your ezine should contain high-quality content to draw them back to your site. Only then will you have a chance to sell your product or service.
While the main reason for starting a business is to make money, it's important to remember that you have to give before you can get. Provide your site visitors with what they're looking for, and they'll visit again and refer their friends. This will give you customers to sell your products to. Without this, even the greatest product or service in the world will go unnoticed.
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