The dream of establishing a thriving online business is a common one, especially for those new to the digital world. It's not unusual to see these novices investing in a "business opportunity" that seems promising. They might even try a few more before realizing that these schemes only profit the sellers. They might then invest in a package that offers a strategy for growing a specific online business. While some of these programs do provide what is needed, failure is often more common than success.
A prevalent reason for failure is a lack of understanding about what it takes to achieve anything substantial. Learning, working, and selling are essential. These are "halt" words for many. They believe they already know enough and that further learning is unnecessary. They are not enthusiastic about working, and the concept of selling is somehow repugnant. The words "learn," "work," and "sell" halt such individuals in their tracks, denying them success both online and offline.
However, the core of any business is selling. There's work to be done behind the scenes to keep the business running smoothly. Moreover, there's a constant stream of new things to learn to stay current and competitive.
Selling is the lifeblood of any business. Profits only come from sales. Without an effective sales effort, profits will be minimal. But you might be viewing this word in a narrow way. Selling doesn't necessarily mean prowling the showroom floor or peddling products door to door.
Consider most things you buy. How are they "sold" to you? Often indirectly. Here's an example.
When you enter the store, you likely wander around, check out various items, collect a few, then pay and leave. Who exactly "sold" you anything? And how did they do it?
The store owner has stocked his shelves with the products you and other customers need. He's made it easy for you to find what you're looking for. He's "offered" you the products he's selling.
If you're unsure which of two pipe wrenches to buy, a clerk will happily explain the difference so you can make an informed decision. This isn't a salesperson in action. This is a representative of the store owner helping you make the best choice.
The success of some online businesses depends on a strong sales presentation, which may be most of the site content. However, many online businesses operate similarly to your local hardware store. You can do the same.
It's common to "display" products with words, and often with pictures. Details of all kinds are available with a click. And there's contact information if more information is needed.
This is not selling in the traditional sense of the word. It's simply making your products available to those who want them, providing any additional information that might be needed, and assisting with difficult purchase decisions.
Selling a new gadget that people have never heard about requires direct selling. But stick with products people want and understand, and they will need only the information you provide to make the purchase decision.
Many people associate learning with what was expected of them during their school days. Everyone was supposed to learn the same thing in the same amount of time, which is unrealistic since we are all different. For those who did not rank high on grade day, learning became associated with lack of success, if not failure.
But it's different now. There's no teacher pressuring you. No curriculum. If you love stereo speakers, delve into the details and find out how Speaker A differs from Speaker B. Then share it with your customers. Charts and tables may be the extent of your "sales pitch."
This is learning. And except for keeping up with changes in the area in which you are doing business, this may be all that's required.
Almost no one. But we do. And while it is work to set up a system to automate purchases on a website, there is not much required to maintain it.
In your online business, you may have to deal with delivery in some way. This is work. It can be dull and boring for the most part. Then you have to handle unusual requests from customers. And, of course, complaints. These tasks are not fun; they're work.
Don't let such words stop you. Overcome them.
If you are not prepared to sell and to learn new things as they come along, then forget about building any business, online or offline.
As for work, it's hard to avoid it. It's what puts food on the table. The reasonable options are to work for someone else or for yourself.
Never, Ever Release Any Of Your Rights To Anyone
One of the grandest scams on the Web, which goes largelyunnoticed, is for a web-based bookseller or publisher to requiresome rights to your work in exchange for the service to beprovided. Many demand the electronic rights, for example.
How Well Do You Know Your Perfect Customer?
Your Perfect Customer is real only in your mind. He or sheis the one individual most representative of your target. Theone to whom you always speak one-on-one in your newsletter andon your site.
Does Search Engine Traffic Matter?
The short answer is, "Sure." And it likely always will.But the amount of free traffic search engines now deliver tomany small online businesses doesn't amount to much. And whatthere is of it continues to decline in importance. Pay-for-submission models are rapidly eliminating free options.
